MVP Candidates

4/29 MVP Candidates

 

            This NBA season has been very unorthodox, between the exciting regular season, surprising playoffs thus far, and tight MVP race.  It is very rare that the NBA has so many different candidates for MVP.  Usually there are two candidates each year vying for the award.  My MVP ballot consists of four players all with a solid chance of winning the award.  My four candidates, in no particular order, are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Kevin Garnet.  As I pick my MVP I really look at who made the largest difference for their respective team.  If you took them away from their team, would the team have bombed or would they have remained strong without their superstar.  The MVP has to have impact and be a leader for their team.

            When Celtic fans heard that their team was getting Kevin Garnet, they were psyched and expected a better season than last year.  Well they were more than right as the Celtics finished with the best record in the NBA.  Kevin Garnet has a good chance at MVP as he has already collected the Defensive Player of the Year award.  Not only was he a monster on defense but he averaged 18.8 points per game.  This is not as high as some of the other candidates which is why he should not be MVP.  The Celtics have two other superstars in Paul Pierce and Ray Allen that could carry the load.  The Celtics might not be a one seed in the playoffs, but they would be in there still without him.  Kevin Garnett is on the outside looking in for this award.

Kobe Bryant, the man who had trade rumors swirling around him in the off season.  And where does he find himself now; the first seed in the Western Conference playoffs and one of the for-runners for MVP.  Kobe has battled injury on his team as did LeBron.  He lost his star center Andrew Bynum in January and Bynum has still not returned.  However, the Lakers brought in Pau Gasol which is considered to be the block-buster deal of the West this season.  Kobe did average 28.3 points per game which is a high number.  The problem I have with picking him is that he had some other productive players around him.  I am not saying he was not an impact, believe me he had a “little” something to do with where the Lakers are in the playoffs right now.

            Chris Paul has been an astounding player for New Orleans this year.  After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans didn’t have their Hornets as they played home games in Oklahoma City for the 2006-2007 season.  The Hornets missed the playoffs that season, but are back and better than ever as the two seed in the West.  Chris Paul has led this team to glory.  He has made the people of New Orleans love their team again and love basketball in New Orleans.  Chris Paul averaged 21.1 points per game and 11.6 assists per game during the regular season.  That means he averaged a double-double for the regular season.  That is a phenomenal accomplishment.  Paul was the only player in the NBA this year to achieve this.

      After taking a look at three of the four candidates on my list, it really comes down to the player yet to be mentioned, LeBron James.  The voters could not go wrong by picking this guy.  Cleveland has been so plagued by injuries this season causing them to make a huge deal to get some help for LeBron.  At one point they were bringing up minor league players, which is rare in the NBA.  LeBron has carried this team on his back for the regular season.  He averaged 30 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 7.2 assists per game.  That’s pretty close to averaging a triple double, which is un-heard of.  This guy is all over the place, he does everything.  James is always hustling on the court and has saved this team from complete destruction this year.  If the Cavaliers lose LeBron, they will not to make the playoffs for a while.  Without LeBron, I really don’t even know where the Cavaliers would be.  Would they still be in the league at all?  Alright I will be honest Chris Paul is a great story with reviving New Orleans and accomplishing what he did, but the fact of how terrible Cleveland would be without LeBron is a scary thought.