NBA Awards 2019: 3 reasons why Paul George should win the Most Valuable Player award 

#2. He was OKC's go-to scorer

Paul George led the OKC Thunder in scoring

Paul George was the go-to scorer for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. He stepped up for the team when they needed him most. George is a part of a duo with former MVP Russell Westbrook, but he outshined his teammate this season.

This season, Westbrook averaged 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. While he averaged another triple-double, Westbrook was not himself. One of the main reasons for his struggles was his shooting.

This year, Westbrook shot 42.8 percent from the field and 29 percent from the 3-point line. He also shot 65.6 percent from the free-throw line. Each of his percentages decreased from last season, even if it was a slight decrease.

His 3-point percentage decreased by 0.8 percent, and his field goal percentage decreased by 2.1 percent. The most significant decrease was in free-throw shooting. His free-throw shooting decreased by nearly 8 percent.

It is a significant difference in an area where Westbrook usually is decent. Westbrook was out of character this season, and Paul George picked up the slack. While Westbrook somewhat struggled, George put up MVP caliber numbers.

Paul George had an incredible season all while being in a duo. While he outplayed Westbrook, the two played well enough to compliment each other. This is something that the other candidates lacked.

For James Harden, he had to take on the scoring load while Chris Paul was injured. Harden had to step up to fill the void. In other words, Harden had to put up astounding numbers to keep his team afloat. George had a similar situation, but there was one big difference: Westbrook was healthy. George managed to have his MVP season with a former MVP candidate. So, this made his MVP candidacy even more legitimate.