Mercifully, the never-ending MVP debate between James Harden, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard is nearing a conclusion. Harden’s Rockets scored a convincing victory over Westbrook’s Thunder on Sunday, giving Houston a 3–1 series lead this season and dropping Westbrook to 3–9 against the Rockets, Warriors, Spurs and Cavaliers.
But viewing that latest head-to-head result as the turning point in this conversation would be a mistake. Ditto for backing Leonard on the basis of his sensational block on Harden a few weeks back. This season, the individual performances have been so far off the charts that they demand a wider lens, one that takes into account recent history, MVP comparison points and team performance.