For an award that ultimately means a lot, the criteria of the NBA regular season MVP changes every year. Steve Nash was a great story? MVP. Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant player? MVP. Kobe Bryant never won one despite being one of the game’s greatest ever? MVP. At the end, it’ll come down to who has the greatest combination of three specific things: memorable individual performances, team success and a storyline we can follow.
Derrick Rose came from out of nowhere last year to usurp the man who’ll probably be in the top three of every MVP vote from here until he’s 31 or 32. But this season, with memories of last spring’s playoff collapse still pushing him, LeBron James is on his way back to reclaim the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.
Today marks the beginning of Dime‘s “Race to the MVP” Watch where each week during this condensed second half of the season, we’ll bring out arguments for the award’s top 10 candidates. As of now, here’s how we see it…
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10. KEVIN LOVE – 25.0 ppg/13.6 rpg/2.0 apg/EFF +27.74
With K-Love it’s all about the numbers. Once the T-Wolves start to win consistently then Love’s chances at the MVP will rise. Until then he will remain at the bottom of the ladder. If it were an award for the player with the best stats, he’d without a doubt be top five. But the MVP has a lot to do with team wins and despite their recent success, the Wolves are basically a .500 team.
9. DWIGHT HOWARD – 20.4 ppg/15.0 rpg/2.0 apg/EFF +26.45
Despite the trade rumors, Dwight has continued to play at a high level. 20 and 15 are numbers you just have to acknowledge. Plus, Orlando is right in the mix where they usually are. If he finishes the season in Orlando, Howard will likely be one the top five vote getters for MVP. However, if he does not, he could be in the top two or three depending on where he lands.
Dwight is the type of player that will have an immediate impact on any team. If he goes to the Nets and turns them into a contender overnight, look for Dwight to steal some votes.
8. KOBE BRYANT – 28.9 ppg/5.8 rpg/4.8 apg/EFF +22.59
Kobe Bryant has openly accepted the role of piggy-backing the Lakers offensively. After yesterday’s win against Miami, he’s shot 376 more shots than Gasol and 484 more than Bynum. It’s clear he’s carrying most of the weight on his shoulders for the Lakers. That’s what puts him in this MVP conversation.
Statistically, the untrained eye would assume he’s having an amazing season. Bryant is leading the league in scoring and the Lakers are a wining team. However, he’s not been as efficient as some of the players on the top five of this ranking. He’s making a league best 10.5 field goals a game while LeBron is at 10.3 and Durant is at 10. But he’s taking a league-high 23.7 shots a night, approximately four more than Durant and 5.1 more than LeBron. Bryant’s efficiency is significantly lower than it needs to be if he wants to become a contender for MVP.
7. TONY PARKER – 19.2 ppg/3.0 rpg/7.9 apg/EFF +18.94
Tony Parker has been having a remarkable season. With the absence of Manu Ginobili, he’s stepped up his level of play and it’s translated into wins for the Spurs. He’s having his best scoring season since 2008-09 as well as his best season ever passing the basketball with almost eight assists a game.
6. DWYANE WADE – 22.9 ppg/4.3 rpg/4.9 apg/EFF +22.43
D-Wade is finally beginning to have a D-Wade-type season. He got off to a slow start but has been catching up as of late. He has been doing exactly what the team needs him to do to win games and that’s get in where he fits in.
As much as people love to call it “Wade County” and Wade’s team, everyone knows he’s option 1A. Nothing is wrong with that. He’s done what’s required of him: hit big shots at the end of games, and play off of LeBron James. He’s doing that better than ever since LeBron and Bosh came to Miami. He’s responsible for a pretty big chunk of Miami’s success. LeBron just has a bigger chunk and I expect it to stay that way.
5. RUSSELL WESTBROOK – 23.6 ppg/4.8 rpg/5.5 apg/EFF +20.70
Although he ended last season being criticized for being too selfish and not being able to co-exist with Durant, Westbrook has reminded people how good he is this season and put all the critiquing to a screeching halt. His ability to score the basketball is something nobody can ignore. The Thunder have come out the gates steaming hot and Westbrook has a lot to do with it.
After that 50/40 game Durant and his point guard had against Denver last month, nobody’s complaining about Westbrook taking too many shots anymore, and I don’t think they will as long as the Thunder keep on winning.
4. CHRIS PAUL – 19.7 ppg/3.5 rpg/8.4 apg/EFF +23.50
CP3 began this season with the uncertainty of where he would be playing. That’s something that would be difficult for any player, however he hasn’t let it affect his game one bit. He’s fit in perfectly in “Lob City” a.k.a “Lob Angeles” and seems to be exactly what the Clippers needed. He’s been putting up the numbers that have been expected of him, but now with the loss of Billups, he’s been asked to do more scoring than he’s accustomed to.
Whether or not that takes away from his assist numbers or affects the team record positively or negatively has really yet to be determined. But Chris Paul is without a doubt a top five candidate for MVP right now. There’s really no arguing against the impact he’s had on the Clippers.
3. DERRICK ROSE – 22.8 ppg/3.2 rpg/7.7 apg/EFF +21.93
Despite his back injury, which caused him to miss a few games in the month of February, the reigning MVP has continued to stay right on track. He has the Bulls right where they were last season, at the top of the league. They have managed to put together a league best record of 31-8 behind Rose’s 22.8 ppg and 7.7 apg. However, many expect the Bulls to become even better since they are finally all healthy and at full strength.
If the Bulls can maintain a league-best record and Rose continues to increase his performance, the reigning MVP could turn this into a three-man race very soon.
2. KEVIN DURANT – 28.2 ppg/7.9 rpg/3.3 apg/EFF +27.51
Let’s backtrack a little along the Kevin Durant timeline. After losing in the playoffs last year, he had a certain look of disappointment on his face. He wasn’t sulking, wasn’t whining. He never threw his teammates under the bus (although many were waiting for him to). He never raged in anger. But what he did do was turn that feeling of disappointment into inspiration. This summer he played more summer league basketball than any superstar in the league. He torched cats all over the globe, from Cali all the way to NYC. Now it seems that he’s carried that momentum over into the season and it’s got him playing at an all-time high. His numbers are remarkable as well as his shooting percentage, which is not far from LeBron at 50 percent. The Thunder also have the best record in the West at 29-8.
KD and LeBron are just a cut above the rest right now in what many consider to be a 2-man race.
1. LEBRON JAMES – 27.8 ppg/8.4 rpg/6.8 apg/EFF +31.86
LeBron James began this season with a bigger chip on his shoulder than ever, and he’s been playing like it. If there were ever a time in his career to play “now or never” basketball, it’s this season. LeBron is at a critical juncture where it’s time to put up or shut up, and it’s clear to see that for the first half of the season, he’s been putting up quite well.
He’s having his most efficient season as a pro so far, shooting a remarkable 54.9 percent from the field. He’s accepted his criticisms from last year and enhanced his post game without taking away from what he does well. He seems to be more comfortable on the court with his new teammates than he’s ever been. LeBron is without a doubt the front-runner for the MVP award based on the first half of this season. As far as the expectations go, he’s exceeded them so far.
Who are your top five MVP candidates so far and why?
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