It's time for everyone to stop kidding themselves.

Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is playing unbelievable this NBA season, and he isn't getting nearly the amount of credit he rightfully deserves. The Grizzlies are currently the No. 2 seed in the vigorous Western Conference behind only the Golden State Warriors.

In his last game, against the Houston Rockets, Gasol led the Grizzlies to a 102-100 victory on the road. Not only did Gasol score a game-high 21 points, but he made the game-winning basket (watch below) with 0.01 second remaining in the game. Let's also not forget the incredible 3-point shot Gasol made against the San Antonio Spurs earlier this season to send the game to overtime.

The obvious truth and harsh reality is Gasol does not get a lot of recognition because of where he plays. If Gasol played in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago or even Dallas, we would be hearing far more MVP conversations involving Gasol. Also, Gasol is not a very "flashy" player who young NBA fans enjoy watching as much as others. We don't see Gasol make behind the back passes, free throw line dunks or between the leg alley-oops.

But, that shouldn't matter to the voters in the end.

Gasol has been nothing short of MVP worthy this NBA season with a team-leading 18.2 points per game, 103 blocks, 281 free throws and has the Grizzlies set to make the postseason for the fifth consecutive season. Before Gasol arrived in Memphis, the Grizzlies never made the playoffs even four straight years.

Of course, we still can't overlook what other MVP candidates have accomplished this season. Russell Westbrook has been playing out of his mind lately for the Oklahoma City Thunder. It feels like he records a triple-double on a nightly basis these days. However, Westbrook lacks consistency and efficiency that is needed to be the MVP. Westbrook is shooting just 27 percent from the perimeter this season, and his defense hasn't been great.

The leading candidate to win the award for the majority of the season has been Stephen Curry. Curry has the Golden State Warriors in first place in the West, but he does play alongside a terrific shooting guard in Klay Thompson. Gasol doesn't have a second option like Thompson, who is averaging 21.8 points per game this season.

LeBron James has also quickly risen up the MVP ladder. The primary reason James gets so much credit is because the Cleveland Cavaliers are just 2-9 without James this season. Although James is the best player in the game today, he did struggle a lot early in the season. Gasol did not have early season struggles like James did. It appears as if James Harden, who also plays in the Southwest division, will be Gasol's biggest obstacle. Like Gasol, Harden has also played at an elite level for the entire season. Harden is also the league's leading scorer.

The only players born outside the United States to win the NBA MVP award are Hakeem Olajuwon, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. If Gasol does go on to win the exclusive honor, he would be the first ever player from Spain to win the award. Gasol made history two years ago when he was the first ever Spain-born player to win the Defensive Player Award.

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