James the early MVP frontrunner
With approximately 30 games played the early frontrunner for the MVP award clearly is Cleveland’s LeBron James. This is no shocking statement.
It doesn’t mean that the award should be suddenly shipped to Cleveland, because there is too much time left, but James has zoomed into the favorite’s role for a number of reasons.
In James’ case, the numbers don’t lie. He is playing like an MVP for a team that began the week having won 26 of its first 30 games. James was averaging 27.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.4 steals, 2.0 steals and 1.13 blocked shots while shooting 50.9 percent from the field.
With James, the numbers don’t begin to tell the entire story of his dominance. He has shown the ability to make his teammates better while accumulating those eye-popping statistics.
James of course can’t afford to relax because of the competition he will face in maintaining his frontrunner status.
Oddly, Kobe Bryant isn’t getting anywhere near the mention that he did last season when he won his first-ever MVP award.
James actually may benefit from not having won it in the past. For some reason that seems to be a big deal to voters, but it shouldn’t factor in the equation.
And what might have helped Bryant last year, is possibly hurting him this season. Make no mistake about it, last year wasn’t a lifetime achievement award for Bryant. He clearly deserved the award. This year he should also earn serious consideration.
Bryant was averaging more than 26 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for a Lakers team that won 25 of its first 30 games.
The difference this year is that Bryant is playing with a better supporting cast for the entire season. His scoring is down two points a game from his average last year, but Bryant doesn’t need to provide as much offense, especially with Pau Gasol on board the entire season.
Any team that has Lamar Odom coming off the bench, has the type of depth that James certainly doesn’t enjoy in Cleveland.
Usually teams that are battling for the best record in the conference boost most of the major MVP candidates, but how can anybody dismiss Miami’s Dwyane Wade?
He was leading the NBA in scoring, averaging nearly 29 points. Wade was also averaging nearly seven assists, while already helping the Heat surpass last season’s meager victory total of 15.
After missing 31 games in each of the previous two seasons, Wade showed he was back during an outstanding performance in the Olympics, leading the gold-medal U.S. team in scoring (16 ppg.).
Wade has taken his game to a new level during the NBA season.
And that brings us to some other players who are enjoying truly outstanding seasons, but are overshadowed statistically by the dominance of James and to a lesser extent Bryant and Wade.
Few players have made a greater impact than Denver’s Chauncey Billups since his trade from Detroit.
The Nuggets improved to 19-8 since acquiring Billups after a 117-110 win at New York on Dec. 28.
With Denver, Billups was averaging more than 18 points and nearly seven assists per game. He has brought stability and direction to the Nuggets and has been a major upgrade over Allen Iverson, who was traded for Billups to Detroit.
One player who is receiving almost no mention for the MVP award is Boston’s Kevin Garnett, simply because he doesn’t have glowing statistics, except in one category – wins.
The Celtics won 28 of their first 32 games and what Garnett brings to the defensive end is as important as his offensive contributions.
Unselfish to a fault, he has averaged 16.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocked shots and was shooting 53.9 percent from the field.
He is the reigning defensive player of the year and could win the award again this season. Because Garnett isn’t averaging 25 points per game, his contributions tend to be overlooked, except by those who know that he’s the most important player on the defending NBA champions.
Last season Chris Paul finished second to Bryant in the MVP race and the New Orleans Hornets point guard is again a viable candidate.
Paul was averaging more than 20 points and 11 assists along with three steals per game for a Hornets team that began the week with the second best winning percentage in the Western Conference.
Two other candidates, both from the Eastern Conference are Orlando center Dwight Howard and Atlanta guard Joe Johnson, one of the most underrated great players in the NBA.
Howard is leading the NBA in rebounding and blocked shots and more importantly, the Magic had won 24 of their first 30 games.
Johnson was averaging more than 23 points and five assists for an Atlanta team that was nine games over .500. He is also averaging 40 minutes per game and has yet to show any sign of fatigue.
The competition is so stiff, that we haven’t even mentioned two-time MVPs Tim Duncan of San Antonio and Phoenix’s Steve Nash or 2006-2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas. It also leaves out players such as Houston’s Yao Ming and Toronto’s Chris Bosh, who were both averaging more than 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game.
There is no shortage of worthy candidates, but right now, none is more deserving than James.
pickett smith Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 3:28 pm
Wade should get the MVP. Not only are his numbers better than James, but if you watch the two of them play, it is clear that Wade can completely dominate the game in ways James cannot.
Brian Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
I watch every Cavs game and LeBron is now doing his damage in the clutch both offensively and defensively. He should be considered a first NBA all defense on top of his MVP.
Zonominal Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 4:02 pm
James in doing his thing and is worth of the MVP up to this point, his numbers are amazing considering he sits half of the 4th quater in most of his games. Kobe is my favoriate player in the world, and he still is the best, but considering all the help he has, he is not the most valuable. If you take LeBron away from the Cavs, they would probably be a .500 team. If you take Kobe away from the Lakers, they would still be able to compete in the NBA, they wouldn’t be on a championship level, but they would still make the playoffs in the west!!! JAMES FOR MVP!!! He is a beast!!! The present and the future!!!
ray Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 4:08 pm
Lebron is the frontrunner, but it’s way too early. Might be interesting to check in in about a month, after the CAVS have had to play the Celts at home and the Lakers for the first time. Maybe by the All-Star game we’ll have a better read.
LBJ23 NBA 2009 MVP LeBron 4 MVP Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
Wally Szerbiak is faking his injury so he can stay on the cavs ? He wants to avoid that trade.. now he is faking an injury, in LeBron News….
Bron Bron, The L Train Bron sounds like the MVP TO ME!
LeBron James is 2008 - 2009 NBA MVP!
anthony Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Kobe is the most complete player in the game right now.
Michael Bennett Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
I dislike being negative, but this article might be the most obvious, redundant statement of the year. LeBron MVP so far? Ya think? Duh.
Come on. Let’s have an interesting discussion. Let’s not waste our time on an article that’s so ridiculously obvious that the readers all roll their eyes.
What are the next articles going to be?
THE BOSTON CELTICS ARE A REALLY GOOD TEAM
or
KOBE BRYANT IS A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER
or
RON ARTEST IS GOOD AT DEFENSE
Narducci - It’s articles like this that make a website lose credibility. Way to go!
Gerard Jones Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
To this point I would say there are 3 deserving candidates for league MVP — 1) Lebron James 2) Dwight Howard 3) Tim Duncan
However my vote for current MVP goes to Tim Duncan. Though Lebron and Dwight have their teams headed for 65 plus wins, the overall talent that has surrounded them has improved. In Lebron’s case, statistically, he is not performing as amazing as he did last year — while Dwight Howard has improved from last seasons stats. Both teams have a combined 11 losses which is what the Spurs total loss column is. The difference is that Duncan’s cast has not improved, in fact the talent level surrounding him is the same (if not worse) then year’s past. Couple this with the fact that the spurs were devastated with injuries (no parker or ginobili) leading to their worst start in franchise history in the Western Conference. Nevertheless — led by Duncan, the Spurs now sit 2nd in the Western Conference which is nothing short of amazing considering their start (most coaches would be fired, and players would be treated). Duncan is statistically averaging a double double (20 points, 10reb, 3a, 1.7bpg) — MVP in the truest sense and perhaps the best big man to ever play the game.
Pablo Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 6:40 pm
That’s a lot of steals through 30 games for that lebron dude
ales Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 8:27 pm
He is a machine. James will get a title with a contender eventually.
But Kobe is a lot better then James hypothetically. Kobe already has achieved 3 titles , 81 points in one game , slam dunk champion and many all star appearances. But Kobe’s peaked at the ceiling. Now its James turn to surpass him or over take him. I personally think James need company to be taken to the next level. I predict James defecating either to the Knicks or Jersey.
Vote4me Said,
December 30, 2008 @ 9:17 pm
Lebron all the way baby
Michael Bennett Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 1:18 am
I’m now officially dumber for reading this article and subsequent responses.
jie Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 2:53 am
RNK M(Plyd/Wins) x V(Eff) =PLAYER
01 26 29.8 774.8 LeBron James , CLE
02 27 22.3 602.1 Kevin Garnett , BOS
03 25 23.6 590.0 Kobe Bryant , LAL
04 22 26.3 578.6 Dwight Howard , ORL
05 19 29.4 558.6 Chris Paul , NOH
06 20 24.8 496.0 Tim Duncan , SAS
07 20 23.8 476.0 Yao Ming , HOU
08 17 27.6 469.2 Dwyane Wade , MIA
09 18 25.4 457.2 Dirk Nowitzki , DAL
NO GAME, LOST GAME -> NO POINT
NO SHOWTIME, NO HISTORY, NO FAVORITISM, NO GUESSING
JUST NUMBERS & WINS
MY TOP PLAYERS LAST YEAR WERE KB24 & CP3
ray Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 9:19 am
MB,
On behalf of Narducci and the other posters, please accept my apology for our substandard observations. Here’s hoping the New Year brings you to a website worthy of your superior intellect.
Don Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 10:22 am
Billups is a better fit than AI but by no means is he or ever will be a major upgrade!!!!!
Michael Bennett Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 11:48 am
ray - Now THAT was a somewhat interesting post. Way to go! You’re graduating from -boring- to -kinda dumb-. Yay!
Scuz Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
Kobe 4 MVP this year, hes responded this year, and is performing better this year, by making his team better all around. Sure Lebron has done the same thing, its just not his year. Lebron needs better numbers at the 3 and the free throw line, shooting under 30% from the 3 and not being able to hit a free throw is not going to get him anywhere, hes needs to improve badly.
Kobe is more clutch, anyone whos anyone will take him over Lebron if they want to win the title.
Kobe’s overall game is MVP.
Im done ranting, give him a few more seasons and Lebron will win MVP just not this year.
frank B Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
Lebron is a beast. His experience on the Olympic team really helped him and he really helped the Olympic team to bring home the gold. It was vindication for him since Larry Brown in the previous Olympics thought Lamar Odom deserved to start and play at crunch time while Lebron and DWade rode the pine.
It is a little early to give King James the award however. Last year, the head to head matchups between New Orleans and the Lakers in my opinion swung the vote away from Chris Paul to Kobe. This may or may not have been fair, there is no way New Orleans had the team that the Lakers had last year. When you saw both players on the court on opposite sides and Chris Paul was barely outplaying Derek Fisher, Kobe was doing whatever he wanted to against anyone they threw at him, and the Lakers dominated the head to head matchup overall, the choice became obvious.
That being said, Dwayne Wade’s team beat Lebron’s team last night. Lebron had the better statistics however. That is what makes these kinds of awards somewhat interesting because they are so subjective. Bloggers always make it sound like Lebron is out there playing by himself, but to my eyes the Cavaliers don’t have a bad squad at all.
Miami has an OK lineup, but does anyone think that Miami has a better team exclusive of Dwayne Wade than Cleveland has exclusive of Lebron? In my opinion, Cleveland has more depth, experience, size, shooters, rebounders, and playmakers than Miami so from this one game shouldn’t we all think that Dwayne should be the MVP?
Well, interesting logic, but the reality is there is a lot of basketball to be played until we hand out the awards.
wallysworld Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
Right now the mvp has to be between wade and kobe. not a shot at bron,but mo williams is the main reason the have taken off. he does so much that does not show up,that it isn’t fair. wade has been the best overall player in the league so far,but kobe has taken a backseat,gotten gasol,and bynum alot of touches,and is still able to put up 26/5/4 while playing less minutes,and i’m not even a kobe fan.
Thomas Pynchon Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
Lebron James is garbage if officiated properly. Just like in the Olympics. He can’t shoot or guard anyone.
How do you expect to stop him if they call a foul if you so much as breathe on him and they will always call you for a blocking foul?
Everyone knows he can’t shoot.
Ez Ur Mind Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 7:43 pm
Wade 28.7 ppg, 7.0 apg, 5.1 rbg, 2.2 spg, 1.53 bpg
Lebron 27.8 ppg, 6.4 apg, .6.6 rbg, 1.94 spg, 1.16 bbg
Kobe 26.3 ppg, 4.2 apg, 5.4 rbg, 1.47 spg, 0.37 bpg
As of December 31, 2008, Wade has a better points per game, assist per game, steals per game, and blocks per game average than both Lebron and Kobe. The MVP award should be giving to the player that does more for their team and by this stats it shows that D. Wade does much more for his team. With this said I still think its to early to be talking MVP
charles Said,
December 31, 2008 @ 11:52 pm
1st off cant nobody stop them.he is basically can take over a game like MJ.HE plays d on the other team best player.and his vision out of double teams is ridiculous.Go CAVS in 09′
Zeke Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 12:06 am
Tell ‘em, frank.
Winkstrap Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 5:56 am
MVP CONTENDERS IN ORDER :
1. l.james
2. c.paul
3. d.wade
4. k.garnett
5. d.howard
6. k.bryant
forget the rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michael Casas Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 7:21 am
Saw the last cav vs heat game?
King James all the way!
The Buzz » Blog Archive » Hoopshype.Com Nba Blogs - Marc Narducci » James the Early Mvp … Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 9:44 am
[...] … Chris Paul · Dwyane Wade · Elton Brand · George Hill · Gregg Popovich · Kevin Garnett · Kobe Bryant · LeBron James · Manu Ginobili · Maurice Cheeks · Philadelphia 76ers · Roger Mason · San Antonio Spurs · Tim Duncan · Tony Parker …[Continue Reading] [...]
ray Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 11:27 am
If it is strictly about a measure of personal stats, then LeBron should have won it last year. But the big number that perhaps isn’t being mentioned here is team wins. It’s what penalized LeBron last year, and elevated Kobe, CP3 and KG last year. And this year, adding wins to the stat equation, LeBron gets the nod, certainly over D-Wade, who in his own right is having a monster year.
Speaking of personal stats, LeBron’s numbers are down by about 10% relative to last year, the equivalent number by which his minutes are down (36 or so to 40), which stat is itself a function of the Cavs’ league-leading point differential, resulting in their sterling win-loss record. Add back 10% to his numbers, and your right back at last year’s 30-7-7.
Hollingers PER measurement on the espn.com site demonstrates LeBron’s dominance as being even more efficient than a year ago, when he also led the league.
G Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
Can’t consider Wade for MVP for the same reason that Kobe wasn’t MVP in 2005-2006 season. At best it looks as though Wade’s team may be a 42 or 43 win team which is not as good as Kobe’s team that season and the knock on Kobe was that his team wasn’t a 50 win team even though it was in the same division as league leading Phoenix.
I think the Lakers will win the title this year but as of right now Lebron, Kobe, Garnett are MVP frontrunners this season with Dwight a far 4th.
raja da LAKER 4 LIFE Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
HONESTLEY:
I LOVE THE LAKERS TO DEATH ND Kobe i think he should win it again coz LAKERS wont b doing this good without him– but
LeBron is going to win it (coz he playin in east)…no dought…BUT……
D-Wade is most deserving.. look at the team he has… he dont even have a center…the statring center is 6-9 and who is a 2nd year-non-drafted player ??? wade is doing so much for his team… he is leading league in points (29ppg) top 10 in league nd team-leading in assists (7apg) 2nd in team in BLOCKS PER GAME–(1.3bpg) nd team leading in steals (2.7), shooting over 48% from the field… clutcher player compared to LeBron…
WITHOUT D-WADE..THIS TEAM WOULD HAVE ONLY WON-IF LUCKY- 5 OUT OF THE 33 GAMES THEY HAVE PLAYED…
MY TOP 5 DESERVING MVP (so far):
1. DWYANE WADE (MIA)
2. DEWIGHT HOWARD (ORL)
3. JOE JOHNSON (ATL)
4. LeBRON JAMES (CLE)
5. KOBE BRYANT (LAKERS)
u must b crazy not to agree w/ the deserving list…
socalife Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
The way they’ve been giving out the MVP awards, Dwayne Wade should not even be in the conversation.
As of right now, at best, the Heat will be a sub-.600 team to end the season, which will not mean a 50-game win season. Secondly, has Wade made his teammates better? That all really depends on if they get to 50 wins or not.
I wouldn’t consider KG a legitimate candidate since he plays on a team with 2 all-stars(former) and without his presence, the Celtics would still win a bunch of games. Does KG put them over the top? Yes he does, but does it mean that they will crumble without him? No.
Kobe and Lebron are in a bit of a quandry right now. The talent of their teams have both gotten much better. Lebron got Mo Williams this year, which has really boosted the Cavs play IMO, without Mo, I don’t think the Cavs would be this hot right now. Lebron isn’t making Mo better, since Mo has been a pretty good player all along. Kobe’s team hasn’t changed much, but with the cast from last year, they’ve improved together albeit still a work in progress. A lot of people put a lot into LO coming off the bench, but seriously, talent-wise you have Luke Walton and/or Vladimir Radmanovic starting in his stead. Those guys are role players and serve their purpose, but in no way, shape or form have they “beaten” LO out of a starter’s spot. This argument works for the Spurs as well with Manu coming off the bench.
I don’t see a clear cut candidate for MVP this year. All of these guys have helped their teams and the only way to really give a fair assessment in the MVP is to hand it out to whomever candidate’s team has the most wins at the end of the year. This should mean that the candidate had good numbers himself, elevated the team’s play and took that team to the next step. You can’t argue that, can you?
pickett smith Said,
January 1, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
Wade is responsible for more Offensive output than Lebron and Kobe, this is an irrefutable fact if you look at ppg and apg.
Wade is also ressponsible for more defense, when looking at steals, blocks, and just flat out shutting people down. (Whoever said James should be 1st team defense is INSANE! Over Duncan and Garnett?)
Wade should get the mvp. It isn’t similar to Kobe’s 05-06 season because Wade’s team is far worse.
Better Version Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 2:13 am
Lebron is due - he’s been an MVP candidate since his rookie year This year, he is dominating plus his team is more successful than ever, looking like a true contender. I’m not even a Cavs fan, but I think he will take them all the way, if their 8-man rotation stays healthy and maybe they make a minor deal. Their thin frontcourt is worrisome and I could see Joe Smith resigning if OKC buys him out. Don’t forget they also Wallys contract as a trade chip to improve their overall talent with a multi-positioneal quasi-star like Shawn Marion, Corey Mags, and Gerald Wallace.
Ackilez Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 2:36 am
Consider all the aspects involved I guess. Not just ppg, apg, rpg…
Consider FG%, minutes played,TOs, efficiency, supporting casts, the all around play and the likes. And the MVP should come from a winning team. So I think, if the MVP should be awarded right now, no questions ask, should be given to Lebron James. But the season is still far far away from over, still a lot of things to happen. So let’s just wait and see.
Winkstrap Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 5:38 am
people saying wade over lebron for mvp are idiots!!!
wade is having an awesome year yet he still has deficiencies like 75% from the charity stripe and 24% from downtown - lebron is beating him in both categories and thats where people criticise lebrons game
dont forget wade is also a turnover king : 3.77 turnovers per game is just to much as his career turnover rate of 3.88
craig Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 8:35 am
Kobe is not as close to becoming again mvp Lebron has shown he can be mvp with KG Ray Allen or Paul Peirce has brought their game to a new level
jie Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 10:01 am
This is the Race to MVP.
Just add their performance everyday.
Most(Played/Wins) x Value(Pts + Reb + Ass + Blk + Stl - TO - Missed FT -Missed FG) = Player
B4 RNK M(Plyd/Wins) V(Eff) = PLAYER
01 01 26 x 29.7 = 772.2 LeBron James
04 02 23 x 26.4 = 607.2 Dwight Howard
02 03 27 x 22.2 = 599.4 Kevin Garnett
03 04 25 x 23.6 = 590.0 Kobe Bryant
06 05 19 x 29.5 = 560.5 Chris Paul
05 06 24 x 23.3 = 559.2 Pau Gasol
07 07 28 x 18.5 = 518.0 Rajon Rondo
09 08 28 x 17.6 = 492.8 Paul Pierce
10 09 21 x 23.4 = 491.4 Yao Ming
08 10 20 x 24.5 = 490.0 Tim Duncan
11 11 28 x 16.8 = 470.4 Ray Allen
12 12 25 x 18.8 = 470.0 Rashard Lewis
13 13 17 x 27.3 = 464.1 Dwyane Wade
15 14 18 x 25.5 = 459.0 Dirk Nowitzki
16 15 21 x 21.6 = 453.6 Joe Johnson
14 16 25 x 17.6 = 440.0 Andrew Bynum
21 17 22 x 19.1 = 420.2 Chauncy Billups
NO GAME, LOST GAME -> NO POINT
NO SHOWTIME, NO HISTORY, NO FAVORITISM, NO GUESSING
JUST Most (W) x Value (Eff) = Player
MY TOP PLAYERS LAST YEAR WERE KB24 & CP3
My TOP 10 BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD (NOT MVP)
1. Chris Paul
2. Dwyane Wade
3. LeBron James
4. Dirk Nowitzki
5. Tim Duncan
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Dwight Howard
8. Amare Stoudamire
9. Yao Ming
10. Kevin Garnett
pickett smith Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 1:12 pm
Wade should get it over Lebron, but Garnett should get it over both of them. His leadership and defensive intensity outweigh the numbers that Wade and Lebron are putting up.
And Wade’s excess of turnovers is because he has the ball in his hands, FAR MORE THAN LEBRON OR KOBE ever do. And that is a fact.
Esco Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
I think kobe should get this year mvp
When I see L.A playing I see a LEADER on the court when KB24 is playing, ok aybe he’s not scoring as good as other seasons but he mkeas L.A be the best of west.
LB23 is obviously a beast and a great player but i think he overwhels cav’s game too much that’s why he’s this great numbers
Jeff Wilson Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
We should just give it to Yi Jianlin. He’s getting everything thrown his way anyways.
JEREMIAH Said,
January 3, 2009 @ 12:29 am
KOBE IS THE BEST PLAYER AND MOST COMPLETE PLAYER IN THE NBA. HE ALSO PLAYS BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL. D WADE’S NUMBERS ARE BETTER THAN LEBRONS, AND HE DOMINATES CLUTCH SITUATIONS WITH MORE POISE THAN LEBRON. KOBE IS STILL THE LEAGUE’S MVP WITH HIS WINNING RECORD AND HIS MATURITY AS A LEADER. HE DRIVES THE REST OF THE NBA TO GET TO HIS LEVEL.
jie Said,
January 3, 2009 @ 2:15 am
Wade should be the MVP, right pickett smith?
Wade is the happiest player in the NBA right now.
Look at this stats:
14 Losses
23.9% 3P
75.5% FT
3.8 TOs
5.1 Rebs
Terry Said,
January 3, 2009 @ 4:34 pm
u dwade, kobe, and celtics fans are all rediculous….dont forget that the cavs are winning their games by an average of 13pts a game, and had a streak of 12 games where they won by an average of over 21 pts….the only reason lebrons stats are slightly lower than last year is because he hasnt even played in the 4th quarter of 12 different blowouts, in which he averaged a league high 10 pts in the quarter last year
DANNY Said,
January 4, 2009 @ 2:01 am
lebron’s a beast…kobes the best overall player….but maaaan is waaade county sick!!! DDD WAAAAANEEEEE WAAAAAAADEEEEE! =)
Bongski Said,
January 5, 2009 @ 2:16 am
I believe Wade is the REAL MVP as of now. From 15 wins last season, he has already led his team to 18 wins before the All-Star break. Likewise, his scoring average is superb.
But I know that the NBA will give the MVP trophy to LBJ because they need to hype him up more. The NBA is definitely in need of another MJ (or Bird and Magic, for that matter) who could transcend all kinds of people and one whose game is better than his hype.
Can’t blame the NBA manipulators though…
GoKnicks Said,
January 6, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Stephon Marbury is the MVP. He’s making $20 mil & hasn’t had to play this year. Knick team morale is 200% higher than last year… All these other “candidates” had to sweat & travel. Starbury can stay home or go where ever he wants, except to Knicks games. Now that’s a MVP candidate!
Omar Aberilla Said,
January 7, 2009 @ 4:13 am
Hey Michael Bennett I’m saying LeBron does not deserve the MVP if Kobe’s not getting enough recognition because of the current formidable makeup of his team. Both teams, Cleveland and LA, have depth in guards and bigs. Kobe deserves it as much if not probably more than LeBron because the Lakers have been more dominating in their wins than the Cavs. But personally, no one is as valuable to his team than Dwyane Wade. The Heat may not yet be in the upper echelon of the East, but they’re making some noise because of Wade. He’s outplaying and outhustling LeBron and Kobe in my opinion. LeBron and Kobe seem content on turning the switch on and off while the Flash has it at top gear every night. Wade is the MVP of the US Men’s Basketball Team and in the early going of the current NBA season.
Terence Said,
January 9, 2009 @ 11:03 am
I agree, in my mind there is no question that LeBron is the MVP this year. However, there are some even bigger isues facing Misure` James and that is — he still needs one more guy to have a legitimate chance to win a championship. I’m still hoping Cleveland can trade for Corey Maggette or Richard Jefferson. Please Please start this rumor and let get LeBron a little more help…it will be good of all of us NBA heads
Bencamerondavis Said,
January 14, 2009 @ 11:11 am
Will everyone please stop saying that LeBron is the best overall player… Clearly Dwade avg. More Pts., Assists, Stls, and way more blocks than Lebron.
What ever Wade does to improve his game, they make it like Lebron is doing the same…. LeBron breaks the Cavs record for steals! So what?? Wade has more steals than LeBron!! LeBron is a Monster on Defense!!! He is blocking shots by guards off of the Bench!!! He is the best in the open court! Is he?!??! he is so much faster and stronger than anyone!?!? If he is so good defensively, then why is he the same size as Karl Malone and he can’t guard KG??
Wade is like 6′4 on a great day. He is blocking bigs in game time situations. He is third in steals. Wade has dunked on just about every big throughout his career. Wade is hitting the 3 pt. shot. Wade is guarding Kobe when he plays Kobe, and he played some defense on LeBron.
Wade is carrying a terrible team. How and the hell did they split wins with the top two teams in the league…. LeBron is not making his teammates better… Management is getting good players. Wade has made Dequan cook, Chris Quinn, UD, and Mario Chalmers all threats.. But his teammates need to work on Consistency.
LeBron and Kobe fans are biased as to who the best player in the league is today… that’s why when they make arguments for who should be MVP, They only mention their favorite players LeBron and Kobe because it is easy to argue each of their cases against eachother, but there isn’t much of an argument with Wade. He is just Better than both of those guys right now.
jie Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 1:47 am
This is the Race to MVP.
Most(Played/Wins) x Value(Pts + Reb + As + Blk + Stl - TO - Missed FT -Missed FG) = Player
B4 : RNK : M(Plyd/Wins) x V(Eff) = PLAYER
01 : 01 : 30 W x 30.3 = 909.0 LeBron James , CLE
02 : 02 : 29 W x 27.2 = 788.8 Dwight Howard , ORL
03 : 03 : 31 W x 24.3 = 753.3 Kobe Bryant , LAL
04 : 04 : 30 W x 23.7 = 711.0 Pau Gasol , LAL
05 : 05 : 23 W x 29.3 = 673.9 Chris Paul , NOH
06 : 06 : 31 W x 21.5 = 666.5 Kevin Garnett , BOS
07 : 07 : 25 W x 24.5 = 612.5 Tim Duncan , SAS
08 : 08 : 32 W x 18.7 = 598.4 Paul Pierce , BOS
12 : 09 : 21 W x 27.6 = 579.6 Dwyane Wade , MIA
09 : 10 : 31 W x 18.6 = 576.6 Rashard Lewis , ORL
13 : 11 : 32 W x 17.7 = 566.4 Rajon Rondo , BOS
10 : 12 : 21 W x 25.4 = 533.4 Dirk Nowitzki , DAL
17 : 13 : 32 W x 16.6 = 531.2 Ray Allen , BOS
20 : 14 : 22 W x 24.1 = 530.2 Amare Stoudamire , PHX
11 : 15 : 23 W x 23.0 = 529.0 Yao Ming , HOU
14 : 16 : 26 W x 20.3 = 527.8 Nene Hilario , DEN
16 : 17 : 31 W x 17.0 = 527.0 Andrew Bynum , LAL
15 : 18 : 27 W x 19.5 = 526.5 Chauncy Billups , DEN
19 : 19 : 31 W x 16.4 = 508.4 Hedo Turkoglu , ORL
21 : 20 : 27 W x 18.2 = 491.4 Jameer Nelson , ORL
22 : 21 : 23 W x 20.2 = 464.6 David West , NOH
18 : 22 : 23 W x 20.1 = 462.3 Joe Johnson , ATL
26 : 23 : 21 W x 21.7 = 455.7 Brandon Roy , POR
23 : 24 : 30 W x 14.7 = 441.0 Mo Williams , CLE
39 : 25 : 20 W x 21.1 = 422.0 Shaquille O’Neal , PHX
NO GAME, LOST GAME -> NO POINT
NO SHOWTIME, NO HISTORY, NO FAVORITISM, NO GUESSING, NO STORIES
JUST WINS X NUMBERS
My TOP Players last year from that computation were KB24 & CP3
My TOP 10 BEST INDIVIDUAL PLAYER (BUT NOT MVP)
1. Chris Paul
2. Dwyane Wade
3. LeBron James
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Tim Duncan
6. Dirk Nowitzki
7. Dwight Howard
8. Amare Stoudamire
9. Kevin Garnett
10. Chris Bosh