With the postseason rapidly approaching, the NBA has to make the toughest decisions of the season: the individual player awards. With a heated MVP race, standout defensive players, and a group of rising rookies, there will be many fans either nodding or shaking their heads at the league’s selections.

MVP Winner: James Harden of the Houston Rockets
This year’s race might be the closest in a long time. You have Russell Westbrook, the triple-double machine, LeBron James, the greatest player in the world, and Stephen Curry, the league’s best shooter and ball handler. However, each player has their own flaws. Curry has not provided enough MVP moments. James’s talents are hindered by playing on a stacked team that contains all-star point guard Kyrie Irving and star power forward Kevin Love. Westbrook has been dominant individually, but his team has been eliminated from the postseason. Harden, on the other hand, is the leading scorer in the NBA with 27.5 points per game, ninth in assists with seven a night, and fifth in steals with 1.9 per game, all while leading the Houston Rockets as a potential second seed without superstar teammate, Dwight Howard. The Beard is a blend of all the candidates with a little bit of his own flavor. It’s impossible to not see Harden as the MVP.

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves
The 2014 draft class has a large amount of talent and the first overall pick has not disappointed. Averaging 16.4 points a game, Wiggins is ahead of the rookie pack by at least five points. Wiggins has tough competition with Nikola Mirotic of the Chicago Bulls, Nerlens Noel of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Elfrid Payton of the Orlando Magic. However, what Wiggins has done better over these other candidates is consistency. The last two months have been splendid for the other rookies, but this time frame has been the only time they’ve truly shined. Two triple doubles, and a good month of scoring does not overshadow a consistent rookie campaign. Wiggins has bloomed since October, putting up more than 25 20-point-games. Be on the lookout for this Canadian native in the years to come.

Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors
Green has proven himself worthy to become a vital piece of the NBA’s best team, averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 8.1 rebounds a game. However, Green’s real value comes from the defensive side of the floor. At 6’7, Green has the ability to the guard all five position on the floor. If you don’t believe his worthiness, then follow the numbers. The former second round draft pick is first in most defensive win shares with 4.9 and is second overall in defensive rating numbered at 96.5. The only possible argument may be his block and steal averages. Green is 25th in blocks with 1.3 and 18th in steals with 1.6 per game. Yet, Green allows seven less points per 100 possession when he’s on the court. Numbers never lie.

All the awards reflect how the regular season was played out and who shined in the 82 games. However, when playoff time comes around, those achievements hold no value and all that matters is which team will be left standing.