The Top Contenders for this Year’s NBA MVP

Usually in the NBA, it is quite obvious as to who will win the MVP at this point of the season, or at least the race is narrowed down to two or three top contenders. This year, however, that is not the case. In fact, there are eight different players in contention for the basketball’s top individual prize: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Chauncey Billups, Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, and Shawn Marion. Here are their rankings as of now:THE UNDERDOGS

     8. Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers: Let’s face it–the Answer is an underdog at best for the MVP. The award usually goes to a player on a 50-win team, and the Sixers are barely maintaining a .500 record. But Iverson’s incredible individual accomplishments need to be spoken of. He is currently averaging 33 points per game. While that total is getting hugely overshadowed by Kobe’s incredible 35/game, it would have lead the league for any of the past 15 seasons. That stat itself explains why he is on the list. Iverson is also leading the league in minutes played (43 per game), is fourth in steals (2 per game), and eight in assists (7.5 per game). It’s safe to say he is carrying his team. Unfortunately, sometimes that isn’t enough to make you a top MVP contender.

     7. Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns: Marion is having a breakout season. His 22 points and 12 rebounds per game give him Kevin Garnett-like stats. He also is sixth in steals, fifth in minutes played, and is shooting over 50% from the floor. So why isn’t he higher on this list? It’s because he is being overshadowed by his own teammate, Steve Nash. You can’t even argue that Marion is more important to the streaking Suns than 04-05 MVP Nash is. While he would probably be a top contender for the MVP on a different team considering his stats, the voters will likely look to Nash instead of him.

     6. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks: Everything’s bigger in Texas. At an even 7 feet tall, Nowitzki is the tallest player on this list. He leads his 47-13 Mavs in–points, rebounds, minutes, free throw percentage, and starts. Also, he is probably the only feared player on the Mavericks’ offense. While you might think that all this might put him a little higher on the list…well, you have to see the five other players in this year’s race for the MVP. Nowitzki is great, but you have to be spectacular to be in my top five.

  CLOSE BUT NOT QUITE

     5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat: He is a force to be reckoned with on the Eastern Conference’s hottest team. He is fifth in the NBA with 27.5 points per game, and is also tenth in assists and eighth in steals. The reason that Wade is so high on this list is how he has carried the Heat throughout the season. He scored the team’s final 17 points in his one-man show against Detroit last month. That key game started what is now a ten-game winning streak for the Heat. Wade also helped the Heat when key players such as Shaquille O’Neal have been injured. For his leadership and offensive dominance, Wade just cracks the top five over Dirk Nowitzski.

     4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: Though LeBron probably will not take home the MVP this season unless he has, say, a 101-point game, he is an incredible all-around player. He has started every game the Cavaliers have played, and led an otherwise mediocre team to a 36-26 record, which would give them the fourth seed if the playoffs started today. His stats are incredible: 30.6 points per game (3rd in the NBA), 42 minutes per game (2nd), 6.8 assists (11th), and he also grabs 7 boards a game. You could argue that he is the true definition of an MVP: if you took him away from Cleveland, the team would suffer undoubtedly. But this year, there are three players that fit that description even better.

  THE FAVORITES

     3. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons: I understand that the Pistons win mainly because they have the best starting five in the NBA, hands-down. But Billups is what keeps this team going. He is such a great all-around player, a leader on and off the court, and an unselfish player on one of the league’s best offenses. Though his 19.1 points per game are the lowest of anyone on this list, his statistics are still excellent. He is third in assists (8.8), fifth in 3-pointer percentage (43%), fourth in free-throw percentage (90%), and leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. Though that last stat may not be as advertised as points or rebounds, it is a great indicator of how efficient a player is and their abilities as a point guard. And Billups dominates this category–his 4.27 ratio is .54 higher than anyone else on the list with 5 or more assists per game. Though Billups probably isn’t the best player on this list, being the leader of a 49-11 team will certainly give you serious consideration for the MVP.

     2. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: I know that players on teams with near .500 records aren’t usually one of the favorites. I also understand that Kobe is selfish and doesn’t really spread the ball around. But I don’t care. This year, Kobe is the most entertaining to watch, talented player the league has seen since Michael Jordan retired. His mind-boggling 35.3 points per game lead the league and would have won him the scoring title each of the past 18 years (or 38 of the past 39). He averaged 43.4 points per game in January (This just in: that’s good). He has had 19 40-point games this year. And of course, his 81-point game was the most incredible single game by a basketball player we’ll see for a while. Although he is not exactly a team player, in terms of pure scoring, Bryant is the best I’ve ever seen besides MJ. The only reason he does not top this list is his assist total–4.6 a game–is pitiful for a player who is the clear leader on his team. Though he is not the MVP, Kobe’s season is one for the ages.

      1. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns: I tried to pick against him, but in the end, there is no player of more value to his team than Nash. Before the season, many were saying the Suns would decline because of the losses of Joe Johnson and injury to Amare Stoudemire. I guess they forgot the reigning MVP played in Phoenix. Nash’s season this year is even better than the one he had last year. He is averaging 19.4 points versus 15.5, 4.3 rebounds versus 3.4, and has improved his free-throw percentage from 88% to a league-leading 92%. Though his assists have actually gone down (10.8 vs. 11.5), Nash is still leading the league in this category by a wide margin. He has started every game, is remarkably consistent, and has led the team to a 40-20 record as well as a current 11-game win streak. How could you argue against a player that has improved from an MVP season and will lead his team to a 2-seed in the playoffs? I certainly can’t.

     If you disagree with my list or feel I left someone out, feel free to post a comment or email me. Whoever you think should win MVP; this race will certainly be a fun one to follow.