A year after the NBA named its first-ever unanimous Most Valuable Player, the race for the award is as heated as ever.Russell Westbrook and James Harden appear to be the two top contenders for the honor, as both are putting up historic numbers in 2016-17. However, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard are also deserving of the top individual award in the sport.In normal years, Isaiah Thomas and Stephen Curry would be legitimate options, but they will struggle just to crack the top five in voting this season.As Bleacher Report's Howard Beck noted, Westbrook, Harden and James will likely join Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only players ever to finish a year with averages of at least 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.Here is a breakdown of the top contenders from a statistical standpoint:James has more help around him inKyrie Irving and Kevin Love than the other three top contenders, which will likely take him out of the MVP race. Leonard has been outstanding on both ends of the court, but his per-game production compared to Westbrook and Harden will make it tough for him to win, too.This leaves just The Beard and The Brodie.Bleacher Report's Kelly Scaletta summed up what will happen at the end of this debate:The argument for Westbrook is obvious. He is the first player since Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double for the season. On Sunday, he broke the legendary guard's record for most triple-doubles in a season with 42.It just so happened to include 50 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists and an incredible game-winning shot:Similar stat lines have become commonplace for the Oklahoma City Thunder guard, which demonstrates just how incredible his season has been. Fellow NBA stars are ready to declare him the league's MVP:A year after losing former MVP Kevin Durant to the Warriors, Westbrook has lifted his squad to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, which seemed unlikely heading into the season.On the other hand, team success is the biggest argument for Harden."I thought winning was what this is about," the Houston Rockets star said Sunday, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. "I'm not going to get into depths, but I thought winning is the most important thing."The Rockets will be the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and are a legitimate title contender thanks to Harden. Although he isn't averaging a triple-double, he isn't far off, and he's leading the league in assists per game.Given his ability to create offense both for himself and his teammates, how much of a difference should two rebounds per game make'Considering he also plays for a team with no other All-Stars on the roster, Harden has as good of an argument for MVP as anyone. His quick acclimation to a full-time ball-handling role helps his case, too.However, the historic nature of Westbrook's season could be what sets him apart.A good comparison for this race comes from MLB, specifically the 2012 American League MVP award. In his first full season in the league, Mike Trout took the league by storm with great numbers across the board, including a major league-best 10.3 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. This took into account his work in the field and on the basepaths, each of which were among the best in baseball.The problem was Miguel Cabrera had won the AL's Triple Crown, meaning he led the league in batting average, home runs and RBI. It was the first time anyone had accomplished the feat since 1967.Trout might have been the better overall player, but Cabrera put himself in the record books and earned 22 of 28 first-place votes to secure the MVP award.Although the sport is different (as are the voters), Westbrook has likely done enough to convince voters he is the most valuable player in all of the NBA for the 2016-17 season.Arguments on behalf of Harden are legitimate, as are ones for James, Leonard or even Curry. However, only one can win the prestigious award, and with his explosive finish to the season, Brodie will likely take home theMaurice Podoloff Trophy.
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