Is the NBA's MVP always the league's best player? No. If that were the case, Michael Jordan would have at least a dozen MVPs and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant wouldn't have just one each.
This year's MVP race figures to be as tight as any in recent memory.
As of now, it's hard not to vote for Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook.
By the time ballots are due in April, I'm sure I'll have flip-flopped dozens of times between Westbrook and Houston's James Harden.
But the fact many felt OKC could still reach the playoffs after Kevin Durant's departure speaks to the greatness of Westbrook, who is averaging a triple-double with 31.1 points (first in the NBA), 10.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists.
Harden (29.2 points, league-leading 11.3 assists, 8.3 rebounds) plays for a better team and would be a worthy winner.
But Westbrook has been a one-man gang, doing everything needed to keep the Thunder a winning team. At this stage of the season, there's no one more valuable.
Also in the running: Isaiah Thomas, Boston; Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio; LeBron James, Cleveland; Stephen Curry, Golden State; Durant, Golden State.
Other midseason award picks:
