The NBA MVP will be announced soon, and most experts believe that the winner will be Kobe Bryant. The top candidates this season are Bryant, Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Kevin Garnett. The MVP is always a tough argument because there is so many criteria that one can look at in order to determine the winner. Is it the most VALUABLE player? Is it the best player on the best team? I think it’s a little bit of both. Well, I am going to break down the top four candidates here, with a focus on the debate between the top two in my opinion: Bryant and Paul. At the end, there will be a clear cut winner.
LeBron James
Statistically speaking, LeBron James had the best season of any player in the league. He led the league in scoring at 30 a game, averaged 7.2 assists ( 8th in the league), and averaged 7.9 boards per game. He was also 3rd in minutes, shot 48% from the field, and was 10th in steals at 1.84. I believe you could vote LeBron James as the MVP every year based on the fact he is the most unstoppable player in the NBA. Problem is, in order for him to win, he must carry his team to the top, and this season it did not happen. Its not his fault his team is mostly crap, and without LeBron they are a lottery team, but this season there are too many other candidates more worthy, so LeBron finishes 4th on my ballot.
Kevin Garnett
When Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics it instantly energized the team and its fans. His presence and determination and focus catapulted them to a title contender. Add Ray Allen to the mix and you had 3 future hall of famers playing together, all of whom are starving for their first title. Garnett’s stats do not blow you away, but he is in the debate for taking a storied franchise from the lottery to the best record in the NBA. His presence as well helped transform the Celtics into maybe the best defensive team in the NBA. I do believe that the Celtics would still be a top 5 team in the east without him. With Pierce and Allen, and Rondo at the point they could contend in the East, but Garnett takes them to the top. In most years, I would have no problem with KG as the MVP. But this has not been most years. So, 3rd place it is.
The top 2: Kobe vs. CP3
So here we are. As stated earlier, it looks like Kobe will probably win with Paul finishing a close second. Kobe Bryant probably should already have an award on his mantle. Last year, he was the sole reason that his team made the playoffs. He is the best player in the NBA today. He finished second in the league in scoring, 9th in steals, averaged 5.4 assists and 6.3 boards. He led the Lakers to the best record in the brutally tough Western Conference.
Chris Paul led the league in assists with 11.6 and steals with 2.7, as well as scoring 21.1 points a game. He was 3rd in the league in assist to turnover ratio at 4.6. With apologies to Steve Nash and Deron Williams, Chris Paul is absolutely the best point guard in the NBA. He led the young Hornets to the 2nd seed in the aforementioned Western Conference. Watch a Hornets game for 2 minutes and you realize that if he stays healthy, you are watching a man that will go down as one of the greatest point guards we have ever seen lace ‘em up.
My ballot would have Bryant 2nd and Chris Paul as the 2008 NBA MVP. Kobe is the best player in the league, and if there was a Player of the Year, it would be him. Both men have taken their teams above expectations. Bryant might only be the MVP because his bitching and whining in the off-season regarding his supporting cast seemed to motivate them, especially Andrew Bynum. Chris Paul’s teammates seem to love the guy. It has never seemed to me that Kobe’s teammates like him, they are afraid of him. I give him credit for being more of a team guy this year, but let’s be real, the dude wanted out up until the half way point in the season. That is not an MVP to me. Chris Paul makes every guy on his team infinitely better. The Hornets rode Paul all the way this year. Everyone figured at some point they would come down to earth. It never happened. I also would argue that Bryant’s supporting cast is better. He had the best up and coming center in Bynum, Lamar Odom, who is now the 3rd option with Bynum hurt, and let’s not forget the Gasol hijacking (I mean trade). When Lamar Odom is your 3rd option, and 4th when fully healthy, you have a pretty stacked team. The Lakers bench is also the best in the league. I’m not saying West, Chandler, and Peja are not a good supporting cast, but with no Chris Paul, they would be mediocre players, with the likely exception of West. Also, remember that the Lakers were 28-16, which is certainly not bad before they made the trade for Gasol, and they went 29-9 after the trade. This team does not finish at the top without the trade. The great part is, we may get to see these two face off in the Western Conference Finals. Now that would be fun! My vote is for Chris Paul for MVP. Only problem is, my vote does not count.
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