The King of the North
Alex Scantlebury comes in with the controversial take that the NBA MVP plays north of the border.
What do James Harden and Russel Westbrook have in common?
Apart from both of them being almost guaranteed nightly triple-doubles, they are the two frontrunners for the 2016/17 NBA MVP, and rightly so. They are both having career defining years, and both the OKC Thunder, and Houston Rockets would be cellar dwellers without their All-Pro players.
But are they the only two players in the league this year worthy of the NBA’s most prestigious personal accolade? I don’t think so. Honestly, I know one of the two of them is going to win the award, but if I had any say in the matter, my vote would be going towards DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors.
To me, the MVP award should go to the player who not only exemplifies excellence on the floor, but who is so valuable to their team that their impact on the court cannot be questioned.
Let’s take a look at the year that DeRozan is having so far.
Yes, the Raptors are in fourth place in the East — a far cry from where they were sitting last year, but realistically the East has gotten a major boost this year, putting conference play on more equal footing than years past. The question becomes, “where would the Raps be without their all-pro shooting guard?” Hanging out with the Sixers and Nets in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
DeRozan signed near max tender this past offseason, and to this point in the season he has earned every penny of it. He started the year on a tear, scoring at least 30 points in 7 of the Raptors first 9 games. No one had accomplished that since His Royal Airness Michael Jordan did it with the Bulls in the mid-90s. DeRozan is also averaging 26.8 points per game, which ties him at fifth overall. That’s three points more per game than he averaged last year. He has also set new career highs in both rebounds and assists per game. To top it all off, since the All-Star Game — where he was voted in as a starter by the fans, his peers, and the sports writers — he’s had to do it without the help of all-star point guard Kyle Lowry.
Beyond his stats, DeRozan is affecting the game in other ways on the court. He has become the de-facto veteran leader on the roster, bringing a newfound intensity to his game on the floor.
And let’s be real for a second. There isn’t another player in the NBA — possibly the world — who has a better mid-range game.
This mid-range game forces opposing teams to rearrange their defensive sets to account for it, opening up drive-and-dish lanes, as well as wide-open three point opportunities for his teammates.
All told, DeMar DeRozan is the total package. His mid-range game, his 82 per cent efficiency from the charity stripe, his ability to get to the rim — just ask the list of players currently on 2016/17 posters courtesy of DeRozan — and his new found defensive intensity all should put him at least into the conversation for MVP.
I admit, DD getting the MVP award this year is a pipe dream considering the years that Westbrook and Harden are having — not to mention King James — but one of these years it will happen. He is the MVP in the North.
Ask Rob Stark, it’s a heavy mantle to take up, one that makes your opponents think twice before coming into your house.
Alex Scantlebury is a basketball and football contributor for theocho.ca. He is a professor for the Algonquin College public relations program. Aaron and Riley would like to thank him for giving them an extra hour each week to spend on Bleacher Report while he was teaching. Follow Alex on Twitter at @pen_ink_page.
