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Midseason NBA MVP Top Five: Who will seperate from this field of flawed candidates?

By Jason Timpf

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 30: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks off the court after their 104-101 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 30, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 30: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks off the court after their 104-101 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 30, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 17: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walk up court on October 17, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 17: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walk up court on October 17, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3: Kyrie Irving

Why he should be the MVP:

By all accounts, Kyrie is having a slightly worse offensive season than he had last year. His usage rate is up, but his scoring and assists are slightly down. His free throw and three-point shooting are both down as well. But he has still been elite by any standard.

It is on the defensive end where Kyrie has made a significant improvement.

But let’s cut through the BS and look at why Kyrie is on this list he’s never been on before: 34-10. When Gordon Hayward went down against the Cavaliers in the season opener, sports talk was dominated by the idea that the Eastern conference already belonged to Cleveland.

We could not have been more wrong. This team — built around a frightening defense and Kyrie’s ability to close games — is more dangerous than we could have imagined. Kyrie is the clear-cut best player on the second-best team in the league. He absolutely must be in the top three.

Why he shouldn’t be the MVP:

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    • Boston is the best defensive team in the league, by a wide margin. In fact, they are the only NBA team holding opponents to fewer than 100 points per 100 possessions. This team is 34-10 because of their defense. Make no mistake about it.

    The proof of this is written all over their recent seven-game winning streak. Over that stretch, Kyrie is shooting just 41% from the field, and just 29% from three.

    He is averaging four points below his season scoring average, and his team ranks 27th in offensive rating over that stretch. How can you go on a seven-game winning streak while your best player struggles and your team can’t score? By holding your opponents to a ridiculous 92.6 points per 100 possessions.

    The story with the Celtics this season has been the incredible defensive versatility of their wings (Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rozier), and the leadership of Al Horford. When this team gets going, they are frighteningly good.

    Against the Sixers in London, the Celts found themselves trailing by 22 midway through the second quarter. They outscored Philly 83-42 over the next 27 minutes. And Kyrie played terrible in that game.

    Kyrie has earned a spot near the top of this list. But he isn’t even the most valuable element of his own team, which will hold him back when it is time to vote.