NBA MVP 2017: Latest Betting Odds and Official Announcement Date
The race for the Most Valuable Player award was one of the biggest stories of the NBA season, and after much debate, the battle will be finally be decided.
On June 26, the league will announce the league's Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and, of course, MVP. Although the playoffs won't affect the regular-season awards, it should be more fuel for those arguing on behalf of their favorite player.
Still, the top award will be decided by the voters, not the fans. Here is what we can expect when the decision is officially made.
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | -175 |
| Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | +120 |
| Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | +650 |
| LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | +1200 |
| Isaiah Thomas | Boston Celtics | +10000 |
Case for James Harden
James Harden was already one of the best scorers in the NBA over the past two years, but this season he transitioned into one of the best point guards.
The Houston Rockets needed him to be more of a complete player, and Harden delivered with averages of 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game. The assists led the league while his points were second to only Russell Westbrook.
Perhaps most importantly, he carried a team that had no other All-Stars to the No. 3 seed in the competitive Western Conference.
Harden put up historic numbers for a contender and didn't have much help getting there, which is usually an open-and-shut case for the MVP award. Add in an NBA-best 15 win shares, according to Basketball Reference, and it seems clear this was the best performance of the 2016-17 season.
Case for Russell Westbrook
He averaged a triple-double for the season.
You could end there, considering this has happened just one other time in history when Oscar Robertson accomplished the feat in 1961-62. Westbrook finished the year averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game.
Not only did he finish with 42 triple-doubles, he led the NBA in scoring while doing it.
While the Oklahoma City Thunder weren't quite as good as the Rockets during the regular season, it's also not as if they were tanking for pingpong balls. Westbrook led a team that just lost Kevin Durant to the No. 6 seed in the West, featuring a roster that included only two other legitimate scorers in Victor Oladipo and Enes Kanter.
Westbrook also had a habit of coming through in the clutch all season while also leading the NBA in value over replacement player at 12.4, per Basketball Reference. It's clear he was the most valuable player in the league.
Case for Kawhi Leonard
While Harden and Westbrook put up good numbers, Kawhi Leonard arguably had the biggest impact of anyone in the NBA.
The San Antonio Spurs star was not only the only All-Star for a team that won 61 games, he was the team's most important player on both offense and defense. He averaged 25.5 points while ranking as one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA.
Tim Duncan has retired while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are far from the players they once were, yet Leonard keeps the Spurs running as a well-oiled machine that remains a realistic contender to bring home a championship.
He has already won the last two Defensive Player of the Year awards, but his career-high scoring makes him ready for an even bigger title of MVP.
Case for LeBron James
LeBron James has been good for so long, fans no longer appreciate it when he does something incredible.
Although he didn't average a triple-double, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward set career highs in rebounds (8.6 per game) and assists (8.7 per game) to go with his 26.4 points per game. Although he clearly has more talent around him in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, his numbers might have been even better if he was forced to do everything himself.
Even with weaker numbers than Harden and Westbrook, James still led the Cavs to the No. 2 seed in the East with statistics that are rarely seen at this level.
He also did it while shooting 54.8 percent from the field, the highest mark of his career. Only six players had a better effective shooting percentage than James at 59.4, and five of those men are centers.
James has already won four MVP awards in his career and might have posted his most efficient overall season, which makes him a top contender once again.
Case for Isaiah Thomas
The Boston Celtics surprised almost everyone by grabbing the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and Isaiah Thomas was easily the biggest reason why.
The diminutive point guard ranked third in the NBA with 28.9 points per game, leading the team in scoring virtually every night. He also added 5.9 assists per game and showcased excellent shooting from everywhere on the court, including his 90.9 percent mark from the free-throw line.
While his all-around numbers don't match the other men on the list, Thomas almost single-handedly carried the Celtics to the top seed in the East after the squad had gone the previous four years without winning a playoff series.
With his ability to come through in the clutch for an elite team, voters would be wise not to rule him out.
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