Race To The MVP - 2010 Mid-SeasonFebruary 1, 2010 - The 2009-10 NBA season is halfway through, and it is a great time to evaluate the current status of this year's race for the MVP award! Despite a team record that leaves something to be desired,
LeBron James looks like the sure-fire favorite to take the award. However,
Kobe Bryant has been perennially impressive, while
Rajon Rondo has a combination of Jason Kidd-esque numbers and the league's best record on his side. This is what I believe the race to win the hardware looks like now:
1. LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers (30-18) | 30.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 7.1 APGThe defending MVP is putting up pretty much the same stats as last year, and his Cavaliers are not the best team in the NBA. However, his stats are the best in the league, and its not even close. Also, the Cavaliers failed to improve in the offseason, losing their best power forwards in
Joe Smith and
Anderson Varejao. Plus, his supporting cast is essentially
Mo Williams. The guy below him is very deserving in his own right, but seriously, barring a major injury, the MVP is LeBron's to lose.
2. Rajon Rondo | Boston Celtics (37-11) | | 15.3 PPG, 9.6 APG, 7.5 RPG, 2.3 SPGSorry KG, sorry Paul, Rajon Rondo is the best player on the NBA's best team. With numbers reminiscent of prime
Jason Kidd, Rondo has taken the reins of a team with three bonafide scoring threats, and led them to the top of the league. And to think, people saw Rondo as the team's biggest area for improvement just a couple years ago. With a ring, and now an all-star nod under his belt, Rondo looks to establish himself as a superstar. Right now, he is the best point guard in the NBA.
3. Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers (32-14) | 27.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.2 RPGKobe Bryant is having yet another great year, and the Lakers look poised to win another ring. At 31, Bryant's 27 PPG isn't going to get any higher, but his career high 6.3 assists per game has been very impressive. It shows too.
Andrew Bynum is improving, and
Pau Gasol fits in as well as ever. Bryant may not quite have LeBron's eye-popping numbers, but at the end of the day, its usually his team on top. How does he do it? By doing work.
4. Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic (30-17) | 22.9 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.2 BPGAnother phenomenal season for the hands-down best big man in the league. Howard responded to critics of his play in the 2009 Finals by refining his offensive game. He may never be the dominant beast Shaq was, but Howard's stats certainly jump out at you. Howard has a very strong team around him, but their style of play simply wouldn't work without Howard inside. While the Magic aren't doing quite as well as it seems they should be, Howard is having another monstrous season, and is a dark horse pick for MVP.
5. Brandon Roy | Portland Trailblazers (28-17) | 21.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 6.2 APGFor a team that made the questionable decision to revamp a young roster that nearly made the finals last year, they sure do look good. The reason: Brandon Roy. The franchise player and leader of the Blazers from day 1, Roy's abilities as both a scorer and facilitator put him among the league's elite. While the Blazers' system makes it hard to truly stand out statistically, Roy's averages are nothing to scoff at. Portland has had its ups-and-downs this year, but thanks to Roy's unrivaled ability to adapt to and accommodate the new additions, the Blazers remain in the Western Conference's top tier.
6. Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder (25-22) | 27.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APGIn just his third NBA season, Kevin Durant has already established himself among the NBA's elite. He is posting a league second-best 27.5 points per game and leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first postseason appearance. Sure, the Thunder have made some obvious strides in the offseason, but the fact remains that Durant has stepped it up this year.
Ben Gordon seems like an awful fit for the Thunder squad, and yet he has them working in harmony. Whether the young star can maintain this success remains to be seen.
7. Chris Paul | New Orleans Hornets (20-24) | 23.7 PPG, 10.1 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.2 SPGSure, the Hornets suck this year, but just look at that amazing stat line. The Hornets may be on their way to the lottery, but Chris Paul is playing his heart out. Leading the league in assists, while averaging a career high 23.7 PPG, CP3 is just crazy good. Unfortunately, the Hornets simply aren't functioning very well right now. His key back into the all-NBA first team, and our hearts, is to find a way to integrate
Emeka Okafor into the system and lead New Orleans to the playoffs.
8. Michael Redd | Milwaukee Bucks (21-24) | 27.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.3 APGFinally healthy, Michael Redd is having a surprise career season, and is leading the Bucks, perennially and expected to be terrible, to a halfway decent season, with playoffs a very legitimate possibility. Third in the league in scoring, Redd has taken his game to new heights, and may just be the hardest working player in the league right now. Many people had written Michael Redd off, and those same people are choking on their words. Redd is the feel-good story of the year. Only thing that could sweeten it is playoff basketball in Milwaukee.
9. Kevin Garnett | Boston Celtics (37-11) | 16.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.8 APGHe may no longer be the Celtics' best player, but he remains their vocal leader. Putting up his best raw stats as a Celtic, KG remains an excellent intangibles guy. Without him the Celtics would be a mere shell of what they are now. While they have had to go out without him several times last season, he was always there on the sidelines. Garnett is a true champion. The passion and intensity he brings to the Celtics is immeasurable.
10. Chris Bosh | Houston Rockets (28-18) | 22.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.5 APGThe Rockets aren't quite the dominant force many people had expected them to be, but Bosh has still put up great stats, and continues to establish himself as the league's premier power forward. Putting up with a mercurial point guard in
Aaron Brooks and bad shooting guard in
Wally Szczerbiak, Bosh has managed to harmoniously team up with Yao to form the league's best frontcourt. While CB4 has been putting up pretty much the same numbers for five straight seasons now and the Rockets aren't winning, his value is undeniable.
Outside Looking In:11. Dwyane Wade (MIA)
12. Joe Johnson (ATL)
13. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)
14. Tony Parker (SAS)
15. Chauncey Billups (DEN)
16. Tim Duncan (SAS)
17. Devin Harris (NJN)
18. Kevin Martin (SAC)
19. Anthony Randolph (GSW)
20. Ramon Sessions (LAC)