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LeBron James vs The World: How LBJ Compares To Other MVP Candidates

By Dylan Haines

Mar 9, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) gets defended by Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris (13) during the third quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons won 106-101. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) gets defended by Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris (13) during the third quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons won 106-101. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 14, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) is defended by San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) is defended by San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard

While his MVP candidacy has been getting a lot of mainstream attention lately, Kawhi Leonard  has the weakest MVP argument of the four.

Similar to Harden, Kawhi’s on/off splits don’t really do much to boost his resume. The Spurs are +8.9 with Kawhi on the floor as opposed to +8.2 with him off, good for a +0.7 net plus/minus. Based purely on value to their respective teams, Kawhi just doesn’t match up very well with LeBron in that department. Whether Kawhi has been on the floor or not this season, the Spurs have dominated their opposition.

While Kawhi’s defense is presumed to be the difference-maker for his candidacy compared to his peers, the numbers have told a different story this season. According to Basketball-Reference, the Spurs have a defensive rating of 106.7 with Leonard on the floor this season, which is fine. But when Leonard is off the floor, the Spurs have a defensive rating of 98.6, which is stellar.

Matt Moore from CBSSports.com wrote a great piece back in December about why exactly this phenomenon may be happening, but nevertheless, the facts are the facts.

Compared to LeBron, Westbrook, and Harden, Kawhi’s raw numbers aren’t very impressive, but he is having a very great season in his own right and has all but cemented his status as a top five NBA player this season. However, I just don’t see how Kawhi has a sustainable argument against the other three top contenders this season.

LeBron is outpacing Kawhi in FG% (54.3% to 48.4%), 3PT% (38.5% to 37.7%), EFG% (59.8% to 52.8%), assists (8.8 to 3.4), and rebounds (8.4 to 5.9) this season, all while posting similar USG% (30.0 for LeBron, 31.1 for Kawhi) and box plus/minus (8.4 for LeBron, 7.9 for Kawhi).

While the Spurs’ team success could give Kawhi a solid argument, LeBron has been far more valuable to his team this season while also thoroughly outplaying him on the offensive end while also holding his own defensively in comparison.

In the end, vote LeBron

The odds are relatively low that LeBron will actually take home the MVP award this season, but there is a rock-solid argument that can be made on his behalf.

When looking at the historic production from Russell Westbrook and James Harden this season, it’s downright baffling that a player in his 14th NBA season could possibly be having a campaign that puts him squarely in the MVP discussion, especially considering his historic company.

Next: The Top 5 Cavaliers

I know LeBron badly wants that fifth MVP award to tie him with Michael Jordan and Bill Russell for the second most all-time, but as long as he gets to take home another Larry O’Brien trophy in June, I hardly think he’ll care.

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