By Gerald Narciso
With the NBA season heading in its final stretch, the MVP
talk is starting to heat up. And just like the playoff race, the MVP race is
tighter than ever.
Here are the five players who will most likely cop the
hardware.
Kevin Garnett
Why - In the beginning
of the season, KG was the early favorite as he led the new-look Celtics to a
20-2 start.
He is the emotional leader of this team, and his hard work and
competitiveness sets the tone for the rest of the team. The Celtics have a
league-best 52-13 record and for the year, KG has put up 18.7 point, 7.6
rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Not bad.
Why not - Although
KG is one of the top five players in the game today, he is also playing with
two perennial All Stars in Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Remember when Garnett was
injured last month for those nine games, the Celtics went 7-2 without him.
Also, Boston is
playing in the weak Eastern Conference, so you might argue that any of the
West’s top five teams could do the same thing or better in that conference.
LeBron James
Why – LeBron is
not part of the Cleveland Cavaliers, he
is the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is averaging damn near a triple double (30.9
points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.4 dimes). The Cavs have lost every single game he
has not played in, and lost by a margin of nearly 12 points per game. Add to
that two 50-point games and a 36 ppg average so far this month.
Why not – Out of
all the candidates mentioned, James has the fewest number of W’s with 38. And
remember that is in the Eastern Conference. If they were in the West they would
probably be lottery-bound.
Kobe Bryant
Why – Kobe is
enjoying his finest season as a pro, and is finally proving he can lead a team.
His numbers are among the best in the League with 28.3 points, 6.1 boards and
5.3 assists. But more importantly than his stats are the wins he is getting his
squad.
The Lakers are second in the Western Conference with a 45-21 record. And
unlike previous seasons, the trust is there now between Kobe and his teammates.
Why not – Probably
the only thing stoping Kobe
from getting the MVP is LeBron. Kobe
obviously has a better supporting cast than King James. LeBron’s stats are also
a little more impressive than Kobe’s.
Chris Paul
Why – In one
season, the New Orleans Hornets went from a lottery team to one of the top
teams in the Western Conference. The reason? Chris Paul.
CP3 has taken his game and team to a whole new level. Chris
is playing like a young Isaiah Thomas with his averages of 21.3 points, 11.2
assists (2nd in the NBA) and his league leading 2.7 steals.
Why not – No
doubt Chris is having a great year and should be considered for this award, but
what might hurt him is his youth. I think most the voters will go for Kobe or LeBron. Paul’s
time will come - it just won’t be this year.
Tracy McGrady
Why – T-Mac is
one of the main reasons why Houston
is just unstoppable as of late. Even without Yao, the Rockets are looking more and more
like playoff contenders with every mounting victory – their streak is currently
at 22.
In the last five games T-Mac has averaged 2539 points, 5.5 rebounds and
5.6 assists. He has responded to the critics (including me) who questioned if
he can hold this team on his shoulders without Yao.
Why not –
McGrady’s stats are a little down from previous years. He also started off the
season a little slow, and has still shown he is injury prone missing 14 games
this year. When the competition for MVP is so stiff, every negative will be
counted against you.
Verdict
Like I said in the article, the trophy will probably go to
‘Bron or Kobe. Although LeBron is probably the favorite because he is so
critical to his team, I would give it to Kobe
because of what he has been able to accomplish this season in a
super-competitive West.
I want to hear from you though. Sound off here, and let me
know who you think is deserving of the MVP!