OKC Thunder debate: Paul George early front runner for MVP

Paul George’s heroic play the past month has the OKC Thunder atop the Western Conference and has catapulted him into the MVP conversation.

Almost five years since breaking his leg, Paul George is at the top of his game and is in the conversation for MVP, if not the front runner. He’s playing the best basketball of his career by the numbers and is only strengthening his argument with every 40-point game (of which he has three this month). It’s a bit early to be thinking about after-season awards, but when a player is going like George is recently, it’s hard not to start giving him the M-V-P chant while he’s at the free-throw line.

When thinking about MVP, several factors come into play. Although the factors largely remain the same from person-to-person, each individual element is weighted differently depending on who you’re asking. But before we dive deep into the discussion, it’s important to be on the same page.

First and foremost, it’s important to understand stats are the foundation of the argument, but it takes more than simply leading the league in points to win the award. It’s also a combination of player efficiency, how well the team performed during the season and intriguing storylines or adversity.

Take James Harden for example. Harden is the current points leader, but the Rockets are underperforming to this point. Plus, he’s been criticized for bending the rules in his favor, finding ways to get the benefit of the doubt and scores many of his points at the free-throw line. Those issues don’t necessarily cancel out his scoring average, but they’re holding him back from serious discussion.

With that in mind, here’s the early case for Paul George.