For several years, Basket USA has been offering you its Top 5 candidates for the “Most Valuable Player” trophy every Tuesday. A race for the MVP for the moment dominated by two players, at the top of their respective conferences and incidentally the two top scorers in the league, who have also faced each other during the past week: Stephen Curry (28.4 points per game) and Kevin Durant (28.5 points average).
As it stands, the leader of the Warriors still seems to have a head start on the Nets winger.
On the one hand, given the collective record of Golden State, the current best team in the NBA (15 wins, 2 losses), imperial in major events. On the other hand, given his recent outstanding performance in scoring, against Brooklyn in particular (37 points), which allowed him to pass briefly in front of “KD” in the ranking of the best scorers in the league, before it recovers his throne this weekend.
Kevin Durant aims for quintuplet, Stephen Curry for treble
If he continues his momentum, Kevin Durant will add a fifth best scorer of the season award to his record, after 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. A total reached by only two players before him: Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Without being really recoverable by the MVP 2014.
On the other hand, if defending champion Stephen Curry manages to supplant his ex-teammate, or even someone else, during the campaign, it will be his third league scorer award, after 2016 and 2021. What nine players did before the double MVP: Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kevin Durant, of course, but also George Gervin, Allen Iverson, George Mikan, Neil Johnston, Bob McAdoo and James Harden.
The players with the most top scorer titles of the season
1. Michael Jordan – 10
2. Wilt Chamberlain – 7
3. George Gervin – 4
3. Allen Iverson – 4
3. Kevin Durant – 4
6. “Mikan” George. 3
6. Neil Johnston – 3
6. Bob McAdoo – 3
6. James Harden – 3
Regarding these players who have managed to win (at least) two consecutive top scorer trophies of the season, which the same Stephen Curry aspires to, they are to date twelve to have done so, while waiting to know if the “Baby- Faced Assassin ”will validate this famous double.
And these twelve players are, in order: George Mikan (1949-51), Neil Johnston (1953-55), Wilt Chamberlain (1960-66), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971-72), Bob McAdoo (1974- 76), George Gervin (1978-80), Michael Jordan (1987-93, 1996-98), Allen Iverson (2001-02), Tracy McGrady (2003-04), Kobe Bryant (2006-07), Kevin Durant ( 2010-12) and James Harden (2018-20).
The “grandpas” are resisting
Finally, it should be noted that, among the 34 winners of the prestigious distinction of best scorer of the season, it is Michael Jordan (35 years old, in 1998) who is the oldest player to have been awarded. Improving, there, his own record (34 years), established a year earlier (1997).
As for Stephen Curry, who is found in third place in this special “veterans” scoring ranking, he was “only” 33 years old when he was crowned last May. That is as much as Michael Jordan, again him, when he won his ante-penultimate league leading scorer title in 1996.
Clearly, if they will not have the opportunity to dislodge “His Airness” from his chair as leader, Stephen Curry (34 years old in April 2022) and Kevin Durant (33 years old) can at least take the opportunity to integrate (or return to) this historic podium, which Jerry West occupied for a long time before the advent of Michael Jordan.
The oldest top scorers of the season
1. Michael Jordan (1997/98) – 35 years
2. Michael Jordan (1996/97) – 34 years old
3. Michael Jordan (1995/96) – 33 Years
3. Stephen Curry (2020/21) – 33 Years
5. Jerry West (1969/70) – 31 years
Finally, like a Chris Paul who dominates without forcing the ranking of the best passers in the NBA, and who is also well placed at the level of interceptions, this start of exercise 2021/22 proves that the weight of years does not has no impact on the performance of the top players at the start of the season. As demonstrated by the presence of four in their thirties, among our five candidates for the MVP trophy.
While waiting for the returns to the front of the stage of Giannis Antetokounmpo (26 years old) and / or Luka Doncic (22 years old)?
1 – Stephen Curry (Warriors)
With: 15 wins, 2 losses – 1st in the West.
Matches: 16 contested out of 17 possible.
Stats : 28.4 pts, 5.9 reb, 6.6 pds, 1.7 int, 0.6 ctr and 3.3 bp in 34 min.
Percentages: 46% on shots, 41% on 3-pointers and 96% on throws.
2 – Kevin Durant (Nets)
With: 13 wins, 5 losses – 1st in the East.
Matches: 17 contested out of 18 possible.
Stats : 28.5 pts, 7.8 reb, 5.1 pds, 0.5 int, 0.6 ctr and 2.9 bp in 35 min.
Percentages: 56% on shots, 42% on 3-pointers and 86% on throws.
3 – DeMar DeRozan (Bulls)
With: 12 wins, 6 losses – 2nd in the East.
Matches: 18 contested out of 18 possible.
Stats : 26.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 4.1 pds, 0.9 int, 0.4 ctr and 2.2 pdb in 35 min.
Percentages: 49% on shots, 36% on 3-pointers and 89% on throws.
4 – Paul George (Clippers)
With: 10 wins, 7 losses – 4th in the West.
Matches: 17 contested out of 17 possible.
Stats : 26.4 pts, 7.7 reb, 5.2 pds, 1.9 int, 0.4 ctr and 4.1 bp in 35 min.
Percentages: 44% on shots, 35% on 3-pointers and 90% on throws.
5 – Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
With: 9 wins, 8 losses – 8th in the West.
Matches: 14 contested out of 17 possible.
Stats : 26.4 pts, 13.6 reb, 6.4 pds, 1.2 int, 0.9 ctr and 3.2 pdb in 32 min.
Percentages: 59% on shots, 41% on 3-pointers and 75% on throws.
Mentions : Jimmy Butler (Heat), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Chris Paul (Suns), Luka Doncic (Mavericks), Anthony Davis (Lakers), Zach LaVine (Bulls), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Devin Booker (Suns), LaMelo Ball (Hornets)…
