Miami Heat: Who’s been more of an MVP, Jimmy Butler or Chris Paul?

The Miami Heat have ridden Jimmy Butler all the way to a top seed in the East. Who’s been more of an MVP to their respective team though, him or Chris Paul?

Two of the more surprising teams this season have been the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coincidentally enough, both made large transactions in the summer of 2019.

It wasn’t unknown that the Heat would be good this year. They traded Josh Richardson to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for four-time All-Defensive player and five-time All-Star, Jimmy Butler.

A player whose career has been built on unselfish play and making those around him better, Butler’s having one of the best seasons of his career behind averages of 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.7 steals on the year.

Out in the Western Conference, the Thunder are being led by 10-time All-Star Chris Paul. Arguably one of the best point guards of all time, Paul has experienced somewhat of a renaissance this year with OKC. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 6.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.

Still, Miami fans were shocked when a recently surveyed ESPN forecast panel didn’t place Butler in their top five candidates for the MVP award. Paul, on the other hand, made the cut with five points out of the 290 given to their top five candidates.

Butler received votes, sure, but so did the likes of Pascal Siakam, Nikola Jokic, and Damian Lillard. One of whom isn’t even currently playing for a top-16 team ahead of the NBA restart in Orlando.

Has Chris Paul had more of an MVP season than Jimmy Butler? Let’s discuss.