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NBA Awards Watch: Final MVP Pick For 2014-15

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 6, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives the ball on a fast break during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives the ball on a fast break during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors won 126-113. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

The Verdict – Who Deserves It and Who Wins It

In the end, you can’t go wrong with either Steph Curry or James Harden. Both are having tremendous MVP-caliber seasons and in any other year, this would be no contest. This is one of the closest MVP races of the last decade and by definitively choosing one  over the other, we’re really splitting hairs.

Curry, the winner of five of our eight categories here, clearly has the ever-so-slight edge. He’s probably going to win MVP no matter how many columns are written about how Harden deserves it or how he’s been carrying the Rockets to a stellar record all season long.

If I had a vote, however, I’d probably send it Harden’s way. Curry is a highlight reel waiting to happen, he’s likable, he’s statistically just as good and he’s the phenomenal leader of one of the best regular season teams in NBA history; but giving Harden a second place vote just feels so unnatural and since everyone else will be doing it soon, I feel like I can’t go wrong giving him a first place vote while I can.

I know, I know, that logic is flawed. If everyone thought that way, Curry would get snubbed this year and all the Harden haters would rage digital wars on Twitter. When the Rockets get eliminated in the playoffs, no matter how far down the line, the “Guess he shouldn’t have won MVP” comments would rain down like Curry triples.

But I can’t get my head around how good this Rockets team is with Harden despite the fact that they really shouldn’t be because of injuries to Howard, Patrick Beverley, Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas throughout the season.

That’s not the deciding factor in an MVP race, but it is prevalent and both candidates are so darn close in almost every category. Ultimately, both players are deserving, and whoever finishes second will have one of the greatest non-MVP seasons we’ve ever seen.

At the end of the day, I believe Curry will win, and he’s more than deserving. But if I had a vote, I’d give it to the guy who will probably finish second in the voting, James Harden.

Next: Stephen Curry: Greatest Shooter In NBA History?

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