Who should this the NBA Most Valuable Player award this season? Well, this question is always difficult to answer, as there are really no set criteria with regards to the voting year in and year out. For example, Jordan captured the award in 1988 along with defensive player of the year as well even though the Bulls back then were only a middle of the pack team at best.
Another example would be Kobe Bryant winning the hardware a season ago but I believe that Kevin Garnett was just as important to the Celtics as Bryant is to the Lakers and Garnett’s defensive presence helped lead the Celtics to the best record in the league and a championship. So what is the thought process really goes into what player should win this award? Is it the player on the team with the best record? Should it be the player who averages the most points per game or should it be the player with the best all around game? Regardless of what criteria the voters use, I think it is fairly safe to say that only three players are head and shoulders above everyone else.
First, let’s begin with the reigning most valuable player, Kobe Bryant. Bryant is third in the league in scoring behind James and Wade at a shade under 28 points go along with nearly 5.5 assists and 5 rebounds per game as well. Until recently, the Lakers held the best record in the league but a loss to the Philadelphia Sixers has put them a game behind the Cavaliers for home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Bryant Led the Lakers to a 57-25 record a season ago and they are on pace to surpass that mark with more than 15 games to play in the current season. Since the injury to Andrew Bynum, Bryant has had to step up in his role of leadership for the team. I may not be a huge fan of Bryant’s but from an objective standpoint, I do believe that he has arrived at the point in his career where he is elevating the play of his teammates on a consistent basis which is one of the reasons why the team is in position to possibly finish with the league’s best record.
The Next candidate is Dewayne Wade of the Miami Heat. Wade is actually the current scoring leader of the league averaging nearly 30 points per contest along with 7.6 assists and 5 rebounds per game as well. In addition to that, he is also second in the league in steals averaging over two per game (2.3). His play may not be noticed by everyone due to the fact that the Miami Heat are currently 36-31 and in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference holding the 5th seed. However what has been amazing is how much Wade being healthy has helped this team from where they were a year ago. Wade had missed over 60 games the previous two seasons and the team finished near the bottom of the league last year with only 15 wins and 67 losses. However the down side is that Wade suffered a hip flexor injury recently that may lead to him missing key games down the stretch. Other than this reason, I don’t see why Wade would not be considered a viable candidate for this year’s award.
Last but certainly not least, is Cleveland’s small forward, LeBron James. Obviously his offensive talents have been noticed since the first year he arrived in the league. At 6’8″ and 250 pounds, he is a force to be reckoned with and can play multiple positions because of his size and speed. James is second behind Wade in scoring at 28.6 points per game while also averaging 7.6 rebounds along with 7.3 assists. James has recorded 7 triple doubles this season including one this week with a win in Portland (27points, 11rebounds, and 10assists). James has the Cavaliers currently holding the best mark in the league at 55-13 and they have only lost 1 game at home (30-1). However, what has other teams and sports analysts on notice is his play on the defensive end where James is averaging career highs in both blocks (1.8) and steals (1.3). This may be a stretch but if the Cavaliers are able to win their remaining home games, they will tie the 85-86 Boston Celtics as the only other team to go 40-1 at home during the regular season. One other note, James has led the Cavaliers to their first division title in over 30 years and with 3 more victories, the team will have surpassed the best victory total for the franchise in a season with the previous best record being 57-25 set in both the 1988-1989 & the 1991-1992 campaigns. While all three players are deserving of the vote for different reasons, I think the edge will go James when all the votes have been tallied.
Sources:
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/rob_peterson/03/20/mvp.20090330/index.html
http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/history/season_summaries.html
