Debate: Who will win 2017-18 NBA MVP?

Russell Westbrook grabbed his first MVP award in 2016-17 after a historic campaign. With his roster now greatly enhanced, odds aren't great he wins it again this season. So who does?

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Should this award be given to the best player in the league, the best player on the team with the best record, or the player who provided the most positive value?

These questions are asked solely because of James, who could have easily walked away with the award in each of the last four years, but ultimately didn't.

His problem is that he's stood atop the mountain for so long that it's no longer sexy to vote for him over those with a proper storyline (for example, Westbrook loses Kevin Durant to the Bay Area, and then goes on a historic triple-double tear for the Oklahoma City Thunder).

But exit Kyrie Irving, and all of a sudden you have reason to be invested in James and how he fares during the upcoming regular season. Sure, head coach Tyronn Lue is going to look for any reason to sit his star in preparation for a deep playoff run, but when he does see the floor, James is going to play with a giant chip on his shoulder after Irving basically shunned him to escape his shadow.

Chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan is part of what fuels James' game to this day. With four MVP trophies sitting on his mantle, he'd need just one more to tie His Airness in that department. If that's a genuine goal of his, this could be one of his last shots at obtaining it.

Never bet against a motivated King, especially one seeing red (for Irving) and gold (for a fourth championship).

-- Walder

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Leonard isn't just a worthy candidate, but every circumstance is also working for him this year, and the MVP award always comes down to the best balance of narrative and numbers.

All the numbers were already there for Leonard as he enters his prime at the age of 26. He averaged 25.5 points per game last season on a wickedly efficient 61 true-shooting percentage and has steadily improved each season. And you can't even chalk it up to Gregg Popovich's system, either. Anyone who's seen Leonard over the past two seasons can tell you he makes the system - not the other way around. He's routinely making Kobe Bryant-type moves in the mid-range.

There are plenty of elite scorers chasing the MVP, but Leonard's defense truly separates him from the pack. Westbrook and James Harden are laughably negligent, LeBron James coasts, and Stephen Curry does the right things but he's limited. Durant is the only other MVP favorite who truly makes a notable impact on defense, but with all due respect to the Durantula, his game-to-game performance comes nowhere close to that of Leonard, who's a two-time DPOY winner.

If the numbers are mostly comparable, then narratives will decide the award, which is where Leonard truly dominates. He's universally beloved by the media, which cannot be said for any other finalist. How could anyone hold an agenda against a perpetually silent grinder like Leonard? He also happens to be the only star on an elite team, while every other contender has at least one star sidekick. Everyone else needs to share the credit, whereas Leonard rightfully gets all of it in San Antonio.

-- Lou

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Russ has his Maurice Podoloff Trophy, and the Warriors didn't even miss Durant when he was hurt last season. That's why I'll throw the The Beard out there for MVP. Sure, his assist numbers are going to drop playing alongside Chris Paul, but the preseason offered a brief glimpse of what a magical combination the pair could be.

Playing the two-man game will ultimately pad Harden's stats more, and he's in store for a career season from beyond the arc. He shot 38.3 percent on catch-and-shoot treys in 2016-17 - a scenario he will see a lot more of.

Something he's probably going to see less of is trips to the foul line, now that the NBA has instituted the "Harden Rule." It shouldn't matter, though. Whether he successfully gamed the system for the past six years or not, this is still one of the best players in the league at getting to the basket. As such, a scoring title is not out of the question.

He and the headstrong Paul appear to be on the same page, so if Paul can coax Harden to simply try on defense, that's a win - because he's actually quite passable defensively when he's engaged (1.5 steals per game across eight seasons).

-- Chick