Lebron or KD who is the best player in the NBA today?

Tonight for 48 minutes the best two basketball players in the NBA today will square off in South Beach.  It wasn't long ago when the matchup of the year consisted of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James squaring off.  A combination of injuries and the slow decline of the of his athleticism has knocked Kobe off his throne and thrust Kevin Durant right to the top of the list as the NBA's elite. 

When Russell Westbrook went under the knife for the third time since last years playoffs due to continued swelling in his surgically repaired knee the onus to keep OKC as one of the elite teams out west fell on KD's shoulders. 

Durant has been nothing short of spectacular during the time Westbrook has been out.  Love or hate Westbrook but he is one of the top 15 players in the NBA today.  In fact Westbrook is arguably the most athletic point guard in NBA history.  His 21 points and seven assist are difficult to make up for but KD has been up for the task.

With three scoring titles under his belt KD is in the midst of his best season thus far.  Durant lost last years scoring title to Carmelo Anthony by percentage points and is right now cruising towards his fourth scoring title in the last five years. Durant is averaging 31.3 points per contest and has scored 1408 points this season.  Currently the second highest output in the NBA this year is 1139 points put in by Anthony which shows just how dominant Durant has been this year.  Durant is also in hot pursuit of the shooters triple crown.  Durant has shot 51% from the field, 42% from three and 88% from the foul line.  Durant is averaging 1.09 points on isolation plays which is tops in the NBA this season.  Kevin Durant is having one of the top ten seasons in league history in terms of efficiency.

Despite KD having a truly historic year, the four time MVP still resides in the city of Miami.  LeBron has been no slouch this year.  He may be currently overshadowed by Durant and Anthony recently topping the 50 and 60 point marks respectively.  LeBron's been there and he's done that.  In LeBron's last 10 games he is averaging 28 points, seven rebounds and six assist while playing a career low in minutes. 

LeBron's quest to win a third consecutive title will definitely be his toughest.  No team has won their conference in four consecutive seasons since the Boston Celtics from 1984-1987.  While Dwayne Wade's minutes continue to be monitored and Miami continues to compete with a depleted roster LeBron recognizes the importance of pacing himself.

Its been a while since the argument for the best player in the NBA has been so close.  LeBron has been the clear cut best player in the NBA for at least 4 years.  Kevin Durant wants what LeBron now has.  The key to the city.  The NBA finals wont be here until June.  Tune in tonight for a showdown and possible 2014 NBA finals preview.