Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

We are a little more than a quarter of the way finished with the NBA season now. The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently the hottest team in the league with the best record and on an 11-game win streak.

The New York Knicks still hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference just a game and a half ahead of the Miami Heat. The Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs are two games back each of the Thunder.

A few disappointments so far have been the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets who each would barely make the playoffs if they started today. But no team has been more disappointing than the Los Angeles Lakers so far.

Team success has a lot to do with MVP candidacy. Now let’s look at the players who are in the running for the award so far this year.

1. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant still deserves the top spot here with the Thunder rolling the way that they are. Durant is putting up career numbers in terms of PER and true shooting percentage as he has a shot at joining the 50-40-90 club. His improvement from last season will be a big reason why he is considered the MVP so far this season especially with James Harden’s departure.

2. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

The Knicks just keep winning while Anthony is playing the best basketball of his career. He really seems to have carried over his Olympic play to the NBA season and it has been perfect for this Knicks team. The veterans surrounding Anthony are only helping to lift him to another level this season too.

3. LeBron James, Miami Heat

You can’t drop LeBron too far down the MVP ladder. He’s still leading the league in PER and putting up better all-around numbers than anyone. The Heat just haven’t been winning quite as much as you’d expect. All it’s going to take is a big month or two from LeBron and the Heat for him to get back in poll position of this race.

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

What Kobe is doing at this age and leading the league in scoring as efficiently as he’s ever been is remarkable. The issue is the Lakers aren’t winning, at all. Once they do and most people still believe they will eventually get their act together, Kobe will be right up there in the MVP discussion.

5. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are quietly on a winning streak just as impressive as the Thunder’s. Paul is 5th in the NBA in PER behind only the four players ahead of him in these Power Rankings. The Clippers look much better than a season ago, more prepared to make a deep run in the playoffs. Their depth has been a big reason for their success though so it’s not all Paul which is why he ranks only 5th.

6. Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have gotten off to a great start this season thanks mostly to Randolph. Randolph isn’t near the top of the league in PER but his averages of 17.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game will not go unnoticed by MVP voters. Memphis has shown that they are as tough as anyone in the league to match up with and Randolph being their power forward is the biggest reason why.

7. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry has led the Warriors to the fifth best record in the Western Conference so far this season. The key has simply been his health. He’s averaging 19.7 points, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. His shooting numbers have not been their best either so expect those to rise as the season goes on. The Warriors have been one of the biggest surprises of the year playing this well so early. If they can keep it up, Curry will deserve some MVP attention.

8. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks

Smith and the Hawks have also surprised the NBA in their first season after Joe Johnson currently holding the third best record in the Eastern Conference. They have many impressive wins including against the Thunder in OKC. Smith is averaging 16.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game to lead the Hawks.

9. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Rondo is still leading the league in assists by far and if the Celtics can get their act together and move up the standings in the Eastern Confernce, he will keep moving up in the MVP Power Rankings. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 12.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game this year as he looks to be playing the best ball of his career.

10. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Westbrook will never win the NBA because he is on the same team as Kevin Durant but he still deserves to be ahead of others in the MVP Power Rankings. Like Durant, Westbrook is also having a career year passing the ball better than ever and playing defense at the highest level we’ve ever seen from him. The Thunder needed Durant and Westbrook to step up and fill the Harden void this year and both have done exactly that.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Zach Randolph and Kendrick Perkins got into it when the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Memphis Grizzlies last Wednesday night.

Randolph and Perkins were both ejected with 2:05 left in the game as the two exchanged words in a heated manner.

There were reports following the game that Randolph and Perkins were still going at it back in the locker room after the game and that police were involved.

Police denied that there was an altercation but after the league investigated, it is laying down the hammer on Randolph and fining him $25,000 for the altercation that occurred after the game by the locker room.

It’s interesting that Perkins is not getting fined here when before it was unclear that either of the two was more responsible for the incident. Both have histories of picking up technical fouls and getting into it with opposing players.

It seems most likely that the NBA found out Randolph was the one who continued on after the game and approached Perkins in the locker room.

The Grizzlies got the best of the Thunder on the floor that night beating them 107-97. Memphis is playing just about as well as any team in the league right now and are looking like a very tough matchup for the Thunder.

The matchup of Perkins and Randolph as well as Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol inside is maybe the most important one between these two teams. There has always been a bit of a rivalry between these two teams and it may be escalating to something more in light of the Randolph-Perkins incident.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James and the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks 106-94 Wednesday night to win the series 4-1.

LeBron led the Heat with 29 points, seven assists and eight rebounds. LeBron set the tone early getting to the line eight times in the first quarter and also dishing out five assists in the opening quarter.

LeBron covered Carmelo Anthony for most of the game but Anthony had it going and scored 35 points but needed 31 shots to get those points. LeBron was criticized much for not covering Anthony down the stretch of Game 4 in New York.

Anthony got little to no help though from his teammates. The entire Knicks team looked like quite a mess in Game 5 as it seemed every time down the floor it was nothing but isolation offense.

The Heat will move on to play the Indiana Pacers in Round 2 who beat the Orlando Magic in five games in the first round.

Miami took three out of four from the Pacers in the regular season and while Indiana seems like they could be a tough matchup for the Heat, Miami and LeBron just seem to have their number.

LeBron averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 assists, 8.5 rebounds and 10.0 free throw attempts per game against the Pacers in the regular season.

Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

The Memphis Grizzlies staved off elimination beating the Los Angeles Clippers 92-80 Wednesday night.

The Grizzlies got out to a great start and big lead in the first half with the game feeling a lot like Game 1 when the Clippers came back from a 27-point deficit to win.

Memphis did not give up their lead this time however and relied on Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to lead the way for them.

Randolph scored 19 points to go with 10 rebounds in the game and had 15 points and five rebounds in the first quarter.

Gasol scored 23 points to go with four rebounds and seven rebounds.

Chris Paul’s impact in the game was not its normal noticeable self. He scored just 19 points and dished out four assists.

Mo Williams led Los Angeles with 20 points in the game.

The Clippers still lead the series 3-2 and will host Game 6 Friday night.

You can head on over to Beale Street Bears for all of Chuck’s coverage of the memphis Grizzlies.

Also you can download the podcast here.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (6-game winning streak)
107.8 Offensive Efficiency (1st)
100.0 Defensive Efficiency (11th)
95.6 Pace (6th)
57.2 True Shooting % (1st)
51.4 Rebound Rate (5th)

Grizzlies (1-game winning streak)
100.1 Offensive Efficiency (22nd)
99.0 Defensive Efficiency (8th)
94.2 Pace (12th)
51.2 True Shooting % (23rd)
50.8 Rebound Rate (8th)

This will be the fourth and final meeting between the Thunder and the Grizzlies tonight as they tip at 8 p.m. and the game will coincide with the NCAA College Basketball National Championship.

Oklahoma City won the first three meetings but tonight the Grizzlies will be closer to full strength than they were before. Zach Randolph returned to the team on March 16 scoring 25 points in his return but has only averaged 11.1 since then while mainly coming off the bench.

The Thunder are playing the best basketball they have all season right now during this six-game winning streak. Russell Westbrook has really led the way for them and is making a strong case for First Team All-NBA honors.

Westbrook scored 27 points in the Thunder’s victory over the Chicago Bulls yesterday and things might not get any tougher for him tonight as Mike Conley is a game-time decision and may not play.

The matchup is a rematch of the second round series in the playoffs last year. Oklahoma City won that series in seven games despite the matchup not being the easiest for the Thunder. Memphis can match and exceed their size down low and win the rebounding game. The Thunder this season have easily overcome such deficits in games simply with their amazing offensive fire power.

At 40-12 right now the Thunder are just two wins behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA. Oklahoma City has one of the best homecourt advantages in the NBA so expect them to really try and get that top seed and play hard through the end of the season while some teams may be coasting.

Since starting the Lakers game 0-for-8 from the field last Thursday, Kevin Durant has made 21-of-30 field goals. If he continues his hot shooting tonight the Thunder should come away with another win.