We’re now four months into the NBA season and favorites for individual awards are clearer every day. Specifically the league’s Most Valuable Player award. If you ask most fans and media members who the frontrunners are for the award, their answer would most likely be Bucks SF Giannis Antetokoumpo and Rockets SG James Harden. But if you ask for a third favorite, Thunder F Paul George comes to mind. The race is closer than most people think. Yes, James Harden has the record-breaking numbers. Yes, Giannis has the wins. Despite all of this, there’s a solid argument that Paul George should be the MVP over two previously mentioned.

By the Numbers

Let’s start with the obvious. Paul George is having a career year and is undoubtedly in the prime of his career. On the season, Paul George is averaging 28.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.3 steals. Those are all career-highs for the 28-year-old. If that’s not enough, George is shooting the ball at a 45.4% clip including yet another career-high of 41.3% from behind the arc. If these numbers even remotely describe how Paul George has been this season, the right words are absolutely spectacular. He’s been killing the competition this season, and his past 12 games are a testament to that.

Opponent PTS REB AST Trailblazers

(2/11) 47 12 10 Rockets

(2/9)

45 11 3 Grizzlies

(2/7) 27 5 4 Magic

(2/5) 39 8 3 Celtics

(2/3) 37 4 4 Miami

(2/1) 43 7 5 Magic

(1/29) 37 6 4 Bucks

(1/27)

36 13 3 Pelicans

(1/24) 23 11 7 Trailblazers

(1/22) 36 8 4 Knicks

(1/21) 31 4 4 76ers

(1/19) 31 6 5

As you can see, not only has Paul George been sensational, but he’s been both consistent and efficient, things some players with great numbers have not been. In his last 14 games, George is averaging 34.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. But an argument can be made that MVP candidate James Harden also puts up great numbers. More specifically, he’s put up 30 points in 29 straight games. But more in-depth stats have something to say about that.

James Harden is putting up a league-leading 39% usage rating, miles ahead of any other qualified player. For someone with the ball in his hands as much as Harden, it’s expected he puts up the big numbers. As for George, he has PG Russell Westbrook on his team who pretty much needs the ball in his hands in order to function. Westbrook is putting up 30% in terms of usage rate which leads the team and is 11th in the NBA. Despite that, Paul George still finds a way to “get his,” which has him at a usage rate of 28.7% (20th in the NBA).

Even with the ball in his hand less, he still finds a way to get it done with the opportunities he’s given. Yes, Paul George still gets the ball a lot more than most players. But with Harden having the ball more, it’d be almost certain that Harden gets the big numbers he does. On that note, George is doing more with less. He has an MVP on his team, yet he can lead his team to wins without having to take a backseat.

Winning

When discussing the MVP, winning seems to matter greatly. That’s where George has also succeeded. The Thunder have a 37-19 record, third in the West. The third seed in the NBA’s more competitive conference is huge considering the number of great teams that it contains. Harden does have a slight advantage over George when it comes to win-shares at 10.4 to 9.8. On the flip side, OKC may be in a position for a top seed because of the work done by George, something that the Rockets may not accomplish with Harden’s current style of play.

George’s play is simply unguardable, to say the least. He doesn’t need isolation to score on any defender on him. That expands his game widely compared to Harden who you can expect that from. With this, think about the effect it has on opposing teams. It’s easier for teams to game plan for a player that calls for isolation for most of the game. For George, his versatility keeps teams in a whirlwind. Of course, having Westbrook is a huge part of that. Nevertheless, the winning of OKC is largely in part to the difficult tasks that George gives other teams.

We can’t forget about Giannis, who has his team playing at 42-14, BEST in the NBA. He’s been getting it done in terms of team wins. Although the Bucks have a better record than the Thunder, think about the overall effect their respective teams would have without them. The Thunder would still have Russell Westbrook, but the scoring runs through George. Along with that, Westbrook has been struggling this season in all aspects of shooting despite averaging a triple-double. As for Milwaukee, their team is deep enough to win without Giannis. Their depth and talent at all positions is arguably better than that of the Thunder.

Defense

Even before George’s MVP-like emergence this season, it’s been widely known that George is one of the best two-way players in the league. If we’re talking MVP, we must talk about production on both sides of the ball. George, as alluded to before, is averaging 2.3 steals, a career high for him that leads the league. The eye test can do justice for George here because it’s very clear that George can lockdown any opposing team’s best player.

Comparing that to MVP-favorite Harden, the coaching system of Mike D’Antoni doesn’t call for defense. Harden has to have the stamina to carry the load offensively, and unfortunately, that’s done by slacking on defense. As for George, he gives you 100% on defense, all while busting his butt to put up the numbers he has.

Sustainability

It’s safe to say that the leading MVP candidates are James Harden, Giannis Antetokoumpo, and Paul George. But which of them can keep up their level of play until the end of the season? My answer: Paul George. Giannis makes a living inside the arc, and although his 3PT% has slowly gone up, his bread and butter is driving to the hole. Nevertheless, with more teams looking to collapse on Giannis in the paint and forcing him to pass out, will that kill Giannis’ usual style of play?

As for Harden, he’s on fire right now, and that’s obvious to anyone. Is it really realistic to see Harden continue to put up 30-point games through March/April? Teams will eventually find it easy to figure out what Harden is trying to do, and ultimately, someone will end his hot streak. For George, however, his case is just different. He scores in a multitude of ways, and when he’s not scoring, he’s shown he can make plays for his teammates.

Everybody sees these players differently, but I see George scoring in ways that aren’t easy to plan for. Teams can’t rest in the paint and wait for George to drive to the bucket. They also can’t play him at half court. If there’s more attention put onto George, that only leaves the door open for him to make plays for Russell Westbrook.

Conclusion

Paul George is said to be in many MVP conversations across all platforms, but the race is closer than people think. George is performing as well as any player in the league. As his teammate, Russell Westbrook says, “Why not?” IIf I’m looking at who can keep their MVP-like performances up for the rest of the season, George should certainly be the pick.

Is Paul George closer to the MVP than we think? Have Harden’s mind-blowing performances already clinched him the award? Perhaps Giannis leading his team to the best record may snag him his first MVP. Let me know what you think.

@jailbodyaw