Not every great season in NBA history is rewarded with an MVP trophy. 

This year, another all-time campaign will go unrecognized. If Russell Westbrook ends up holding the Maurice Podoloff Trophy after averaging a season-long triple-double, James Harden will be left out. The reverse will hold true if the bearded guard is the voters' favorite. And either way, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James won't be given enough credit for their incredible efforts. 

But will any of these current studs submit one of the best seasons in NBA history that didn't result in an MVP? In addition to ranking the top 20 (limited to one per player), this article will also let you know where those aforementioned superstars would sit if they maintained their current level of play until the end of the regular season and then failed to win the most prominent individual award. 

As always in the Metrics 101 series, the rankings will be determined in wholly objective fashion. 

We're drawing from a pool of 105 individual seasons earned by 54 different contributors throughout NBA history. Those 105 featured players on the losing ends of MVP races still drew enough love from voters to earn at least 0.3 MVP shares, which typically means they were either the No. 2 finisher during a runaway season from the actual winner or in contention with multiple players during a tight year. Either way, they were highly relevant to the basketball landscape. 

Within that group, ranks were determined in each of the following categories: 

• Player efficiency rating (PER), which rewards both volume and efficiency while giving a boost to those who engage in the most high-scoring exploits. 
• Win shares (WS), which boost to players who A) play a lot, B) play effectively and C) play for winning teams.
• NBA Math's total points added (TPA), which account for total value more than the offensively tilted PER. TPA only dates back to 1973-74, so all eligible seasons prior to its inception didn't see this metric factor into the equation.

All 105 qualified seasons had their ranks in each category averaged, using stats heading into games on March 26.

Honorable Mentions

1996-97 Grant Hill, Detroit Pistons

Before injuries derailed his career, Grant Hill was supposed to be the next big thing. And that was never more true than in 1996-97, when he lost out on the MVP award to Karl Malone and Michael Jordan while averaging 21.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.6 blocks. 

The versatile forward excelled on defense while functioning as a constant triple-double threat. Behind his two-way efforts, the Detroit Pistons exploded for 54 wins while a mediocre supporting cast jockeyed for beta-dog positioning behind him. 

1990-91 Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

This was Magic Johnson's final season before the HIV diagnosis that forced him into an early retirement. That context is necessary, because there's no other way to grapple with such a thoroughly dominant season being directly followed by walking off into the sunset. 

Johnson wasn't able to get by Michael Jordan in the MVP race, as he'd done during previous campaigns, but it wasn't for lack of style or substance. The point guard averaged 19.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 12.5 assists while running the flashy Los Angeles Lakers offense, though turnovers and a lack of floor-spacing could occasionally prevent the Purple and Gold from reaching the full extent of their lofty potential. 

1961-62 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals

Yes, this is Oscar Robertson's triple-double season. No, it's not a mistake that he's been relegated to the honorable mentions, stuck behind 20 other NBA greats despite the uniqueness of his year-long achievement. 

The 1961-62 campaign was played with brain-melting pace, and the league-average of 126.2 possessions per 48 minutes doesn't belong in the same ballpark as the 96.4 used in today's typical clash. If we adjust Robertson's per-game numbers to the modern style, they quickly lose much of their luster. 

They're still impressive, but 23.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game doesn't quite have the same ring to it. 

Note: Russell Westbrook's current season, which drops down in the rankings because the Oklahoma City Thunder's overall mediocrity prevents him from accumulating a substantial number of win shares, would be most comparable to—and this is a fantastic coincidence—Oscar Robertson's efforts in 1961-62. Kawhi Leonard's current season would be most comparable to Magic Johnson's endeavors, also falling just shy of the ranked portion. 

20. 2005-06 Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Age: 27

Actual MVP: Steve Nash

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 37.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.4 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 28.0 player efficiency rating (PER), 15.3 win shares (WS), 359.95 total points added (TPA)

That Kobe Bryant won only a single MVP (2007-08) remains one of the most inexplicable statistics contained within his illustrious career for the Los Angeles Lakers. He came close two years before he actually got his hands on the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, though he watched as Steve Nash, then a Phoenix Suns point guard, accepted the honor. 

Considering NBA teams operated at slower paces a decade ago, during a segment of league history in which defenses often reigned supreme, Bryant's scoring pace was flat-out ridiculous. Adjusted to the NBA's current pace, he'd have averaged a staggering 37.7 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 45.0 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from downtown and 85.0 percent from the stripe. 

Are those sterling efficiency numbers? Not really, but they're more than acceptable when coming in conjunction with such impressive volume. Bryant meant everything to a Lakers squad that snuck into the playoffs at 45-37 while Lamar Odom and Smush Parker served as the team's only other above-average contributors, per NBA Math's TPA. 

As a result, Nash was the lone player to earn more first-place votes. But Bryant still isn't the top-ranked non-MVP from this particular campaign. 

19. 1960-61 Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers

Age: 26

Actual MVP: Bill Russell

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 26.3 points, 14.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists

Advanced Metrics: 28.2 PER, 14.8 WS

This is why it's important to put numbers in historical context. 

Just three seasons removed from Seattle University, Elgin Baylor produced a staggering 34.8 points, 19.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists during his average contest for the Los Angeles Lakers in their first campaign after moving away from Minneapolis. But those per-game marks don't tell the full story, since the entire league operated at a break-neck pace, sprinting up and down the floor and barely hesitating before launching up attempts. 

Baylor's Lakers used 124.9 possessions per 48 minutes, and that mark topped only the New York Knicks (122.9) and Cincinnati Royals (122.8) in the eight-team Association. For the sake of comparison, the Brooklyn Nets are currently the NBA's fasted team, making the most least of 101.2 possessions per 48 minutes.  

This isn't to discredit Baylor. The Hall of Fame small forward still produced an all-time great season, even pacing the league in PER while he converted one shot after another. But it's just not quite the same as averaging even 27 points in today's landscape, if only from a pace perspective. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 1962-63 (No. 39)

18. 2015-16 Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Age: 27

Actual MVP: Stephen Curry

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 23.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.3 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 27.6 PER, 14.0 WS, 533.8 TPA

Somewhat shockingly, Russell Westbrook's top non-MVP season will remain his work during the 2015-16 campaign (by this criteria, at least) if he fails to win the award for his ceaseless triple-double explosions this year. Though he's having a better go-round from a purely individual perspective, there's one part of this methodology that pushes him down the ladder: 

It's the win shares that doom Westbrook. 

And while that's by no means a perfect metric when analyzed in a vacuum, it does bring to light the one glaring flaw with the dynamic point guard's resume: His team isn't winning games at an elite level. No matter how much he does by himself, there's only so many win shares to divvy out when the Oklahoma City Thunder aren't working their way toward the top of the Western Conference. 

Last year's 55-win campaign had no such drawbacks, and Westbrook was still operating at a historic level, even if Stephen Curry's exploits were sucking away all the attention. 

17. 2005-06 Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Age: 27

Actual MVP: Steve Nash

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 28.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.1 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 28.1 PER, 17.7 WS, 322.05 TPA

When you hear Dirk Nowitzki's name, you should immediately conjure images of him torturing defenses with jumpers. Whether he's knocking down spot-up triples, rising and firing over an undersized assignment or kicking out with one limb to complete his patented one-footed fadeaway, he's always had an uncanny ability to pick apart the opposition without sticking near the hoop. 

That was never more true than in 2005-06. 

This wasn't his famed 50/40/90 campaign, which came one season later and led to an actual MVP award. He's even had five years with superior true shooting percentages. 

But Nowitzki coupled volume with efficiency better than ever, which led to career highs in PER, offensive win shares, overall win shares and offensive box plus/minus. He admittedly sacrificed some defensive intensity to bring out his best on the scoring end, but it paid off for a Dallas Mavericks squad that won 60 games and advanced to the NBA Finals before falling victim to Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat. 

Perhaps more importantly, he succumbed to the efforts of his former teammate in the MVP race, then beat Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. 

16. 2001-02 Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

Age: 28

Actual MVP: Allen Iverson

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 30.3 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 3.0 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 29.7 PER, 13.2 WS, 407.78 TPA

DeMarcus Cousins currently possesses the NBA's best combination of overwhelming physicality and pirouetting finesse, but he still can't hold a candle to the exploits of prime Shaquille O'Neal. The Los Angeles Lakers center was an absolute monster around the turn of the century, throwing opponents for loops in every manner imaginable. 

How important was O'Neal to the Purple and Gold? 

Well, the team was loaded with talent, featuring O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Robert Horry leading the charge. It went 58-24 during the regular season, then charged through the playoffs, bookending hard-fought victories over the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings with sweeps of the Portland Trail Blazers (opening round) and New Jersey Nets (NBA Finals).

And yet, the team could still only muster a meager 1.4 net rating when its bruising big man was pondering new nicknames on the pine. That number skyrocketed to 11.3 when O'Neal played, and his on/off differential (9.9) was rather easily Los Angeles' best mark. Bryant, by contrast, saw the team improve by two points per 100 possessions when he wasn't playing. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 2000-01 (No. 42), 1994-95 (No. 43), 2004-05 (No. 67)

15. 1987-88 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

Age: 31

Actual MVP: Michael Jordan

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 28.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 27.8 PER, 15.0 WS, 532.14 TPA

Despite operating on the wrong end of 30, Larry Bird shot 52.7 percent from the field, 41.4 percent from three-point territory and 91.6 percent from the charity stripe for the Boston Celtics in 1987-88. And these marks weren't coming with limited volume, as he took 3.1 attempts per game from beyond the arc and still found time to average six trips to the stripe. 

Bird enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the best shooters in NBA history, but this was his coup de grace. He'd never averaged more points (nor did he again), and that career high was established while he spent every game with an unconscious shooting touch. 

This season couldn't quite stack up with his MVP-winning efforts in 1984, '85 and '86, but that was largely due to declining defense as back injuries started to factor into his game. His scoring was still top-notch—especially when you remember that many of the team's key pieces were starting to show signs of wear and tear, no longer able to draw quite as much defensive attention away from the Indiana State product. 

Bird had four other campaigns that didn't result in trophy ceremonies but still deserve historical credit. None can touch this one. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 1986-87 (No. 27), 1982-83 (No. 48), 1981-82 (No. 71), 1980-81 (No. 90)

14. 2002-03 Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves

Age: 26

Actual MVP: Tim Duncan

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 24.4 points, 14.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.7 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 26.4 PER, 15.6 WS, 553.15 TPA

Kevin Garnett did everything for the Minnesota Timberwolves—a conclusion that can be reached by looking at more than his standard or pace-adjusted per-game numbers. He contributed in every area imaginable for a squad that went 51-31, and reached a level about which none of his teammates could even hope to dream. 

Just take a gander at Minnesota's top finishes in NBA Math's TPA that season: 

1. Kevin Garnett, 553.15
2. Wally Szczerbiak, 49.21
3. Rasho Nesterovic, 31.32
4. Gary Trent, minus-2.34
5. Reggie Slater, minus-5.13

That's it. Three players in the positives. The rest of his teammates combined to accumulate minus-277.09 TPA, and Garnett still dragged them to a first-round playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Though the power forward got even better during his MVP-winning follow-up to these exploits, his work in 2002-03 still shouldn't be overlooked. He was the definition of a one-man team, and his endeavors often yielded positive results. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 2007-08 (No. 57), 1999-00 (No. 74)

13. 1997-98 Karl Malone, Utah Jazz

Age: 34

Actual MVP: Michael Jordan

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 28.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 28.9 PER, 16.4 WS, 399.8 TPA

Players at this age aren't supposed to dominate. 

But a 34-year-old Karl Malone still submitted the best non-MVP season of his career—one that's been topped by only a dozen players throughout all of NBA history. Of those 12, only Hakeem Olajuwon was in his 30s, and he celebrated the big three-oh during the relevant campaign. For that matter, a 31-year-old Larry Bird is the only player to appear thus far on the wrong end of the milestone age. 

Father Time couldn't hold Malone back. 

A physical specimen (as always), the power forward bullied his way past opponents on a regular basis. He showed off his vision by dishing out a pace-adjusted 4.3 assists per game, and his pick-and-roll prowess alongside John Stockton helped lead to a 62-20 record and another matchup against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. 

Michael Jordan got the better of Malone, both in the Finals and the MVP race, but the Salt Lake City star still held his own in both situations against his fellow veteran.

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 1988-89 (No. 46), 1994-95 (No. 54)

12. 2014-15 James Harden, Houston Rockets

Age: 25

Actual MVP: Stephen Curry

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 28.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.7 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 26.7 PER, 16.4 WS, 503.41 TPA

Just imagine if James Harden played defense this year. Well, he did. 

In the interest of not injecting any faulty memories into this analysis, here's what I wrote about the defensive chops of the man who led all shooting guards—he's since switched to become a full-time 1-guard—in the 2014-15 edition of NBA 200: 

Harden was rightfully criticized for his defensive—how do we put this politely?—disappearances during the 2013-14 season, but that narrative didn't hold true in the follow-up campaign. Though the bearded 2-guard was prone to charging past spot-up shooters and letting them have easy paths to the lane, he made a concerted effort throughout the year and didn't need to be hidden at all times. Harden isn't—and won't ever be—a defensive star, but he actually spent the year serving as an asset, not a liability. 

Harden was a phenomenal offensive threat during his third go-round as the Houston Rockets' unabashed leader. He constantly made trips to the charity stripe to supplement the turnovers and missed step-backs accumulated during live action. 

But a career-high 4.2 of his win shares came on the defensive end, he earned a positive defensive box plus/minus (DBPM) and his score in ESPN.com's defensive real plus/minus (DRPM) left him behind only 23 of his fellow 2-guards. 

Until this year, his two-way efforts in 2014-15 served as the highest level he'd ever reached. 

11. 1992-93 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

Age: 30

Actual MVP: Charles Barkley

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 26.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 4.2 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 27.3 PER, 15.8 WS, 535.58 TPA

Was this a dream season for Hakeem Olajuwon? You better believe it. 

The big man was thoroughly dominant on both ends of the floor, leading his Houston Rockets to a 55-27 record, though eventually fell to the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the postseason. Not only did he win Defensive Player of the Year by jumping passing lanes, rejecting players who dared enter his domain and anchoring the league's third-ranked defense, but he still found time to compete for a scoring title. 

No player on the Rockets averaged more points per game, with Vernon Maxwell's 13.8 coming closest to Olajuwon's 26.1. No player on the Rockets averaged more rebounds per game, with Otis Thorpe's 8.2 coming closest to Olajuwon's 13.0. No player on the Rockets averaged more steals per game, with Maxwell's 1.2 coming closest to Olajuwon's 1.8. No player on the Rockets averaged more blocks per game, with Robert Horry's 1.1 coming closest to Olajuwon's 4.2. 

Kenny Smith and Maxwell prevented Olajuwon's assist tally from completing the clean sweep in major per-game stats, but that shouldn't distract from his all-around dominance. The big man could simply do it all, and Houston routinely basked in his two-way excellence as he carried it to one victory after another.

Note: James Harden, should he continue his current pace for the rest of the season and fail to win MVP, would supplant Olajuwon as the No. 11 finisher while removing his own 2014-15 efforts from consideration. 

10. 2012-13 Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Age: 24

Actual MVP: LeBron James

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 29.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.4 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 28.3 PER, 18.9 WS, 460.79 TPA

When Kevin Durant eventually retires, he'll be remembered as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. And he was never more efficient than in 2012-13, even if he ultimately lost out on MVP to his chief rival. 

Then throwing up gaudy numbers for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 24-year-old small forward shot 51.0 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from three-point territory and 90.5 percent on free throws to join the elusive 50/40/90 club while averaging 28.1 points. Making his feat even more impressive, he averaged that many points during a season that featured slower tempos than we see in 2016-17. 

Durant has since improved as a facilitator—a main part of the reason he followed this campaign by getting the better of LeBron James and earning the league's top individual award. He's grown as a defender, to the point that, when healthy, he's been an All-Defensive Team contender with the Golden State Warriors. 

But before this season's career-best mark, he produced his highest true shooting percentage with Oklahoma City in 2012-13. And given how often he shot, that was enough for him to help carry the Thunder to a 60-win season while he racked up win shares and finished the year trailing only James in NBA Math's TPA. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 2009-10 (No. 37), 2011-12 (No. 69)

9. 2008-09 Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Age: 27

Actual MVP: LeBron James

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 31.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.4 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 30.4 PER, 14.7 WS, 610.86 TPA

In Februar, Dwayne Wade received a question on Twitter about whether he should have won MVP in 2008-09. His response was to the point: "I always tell Bron to take care of my trophy. It's like both of ours he just keep it at his HOUSE!"

Kudos to the future Hall of Famer for his self-confidence, but he doesn't have much of an objective argument. He could argue until he's blue in the face about his importance to a Miami Heat squad that only barely qualified for the playoffs with a 43-39 record, and that's where he'd have a point. But that doesn't tend to work in most MVP discussions, especially when compared to the leader of a 66-16 squad with superior individual metrics: 

Fortunately, finishing second to James isn't anything to feel bad about.

Wade still submitted the No. 16 score in NBA Math's TPA since 1973-74, and he joins just eight other qualified players with PERs above 30 throughout all of league history. It's only his team's lack of success and the accordingly low win-shares representation that hold him back. 

8. 1989-90 Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers

Age: 26

Actual MVP: Michael Jordan

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 24.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.6 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 27.1 PER, 17.3 WS, 601.59 TPA

During Charles Barkley's prime, he was unstoppable around the basket. 

The power forward didn't always exert himself fully on the defensive end, though his prowess on the glass helped negate some of the point-preventing problems. But when he had the ball in his hands, opposing defenses might as well have just given up. 

If Barkley corralled a possession-ending board, he was capable of sprinting down the court and maintaining his dribble, keeping his eyes up in constant search of an open teammate. And if none were to be found, he could easily finish the play himself, either by continuing his burst toward the hoop or establishing himself on the block in a half-court set. 

While averaging 25.2 points, Barkley made a league-best 63.2 percent of his two-point attempts during the 1989-90 campaign. And though his efficiency numbers were slightly tempered by his desire to help stretch the floor—something he couldn't do with any semblance of consistency—he made up for any misses with foul-drawing aggression. 

He won the Sporting News MVP for his work during the season in question, but he didn't earn the league's official honor for another three seasons. 

7. 2005-06 LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Age: 21

Actual MVP: Steve Nash

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 33.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.9 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 28.1 PER, 16.3 WS, 584.78 TPA

Even in the years LeBron James hasn't won MVP—he has four such awards on his mantle—he's tended to fare rather well in the voting. This is the 14th season of his career, and it should be the 11th time he's either touched the Maurice Podoloff Trophy or earned enough award shares to gain eligibility for these rankings.

The only exceptions came during the first two seasons of his career (and he still finished within the top 10 in award shares each time) and in 2006-07, when he trailed Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan in the voting. 

The longstanding excellence is jaw-dropping, and this was the best of the bunch.

A 21-year-old James led the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose only other positive finisher in NBA Math's TPA was Zydrunas Ilgauskas (76.88), to a 50-win season and an Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance. He was a terrifying defensive presence who used his never-ending energy reserves to impact plays not even the league's other great stoppers could hinder, and he often refused to miss shots around the basket unless he was drawing a foul. 

James has certainly had better campaigns, but he's typically been rewarded for them with some hardware. It can reasonably be argued that this is the fifth-best season of his legendary career (with potential to move down further in campaigns to come), and the third-year professional still put together a year that would baffle many other NBA greats.

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 2007-08 (No. 14), 2013-14 (No. 17), 2010-11 (No. 24), 2015-16 (No. 36), 2014-15 (No. 62)

6. 2007-08 Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

Age: 22

Actual MVP: Kobe Bryant

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 22.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 12.1 assists, 2.8 steals, 0.1 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 28.3 PER, 17.8 WS, 517.96 TPA

Here's your reminder that Chris Paul has always been a point god. 

The league's slightly slower pace makes a 22-year-old Paul's per-game numbers even more impressive, but it's the efficiency with which he plays that truly allows him to stand out. And we're not even talking about his shooting splits (48.8/36.9/85.1) while scoring over 20 points per game for the first time since leaving Wake Forest. 

It's the passing. 

Paul averaged a mind-numbing 11.6 assists while turning the ball over just 2.5 times per contest. He displayed a complete mastery over every offensive set imaginable, always baiting defenders into disadvantageous positions with constant hesitation dribbles and eye fakes before preying on the situation. Only he and John Stockton have ever averaged at least 11 assists with no more than three turnovers, and while the Utah Jazz floor general barely made the cutoffs in 1995-96, Paul did so with room to spare. 

Oh, and the New Orleans Hornet also functioned as one of the league's best defensive guards all the while. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 2011-12 (No. 56)

5. 2002-03 Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic

Age: 23

Actual MVP: Tim Duncan

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 34.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 30.3 PER, 16.1 WS, 555.81 TPA

Larry Bird and LeBron James put up superior seasons during MVP-winning campaigns. Ditto for Kevin Durant and many of the NBA's other great 3s and 4s. But no forward has ever had a better year without earning some hardware than the one Tracy McGrady enjoyed with the Orlando Magic in 2002-03. 

Let's get rid of the elephant in the room first: Yes, this was an aberration. 

McGrady enjoyed a fantastic career that should soon put him in the Hall of Fame, and he even provided a nice encore to this season by leading the league in scoring for a second consecutive campaign. But he wasn't as healthy after his work in '02-03, and his defense and three-point shooting both regressed significantly. 

It is this season, and this season alone, that stands out as unbesmirchable.

The high-scoring wing was draining triples and attacking the basket with aplomb, looking every bit the equal of other up-and-coming stars such as Kobe Bryant. There was simply no way to eliminate every element of his game in a single night, and few could figure out any semblance of a solution for the healthy McGrady. 

But as is so often the case for these one-man highlight-producers, winning was the only problem. The Magic went just 42-40 while McGrady destroyed his matchups, though it's hard to expect much more when Grant Hill (limited to 29 games by injuries), Mike Miller, Gordan Giricek, Drew Gooden and Pat Garrity were the team's only other double-digit scorers. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 2001-02 (No. 64)

4. 1972-73 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks

Age: 25

Actual MVP: Dave Cowens

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 26.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists

Advanced Metrics: 28.5 PER, 21.9 WS

The pace monster comes into play here once more. 

Even though the Milwaukee Bucks were one of the NBA's slowest teams in 1972-73, they still used so many possessions per 48 minutes that they'd leave most teams in today's Association gasping for breath as they tried to figure out how to play at such a breakneck pace. 

However, Abdul-Jabbar's adjusted per-game averages of 26.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists remain quite impressive. No one this season would come close to matching such exploits, as the only players averaging as many rebounds are A) atrocious passers and B) scoring far fewer buckets on a nightly basis.

Though he's not getting credit for his true averages here (30.2 points, 16.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists), it's not like he needs the pace boost to blow away the competition. Plus, the world has no idea how many blocks and steals he posted whenever he took to the hardwood, though it's safe to assume the number was substantial when he logged 3.5 and 1.4, respectively, in 1973-74 when the stats were first recorded. 

Abdul-Jabbar was only four years removed from UCLA during the 1972-73 campaign, but his sky-hook was already an unguardable move. That alone would've put him in the MVP conversation, even if he hadn't also played dominant defense, gotten his teammates involved and thrived on the glass. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 1980-81 (No. 51), 1969-70 (No. 82)

3. 1993-94 David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs

Age: 28

Actual MVP: Hakeem Olajuwon

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 30.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 3.3 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 30.7 PER, 20.0 WS, 669.24 TPA

David Robinson's scoring title in 1993-94 may have been a bit manufactured. But to put himself in position for his 71-point showcase, he still had to throw together big numbers up throughout the season. The San Antonio Spurs center needed a 33-spot to surpass Shaquille O'Neal on the final day of the campaign, and he got it with room to spare. 

"To get to 71 points, David shot 63 percent from the floor making 26-of-41 attempts including a 3-pointer and 18-of-25 free throws. David filled up the stat line that night with things other than just points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out five assists and blocking two shots," Joe Calvillo wrote for NBA.com. "Playing 44 of the 48 minutes in the game, David averaged 1.65 points a minute while he was on the court. Clippers coach Bob Weiss was said that Robinson was 'dominant' and that he 'double-teamed him with our forwards every time we could, but he still scored points.'"

Even if we factored that final game out and didn't adjust for pace (the league was slightly slower in 1993-94 than it is now), Robinson would have averaged 29.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 3.3 blocks—numbers no other qualified player has ever matched.

Without Robinson, the Spurs wouldn't have sniffed 55 wins. He was the catalyst behind everything they did on both ends of the court, carrying the squad without sacrificing any semblance of efficiency from start to finish. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 1995-96 (No. 9), 1990-91 (No. 18), 1991-92 (No. 32)

2. 1988-89 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

Age: 25

Actual MVP: Magic Johnson

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 31.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.8 steals, 0.8 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 31.1 PER, 19.8 WS, 822.25 TPA

By NBA Math's TPA, this is the greatest season of the modern era—not just by Michael Jordan, but by every single man who's logged even a millisecond in an NBA uniform since the start of the 1973-74 campaign. Only Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain have posted higher single-season PERs, though that metric fails to account for Jordan's defensive superiority. The Chicago Bulls 2-guard is also one of just seven players to earn at least 19.8 win shares in a single season, and he did so on a squad that won only 47 games. 

It's virtually impossible to find a metric that shines anything but the highest of lights on this special season from the greatest player in NBA history. Even after accounting for the sped-up pace, he flirted with a year-long triple double while just 12 months removed from winning Defensive Player of the Year. 

Three more of Jordan's non-MVP campaigns would rank inside the top 10, but this was just in another echelon. Even as he continued to struggle with his perimeter stroke and could occasionally get into turnover trouble, no one could slow down his offensive game. 

You won't typically find this listed as Jordan's best campaign, but that's largely because of factors outside his control. Though he couldn't get by the Detroit Pistons during the playoffs, he was also playing with 23-year-old versions of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant who hadn't yet reached their primes.

His team later improved, but this was peak Jordan during a career filled with unimaginable highs and virtually no lows. 

Craig Ehlo might agree. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 1989-90 (No. 4), 1986-87 (No. 7), 1992-93 (No. 8), 1996-97 (No. 19)

1. 1961-62 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors

Age: 25

Actual MVP: Bill Russell

Per-Game Stats Adjusted to 2016-17 Pace: 38.5 points, 19.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals

Advanced Metrics: 31.7 PER, 23.1 WS

Today's pace would've prevented Wilt Chamberlain from averaging 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds, as he did for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1961-62 while playing a should-be-impossible 48.5 minutes per game. Instead, he's "only" recording 38.5 points and 19.6 boards during his typical contest. 

Stop and think about that. 

The pace-adjusted version of Chamberlain's best season includes a scoring average no one else has ever topped and more rebounds per game than anyone has posted since the start of the 1970s. He was an absolute monster, even if Bill Russell and the ever-winning Boston Celtics stole away an MVP trophy that should've belonged to the 25-year-old center. 

This was the year in which Chamberlain exploded for 100 points in a single game. It was the time that saw him carry the Warriors to a 49-31 record and the Eastern Division Finals despite no other player on his squad logging an above-average PER. 

And speaking of PER, Chamberlain produced a score just one other individual season has beaten: his own, one year later. He also earned the fourth-most single-season win shares in NBA history, behind only 1971-72 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (25.4), 1963-64 Chamberlain (25.0) and 1950-51 George Mikan (23.4). 

There's simply no objective case against this season's superiority. 

Other Ranked Non-MVP Seasons: 1963-64 (No. 2), 1971-72 (No. 75)

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotes obtained firsthand, and all stats from Basketball Reference, NBA.com or NBA Math and accurate heading into games Monday, March 27.