It’s a tough question. “Who has been the most valuable player so far?” Its complexity lies in the number of ways it could be answered. One would be correct in saying that there might not be any good way to quantify who is the most valuable player in the league using one rigid set of guidelines. From season to season, you’ll find that the most common defining MVP question is, “Who was the best player on the best team?” It has rung true for several winners before this year- Curry, James, Duncan- and it will continue to influence the results in future seasons. It’s a very simple and solid way to discern the most valuable from the not-as-valuable, sure, but it’s hardly the end-all be-all of criterion. After all, MVP voting is the ultimate exercise in determining the balance of individual stats & impact vs. supporting cast, and while best-player-on-best-team often strikes the best balance of this argument, it (once again) is not the best reason, as it so swiftly dismisses a number of considerable factors. Since there is no one all-encompassing standard or metric that fairly and accurately assesses all factors, it would be best to consider more than one angle. How much of an effect does a coach have on a team and the player leading that team? Does the #1 guy enable the rest of his teammates more than his teammates enable his style of play? Does he play both sides of the floor? All are valid questions, and become even more-so valid when you consider that the answer to the big question (who the best player in the league is) has more than one plausible answer.
To read more:
Examining James Harden’s Place in The MVP Race
@Noah