Very rarely does an MVP race turn out the way last year’s American League race did. A no-brainer. It was obvious to see that Alex Rodriguez would win and by a large margin. Usually there are two or three candidates and you can make a case for all of them. This years MVP race in the National Basketball Association is no different then the AL race last season though, it’s just no one sees it. There are seven or eight people who you could make a strong case for but picking the winner is easier then people think. That’s only if you use my way of finding the true MVP.
It is often debated by people around the game; players, coaches, owners and media, what exactly does the MVP stand for? Is the award given to the player who had the best individual season? Does the team someone plays for have to be competitive? Is it all about the numbers or do other factors such as being a team leader or playing everyday, account for something. To me, being an MVP is exactly what it is. It means that you were the Most Valuable Player in the league. Take a certain player off the team and replace that player with someone average around the league, what kind of impact would that have on the team. If you can be replaced and it wouldn’t cripple your team then I am sorry, you are not THAT valuable. It is about the best stats or being the most skilled player and it is definitely not about having the best season, it is about your value to your team. Winning does play a part of this though because if you can’t get your team to the playoffs, nothing else matters. If you were replaced by someone worse, your team still isn’t going to make the playoffs.
Take A-Rod off last years Yankees and what do you have? An inconsistent team with very little pitching and a decent line-up. With A-Rod on the team you had the scariest line-up in years. The Yankees made the playoffs by four games last season and if you think A-Rod didn’t single handily win four games for his team then you just didn’t pay attention. I, as a Yankee fan, can remember off the top of my head at least 4 games he won by himself and another he should have but the bullpen blew the lead in the 8th inning. Without Alex Rodriguez the Yankees probably miss the playoffs last season, now that’s value.
With the parameters set, let’s take a look around the league and the candidates. I promise, when you are done reading this, the MVP race will no longer be such a cloudy picture. And if you disagree with my idea of an MVP and you believe it goes to the best player every season, you can stop reading now and give the trophy to either Kobe or LeBron for the next 10 years. But if your going to do that, you better go back and give Shaq at least 3 more MVP’s and give MJ at least 6 more.
Just so everyone knows, I didn’t bring certain people into the discussion for specific reasons. Tim Duncan could win the award every year but he has too much talent and too good of a coach. The Warriors may not make the playoffs so I can’t take Baron Davis into consideration. The Pistons have 4 MVP’s. Other good players around the league just didn’t measure up, as valuable as they may be to their team; Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Caron Butler and so on. Here is my list.
Amare Stoudemire
Why he’s the MVP: Have you watched him over the past month? Since Shaq got to Phoenix this man has become the most feared big man on the offensive end. He gets to the hoop when he wants, dunks on anyone who tries to guard him, steps back and hits an 18-footer if he’s left open and even has learned how to pass in the paint. He also tries on the defensive end of the floor now, which is more then we could say before Shaq arrived.
Why he’s NOT the MVP: First off there is the fact that he has given up rebounding. He let’s Shaq do that and worries about blocks and scoring. More then that though, is the talent around him. If you took Amare off the Suns and put someone like Antwain Jamison in his place do the Suns get that much worse? I think they would lose a little bit but not too much.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett
Why they are the MVP: They turned around one of the worst teams in the league from a year ago. They have given up the stats of superstars and meshed with Ray Allen and the role players to make the Celtics not just relevant again, but a powerhouse.
Why they are NOT the MVP: The simple fact that there are two of them on the list. They take votes away from each other. When you can’t decide which one is the MVP of their own team, how can either be the MVP of the league. Replace Pierce with Richard Jefferson and they C’s don’t really miss anything except maybe a few crunch time shots. Replace KG with Chris Bosh and other then some intensity and defense they wouldn’t miss a beat. Put Al Jefferson on this team with Pierce and Allen and I guarantee they are still a 1 or 2 seed in the East. They both have done great things this year but MVP? No.
Tracy McGrady
Why he’s the MVP: Yao went down again while T-Mac has battled through injuries all year. He has led a team of younger, some even undrafted, players. He has the Rockets, without Yao, as the 5 seed in the West right now. Did I mention they had a 22 game winning streak with him leading the way? Yes, he has some help but to have this group of guys where he has them, it’s pretty impressive.
Why he’s NOT the MVP: Simply put, he goes away too often. He has more bad games then anyone else on the list. He has matured into a very good team first player but when he is off, so is his team. He has not elevated his play in the big games. Just look at what he did against Boston when the Rockets winning streak was snapped. He gets bonus points for the winning streak but he also gets points taken away for his stinkers, which happen more often then people realize.
Dwight Howard
Why he’s the MVP: Three months ago people wouldn’t stop talking about this guy and when he won the dunk contest I was worried the love fest was going to get crazy and I would begin to get annoyed of Howard. But the exact opposite has happened. He is the best player on a very good Orlando Magic team that no one seems to believe is for real. He is putting up great numbers and plays very tough D. Why can’t this guy get more love? Remember, he still doesn’t have much of an offensive game.
Why he’s NOT the MVP: He is not quite the leader you would want yet because he is so young and he has some very bad offensive nights when his team still wins. He has a lot more talent around him then most people seem to think. The Magic can win when he isn’t at his best. If you put Emeka Okafor on this team I don’t think they take a huge step back. They definitely aren’t as good but they are the 5 or 6 seed in the East. Give him a few more years; this guy is going to be unstoppable.
Kobe Bryant
Why he’s the MVP: He is Kobe, that’s why. This guy can take over any game and win it by himself. He has matured this year and has become a better team leader. I often see him giving the younger guys on his team some advice. He went from wanting out of LA to being the leader we all waited for him to become after Shaq left. He is an assassin and I wouldn’t want anyone else in the world right now if I had one shot to win a game.
Why he’s NOT the MVP: There is too much talent around him. He plays on the deepest team in the league and has 3 other stars in the starting line-up with him (when Bynum gets healthy and he’s supposed to play Sunday). People forget how good Pau Gasol is and I am a true fan of Lamar Odom, I think he is one of the more versatile players in the league. Kobe does lead this team and is easily the best player but if you put Kevin Martin or Michael Redd on this team they are a top 6 seed in the West still, too much talent around Kobe to be that valuable.
LeBron James
Why he’s the MVP: Have you seen the guys he plays with? Even after that trade, which did make the team better, he still doesn’t have much talent around him. Night in and night out he must dominate a game for them to win. Take him off this team and replace him with Steven Jackson or Richard Jefferson (both very good small forwards) and this team isn’t in the playoffs. No one in the league does what LeBron does every night, not even Kobe. Look at the numbers. He has also played some much-improved D this year and has become deadly down the stretch.
Why he’s NOT the MVP: I know it’s asking a lot of him but if he had his team playing better and had them at the 3 spot in the East I would give him this award. And I know Cav fans; his teammates have been banged up all year. But he’s still only 7 games over .500 as I write this. Also, the next guy on my list is a huge reason he shouldn’t win the award this year. His time will come.
Chris Paul
Why he’s the MVP: There are so many reasons I can’t even list them all. He is having a better year then both of Nash’s MVP seasons. Numbers wise he may be having the best year ever by a PG. He is averaging 21.3 points, 11.4 assists and 2.7 steals a game. He has made David West into an All-Star. He has his Hornets team, who no one was expecting big things from, in the top spot in the Western Conference. He has become a team leader in only his 3rd year in the league. If you replace him with Andre Miller this team may not be in the playoffs and if they were they would be fighting for the 7 or 8 seed, not the 1. Just watch this man play one night and tell me he isn’t the MVP. Watch how many open shots Peja and West get because of his penetration. Watch how many lay-ups or alley-oop dunks Tyson Chandler gets. Morris Peterson, yes, that guy, starts on this Hornets team that is fighting for the 1 seed and they don’t bring much off the bench. Chris Paul is, in the easiest sense, the Most Valuable Player in this league.
Why he’s NOT the MVP: I don’t even have a reason, he IS the MVP and honestly, it’s pretty easy to see.
Odds are on Kobe to win the award and that is a shame. Kobe is going to win it because he is Kobe and people feel bad that he doesn’t have an MVP yet. This isn’t about anyone’s career; it’s about one season. Look at the stats, team records and impact on a team and it’s easy to see, Chris Paul deserves this award. But then again, these are the people who voted Steve Nash the MVP three years ago over Shaquille O’Neal, so who knows, maybe T-Mac will win.
Until next time, I’m gone, like Derrick Rose’s college basketball career.
