Durant, Lebron Start Prepping for Playoffs

The playoffs are rapidly approaching. Only 10 games remain on most team's schedules, which means a lot of teams that have guaranteed themselves spots in the postseason will start resting their star players. On the other hand, there are still teams who are locked up in tight playoff battles, where these next 10 games will decide whether organizations move on to the postseason or go home.


1. Kevin Durant- As has been the case for most the season, Durant is the frontrunner for the MVP award. On the offensive side of the floor, Durant has clearly been the best and most consistent scorer throughout the year. Couple that with the fact that he has improved his passing, defense, and rebounding since last season, and it becomes clear that the MVP trophy deserves to be in his hands at the end of the year. Bleacher Report chronicles Durant's season, which may even rival what Michael Jordan did in his prime.

2. Lebron James- Lebron came out of a 10 game slump on Wednesday night when he put up 38 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists against the Indiana Pacers in a battle of the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately for the Heat, they lost a close game and it looks like they will head into the playoffs as the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

(Lebron James will most likely settle for 2nd place in this year's MVP voting)

3. Blake Griffin- Even according to Griffin, this year's MVP competition is a two-man race between Durant and Lebron, but Griffin's impressive season leads some to believe he could win the award in the next few years. Blake ranks 6th in the NBA in points and 16th in rebounds.

4. James Harden- Harden is averaging 28.2 PPG, 5.8 APG, and 3.0 RPG in his past five games and has propelled the Rockets to a four game win streak. The Rockets' shooting guard can really put himself in the upper echelon of NBA players if he can lead the Rockets deep in the playoffs this year.

(Harden can be considered among the NBA's elite if the Rockets win a playoff series)

5. Joakim Noah- The Bulls' center has his team playing their best basketball of the season at the right time. Noah's leadership and versatility are two reasons why the Bulls are tied with the Toronto Raptors for the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls, who are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, present a very scary matchup for any team in the playoffs.


Well, that rounds out the weekly NBA MVP update. See you guys next week!

-Kyle Berka

MVP is Durant's to Lose

With less than one month to go in the NBA regular season, Kevin Durant is heading down the home stretch as the clear frontrunner. With Lebron James struggling with back spasms, the Oklahoma City Thunder small forward looks to be on the way to winning his first ever MVP award.


1. Kevin Durant- KD is one month away from earning the most prestigious individual honor in basketball. The Thunder have survived serious injuries and roster changes throughout the season thanks to the play of Durant, who leads the NBA in scoring. Although Durant is most well known for his scoring ability, this article highlights the other great aspects of his game.

(Durant is excelling at all facets of the game)

2. Lebron James- After a 43 point performance in a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lebron missed the Heat's next game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night with back spasms. Back spasms aren't the most serious thing in the world, but it is a nagging injury that the Heat might be cautious about. If Lebron is forced to miss any more games, he is practically conceding to MVP award to Durant.

3. Blake Griffin- Blake Griffin's emergence into the NBA's elite has been one of the top stories in the NBA this season. He continues to put up great numbers for the Clippers, who are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs behind Griffin and Chris Paul.

4. Joakim Noah- Although Noah probably doesn't have a shot at catching Durant for this season's MVP award, Noah will most likely take home the Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA. Noah ranks 6th in the NBA in rebounds and 11th in blocks.

(Joakim Noah's competitiveness and passion for the game are the only reason the Bulls are in the playoff hunt)

5. Stephen Curry- Curry's ability to balance scoring and distributing makes him almost impossible to guard on the defensive side of the floor. Steph ranks 7th in the NBA in scoring and 6th in assists while leading the Golden State Warriors, who currently own the 6th seed in the Western Conference.

Well, that rounds out the weekly NBA MVP update. See you guys next week!

-Kyle Berka

Durant Widens the Gap in Two-Man Race

In what appears to be one of the closest MVP races in recent memory, Kevin Durant is slowly starting to emerge as the clear frontrunner. Durant and Lebron James are clearly the two best players in the NBA, and are both extremely important and valuable to their teams. It seems as though Durant and James keep battling for the MVP crown, while the rest of the league is playing for 3rd place.

1. Kevin Durant- KD has continued his stellar play as of late. In his past five games, Durant is averaging 34.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG. On Tuesday night, Durant dazzled the crowd with a 42 point performance in a 106-98 win against the Houston Rockets, a Western Conference rival. As stated in this article, Durant has created some separation between him and Lebron in the MVP race.

2. Lebron James- Ever since his 61 point outburst against the Charlotte Bobcats, Lebron hasn't seemed right. Since his career night, James has failed to reach 25 points in five straight games, and the Heat have gone 1-4 in those games. The Miami Heat small forward needs to get hot in a hurry if he wants to catch Durant for the league's most prestigious individual honor.

(Lebron has struggled over the past five games)

3. Blake Griffin- The Los Angeles Clippers are the hottest team in basketball thanks to the play of their All-Star power forward. The Clippers have won nine games in a row as Griffin has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate. In a battle of California's best teams on Wednesday night, Blake scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 111-98 win against the Golden State Warriors.

(Blake Griffin has the Clippers playing their best basketball of the season)

4. James Harden- The Rockets' shooting guard is thriving while being the "go-to guy" in Houston. Harden is averaging 29.8 PPG, 7.2 APG, and 5.8 RPG in his past five games. Despite the fact that many think that Harden is being overlooked and undervalued in his breakout season, he lands at #4 in the MVP race this week.

5. Tony Parker- Parker is not putting up gaudy numbers like the other four players on this list, but he is efficiently running the best team in basketball. The point guard from France is averaging 17.7 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 2.2 RPG for the Spurs, who currently own the best record in the NBA.

Well, that rounds out the weekly NBA MVP update. See you guys next week!

-Kyle Berka

Harden, Noah Jump into the MVP Conversation

The All-Star break has come and gone. With just over 20 games left in the regular season, this is setting up to be one of the closest MVP races we have seen in recent years. Kevin Durant and Lebron James are still taking part in a back-and-forth battle atop our rankings. With the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls playing well, guard James Harden and center Joakim Noah jump into the top 5 this week.


1. Kevin Durant- The Oklahoma City Thunder small forward will stay atop the list for the 5th week in a row. The Thunder are hanging onto the #1 seed in the Western Conference thanks to Durant's stellar season. Almost averaging 32 PPG, Durant is well on his way to winning his 4th NBA scoring title in the last 5 years. Marc Stein from ESPN documents the Durant vs. Lebron battle for this year's MVP award in this article.

2. Lebron James- This past Monday in a contest against the Charlotte Bobcats, we may have witnessed Lebron's greatest game since he entered the league in 2003. James went off for 61 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. It looked like Lebron was ready to leapfrog Durant into the top spot, but he has since followed up his great showing with two lackluster performances. James is right on Durant's heels with about six weeks to go in the regular season.

(Lebron played a near-perfect game Monday night against the Bobcats)

3. Blake Griffin- The big man from Los Angeles was recently named the February Western Conference player of the month. Averaging just about 24.1 PPG and 9.7 RPG, Griffin has been the best player on the Clippers, who are looking more and more like a team that could make a deep run in the playoffs.

4. James Harden- The Houston Rockets are 13-2 in their last 15 games, and are looking like they could be threats to the typical Western Conference powers come playoff time. Harden has led the way for Houston, averaging 24.5 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.7 RPG. Many thought Harden might take a back seat role after the Rockets signed Dwight Howard in the offseason. To the surprise of some, Harden has been the team's best and most reliable player throughout the year.

(After a consistent season with the Rockets, Harden is #4 in the MVP race this week)

5. Joakim Noah- After the Bulls traded Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 7th, it looked like the team was giving up for the season and trying to free up cap space for the offseason. Since then, the Bulls have risen to the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference due to Noah's play since the departure of Deng. Noah is arguably the best defensive player in the NBA, and can even be a scoring threat down low when the team needs him to be.

Well, that rounds out the weekly NBA MVP update. See you guys next week!

-Kyle Berka