NBA: Curry picks Harden over Westbrook for MVP
Reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry (R) thinks James Harden should win the award this season. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player winner Stephen Curry knows he won’t be in the running for the award this year. But he did give his two cents on who should be awarded the Maurice Podoloff trophy.
With multiple triple double performances this season, former teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden are pegged as the MVP front runners.
The last man to win the award, 29-year-old sharpshooter Curry chimed in on this season’s biggest debate.
“You kind of have to reward the better team, I would think, record-wise,” Curry told NBC Sports. “That’s just kind of going in the history of the MVP award. So, I think James will probably edge him out just off of that.”
Historically, Curry’s sentiments are spot on, as past MVP winners tend to belong to winning teams that top the standings.
Currently, Harden’s Rockets (46-21) are ranked third in the tough Western Conference, while Westbrook’s Thunder (37-29) is at sixth place.
Westbrook leads the league in triple doubles this year, reaching the mark 32 times and is on pace to break Oscar Robertson’s season record 41 triple-doubles. He holds season averages of 31.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists.
Harden, on the other hand, has 16 triple-doubles this year with an impressive stat line of 29.1 points, 7.9 boards and 11.2 dimes per game. Khristian Ibarrola /ra
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