The NBA MVP race has familiar faces leading the way, with two players at the same position.
Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook are both point guards and explosive scorers but they are different in many ways.
Still the comparison needs to be made. This season, both players aim to lead their teams (yes, Westbrook may lead the team with or without Kevin Durant) to the championship.
In the latest MVP ladder, Stephen Curry still leads the way while Russell Westbrook is at no.4. It's hard to argue with an undefeated team and a scoring leader at this point, but who really is the best point guard in the NBA?
In an article that attempts to answer that question, NBA.com talked about what makes a great point guard, based on the opinion of one of the best, Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas.
"First thing you have to be able to do is take the game plan out of the coach's hand and execute it out on the floor. Do you have voice? If you don't have a voice then you can't lead the team," Thomas explained.
Curry is undoubtedly the leader of the Warriors-everything starts with him. Not to take away from his unselfish teammates who play hard for him, and may even win games without him, but Curry IS the Golden State Warriors.
The same goes for Westbrook. Even if the OKC Thunder is known as Durant's team, Russ is the loudest and he plays the hardest. Being relentless and unstoppable on the court, he obliges his teammates to play their hearts out.
Skills-wise, Thomas contends that a point guard should be able to score because if not, "you're a liability on the floor because your passing lanes are closed."
Curry and Westbrook are probably two of the best scorers in the league. There may be a world of difference on how they do it, but Curry draws defenders so far up the court, he provides so much space for his teammates to work with.
Most of the NBA coaches now know that there is no one person who can stop Westbrook when he decides to score. He commands a double team or special defensive sets when he's on the floor.
The article features a stat-the Player Impact Estimate, "which shows what percentage of game events did that player achieve. "
Westbrook is on top but only a fraction. Per NBA.com/stats, Westbrook (21.7) and Curry (21.4).
Both players are tied at 2nd steals/game at 2.6, so the myth of Curry being a defensive liability has been debunked.
With all that, Thomas "copped out" on the tight race when asked for a verdict, and went with championships as the deciding factor. Curry wins, 1-0. Will that change this season?
If you were to choose your point guard, would you go with Curry or Westbrook?