Thoughts on the MVP award
Now that we’re in the final week of the regular season, its time to end the debate over which players are most deserving of those end of season awards. Over the next week, TMB will unveil our picks for the top awards in the NBA this season — and unlike last season, we’re getting it started with the MVP award.
— MVP Ballot —
1.) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers [28.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.9 SPG, .838 FT%, .361 3-PT%]
2.) Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets [21.1 PPG, 4 RPG, 11.6 APG, 2.7 SPG, .851 FT%, .369 3-PT%]
3.) Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics [18.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.2 BPG, .538 FG%, .797 FT%]
4.) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers [30.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG]
For LeBron, if this were simply about who’s the best player, we’d have to go with him. When was the 
last time we saw somebody put up these type of numbers in a season? People want to say Kobe is the best player in the league, and while that may be true, when was the last time Kobe led his team to the finals without Shaquille O’Neal while putting up these type for numbers? The fact is its never happened, and if LeBron can get the supporting cast he needs, he should be a fixture in the NBA Finals for the next decade. The fact that the Cavaliers are winless with him out of the lineup this year (0-6) tells you how valuable he is to his team. If his team we’re among the top five in the league, he’d probably get my vote, but winning really comes into play when the MVP award is handed out. As much as Paul has done statistically, LeBron has had the best statistical season among any player in the league this season, and that certainly accounts for something.
Garnett may not have the numbers the other three players have, but his team has a better record 
and he’s contributed things that simply can’t be quantified in a box score. While at least part of the Celtics turnaround this season should be credited to Ray Allen, its safe to say that the defensive turnaround the Celtics have had this season is largely because of KG. He’s also helped cultivate a culture of winning that simply wasn’t in Boston at any time last season, and has helped restore pride in an organization that hasn’t had any over the past five years. Now they’re a legit title contender and own the record for the largest win-loss turnaround in league history. Last time that happened, in ’05, Steve Nash won the MVP award for developing a winning attitude in Phoenix and bringing respectability back to a proud organization. So Garnett is certainly deserving, though I’d probably rather see him win the Defensive Player of the Year award and see one of the other guys get the MVP — just to spread the wealth on multiple MVP-worthy seasons.
While Paul may have had one of the best individual seasons for a point guard in league history, and 
his team will likely finish atop the West, there’s really no possible way I see him actually winning it. First of all, there’s never, and I mean never, been a player who has won the MVP award during his first season as an All-Star. Sure, there’s always a first time for everything, and the circumstances are set for this to be one of those times, but there’s one other major factor that is working against Paul. In the past, MVP award winners have usually “paid their dues,” so to speak, and win their first MVP award at least one year after having a similar MVP type of season. That happened with Charles Barkley in ’93, Karl Malone in ’97, Shaquille O’Neal in ’00, Tim Duncan in ’02, and Kevin Garnett in ’04. Following this pattern, Chris Paul seems like the odd man out, considering Kobe and Lebron have both put up MVP type of seasons before. Kobe in ’06 and Lebron in ’07. What Paul has done in New Orleans is quite amazing, but I also have to give a lot of the credit to Byron Scott for changing the losing culture in the locker room and putting together a winner.
As I started to analyze each of the top MVP candidates over the past few weeks, I started to piece 
together what MVP’s in the past have all had in common. Its a must that they play for one of the top five teams in the league, are putting up huge numbers, are making their teammates better, and have had at least one MVP-caliber season prior to this one. Most of the previous MVP’s have had these things in common, and the player that exemplified this criteria the most was Kobe Bryant. One league analyst recently argued that if Kobe doesn’t win the award this year, its only because those who are voting simply don’t like him. I agree wholeheartedly, and although I will admit that I’m not a fan, I believe he’s the most deserving of the award for the season he’s had. He finally has a supporting cast, so I won’t imply that his team is winning solely because of him, but he’s had to keep his team winning in the tough Western Conference largely without the help of Andrew Bynum, and for a short time, Pau Gasol. He’s played through a hand injury and faces double and triple teams at nearly every venue. He’s arguably a Hall-of-Fame player and has failed to win the award thus far in his career, so if he doesn’t win it this year, he may never win it. Its hard to believe that could actually happen.
Perhaps ESPN analyst Greg Anthony, an opinion we respect, put it best when he said that LeBron may have been the best player this season, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett made the biggest impact, but Kobe has been the Most Valuable. Hopefully, that makes at least some sense.
* Send questions about this post to Andrew at ajohn135@gmail.com
April 12, 2008 at 6:55 PM
I’d probably be voting for Paul or Kobe. Paul took a decent roster and took it to the top of a very competitive West. Kobe has been Kobe, but his team is finally good. I favored Bryant in the past, so if I were to vote for him it would a make up call.
Voting for Garnett is basically a vote to recognize the awesome season the Cs have had. But I don’t think that it’s mainly KG’s doing, even if he should get more credit than others. Also, I’m a big believer in taking into account how many a guy has won. KG has one, and that’s about as many as he deserves right now.
Lebron is really having a Jordan-like career so far, putting up eye-poping numbers and performances while on a sub-par team. The team is such a disappointment though; the defending East champs don’t even have a positive point differential. They’ll be fortunate to get out of the first round.
April 12, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Yeah, I think either Kobe or CP3 will win the award, as stated above, though I think Garnett has made a huge difference in Boston. Like you said, though, he’s had lots of help.
When people say Kobe is the best player in the league, I don’t argue with that, but I wonder how much they’ve actually watched LeBron. In my opinion, he’s on another level than everybody else, and to restate what I said above: if he gets a supporting cast like Kobe did this season, watch out! He’s the best player I’ve ever watched not named Michael Jordan.
April 13, 2008 at 5:28 PM
Yep, I think Lebron is a better player this year, and he will be for the rest of Kobe’s career. Kobe probably was more amazing in past years than is today. In a way it’s kind of like when Magic Johnson was still winning MVPs, but MJ was a better player. Except in this case Kobe has never won one.
CP3 can’t win (shouldn’t win) because of the rule that you can’t win in the first year that you’re the best. Nash is the only player to win in the first year he was among the top 3. Malone, Bird, Magic, MJ, Garnett, Duncan, and Shaq did not win an MVP in the first year that they were top contenders.
So give the COY to Scott and give the MVP to Kobe. Then we can move on to giving MVPs to Lebron for 10 years or so.
April 14, 2008 at 11:42 AM
I would go with Chris Paul without him the Hornets don’t make the playoffs. I don’t think Lebron should be even considered his team just hasn’t gotten better. He doesn’t make his teammates better. Kevin Garnett or Chris Paul should take the MVP.
April 14, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Schark, you just don’t like Kobe, that’s why you’re not mentioning his name. You think we like him? No way, but this is an unbiased opinion, and he has to be at least in the top two. I’ve gone on record as to say that he’s not the best player in the league, but there no chance the Lakers have a chance to win the West, or are even a playoff team in the West, without him.
April 14, 2008 at 8:01 PM
Kobe =Selfish
April 15, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Yeah, he’s certainly a vain, and perhaps selfish, player — but the bottom line is that he’s gotten his team to first place in the tough-as-ever West, with only Gasol for 30 games and Bynum for 40. That’s impressive.
April 15, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I feel obligated to say that Kobe is the MVP because I usually spend my time trashing him. But then I consider how the Lakers have played without Pao Gasol (not great) and what CP3 has done for New Orleans and I have to go with Chris Paul. I still think my man, Deron Williams, can beat him one on one but you can’t argue with the Hornets success and Paul’s contribution to that success.
April 15, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Look, I’m not arguing that Chris Paul hasn’t had a great season and done a lot for basketball in New Orleans, I’m just saying that he’s not going to win the MVP award, nor should he.
Why is it that Michael Beasley shouldn’t have been the National Player of the Year in college? Because Tyler Hansbrough had an equally good year, for a better team, and has been doing it for three years now. For those same reasons, I can’t endorse CP3 as the NBA MVP. He’s had one great year during his career, that’s it. Plus, one could argue that it wasn’t even the best individual season in the league this year, and his team completely crumbled down the stretch of the season. That’s an MVP? Okay…
April 22, 2008 at 10:07 PM
LeBron has dominated, along with CP3, in the Playoffs, but Kobe has led his team through the tough West without Bynum, and to some degree, Gasol. He’s the MVP, hands down.
April 22, 2008 at 10:10 PM
No way, CP3 has been a beast all season long, and while he’s only been an All-Star once, seems to be the real deal.
April 24, 2008 at 12:55 AM
Kobe’s 49 tonight will perhaps quiet those CP3 supporters. Then again, both players might be deserving. They should do a co-MVP like the NFL has done before.
March 31, 2009 at 3:28 PM
ok so i keep hearing about kobe lebron and cp3, why isnt wade in the mix, the stats he’s been putting up are mad crazy and god knows how many records he has already broken. yah sure kobe and lebron are amazing in their respective rights but the most valuable player of this year, not who it couldve been last year… should be wade. you take him out of the heat and what do they have… he already won a ring so he has that anyways he’s the league leader in scoring the number one blocking guard, assists like an animal not to mention that game against the knicks where he put up numbers not seen in 20 something years. plus i hear so much more about wade highlights then any other player out there right now. noone wouldve even thought in the beginning that the heat would’ve bounced back so much from last years horrific season this year, let alone be in the playoffs. just my opinion but i know many would disagree but if not wade definetly lebron he’s the next closest thing to oscar robertson and has proven it year after year.
March 31, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Why? Because D-Wade was injured all last year … that’s why. Take a look at the homepage of the blog for this year’s MVP race, where Flash is right up there with the rest of ‘em … right behind LeBron.
April 2, 2009 at 1:41 PM
yeah he’s right up there with him but we both know odds are lebron is gonna take it this year no doubt, my point is simply that the mvp shouldn’t be based on how well a guy performed last year or how well his team mates are, it should be based on his performance on the present year and what he is to the team. its not the 2007 2008 mvp its the 2008 2009 mvp. i just dont get why for example someone on a worst team cant win it simply because of what rank their team is.. that has nothing to do with what that particular player contributes to the team. for example i thought last year it shouldve been chris paul regardless of how new an all star he was, but kobe got it instead, this year it should be wade but lebron will most likely get it he deserves it though but… b-ball needs a revolution especially with the referee’s i still dont get why the all star mvp was split between kobe and shaq that was bogus, it shouldve simply been kobe even though shaq entertained.
April 3, 2009 at 12:44 AM
You sort of lost me … but I get your point. This post, however, was for last season’s MVP, not this season. That’s why D-Wade is not mentioned. But he will be when we talk about awards for this year in the coming weeks.
April 3, 2009 at 11:31 AM
yeah sorry about that, lol i didnt even notice this was for last years MVP i saw possible related articles under the mvp race and thought this had to do with it my bad on that part. well thoughts on last years award chris paul was robbed and this year i think wade will be too. but i should probably mention that in the upcoming talk =p.