Posted by Luka on May-1-2008
Here are the reasons why (or why not) CP3 will win the MVP:
Why he’ll win it: CP3 has emerged as not only the best young point guard in the league, but the best point guard in general. He has given the Hornets the second best record in the incredibly tough Western Conference, something that would not have happened if Tyson Chandler or David West were recieving the ball only from Jannero Pargo. Speaking of Chandler and West, if we are trying to prove who’s most valuable, then nobody in the NBA would be more valuable to the players around him then Paul. Thinking about it, both Chandler and West’s numbers would be split in half and they would probably be on a lottery team without their young point guard.
Why he won’t: The real knock on Paul’s MVP bid is that his team did not emerge as the best in the West. Since the Lakers were the conference’s best team (in terms of record), nobody will really take CP3 seriously. They will say that if he was so valuable and more valuable than Kobe, then he could have won the West. But he didn’t.
Posted by Luka on May-1-2008
Here are the reasons why (or why not) KG will win the MVP:
Why he’ll win it: Kevin Garnett is responsible for the greatest turnaround in NBA history (42 games). The newly-crowned Defensive Player of the Year has transformed Boston into a feisty and aggressive defensive group, even convincing Paul Peirce and Ray Allen to step up their defenses. While his stats are not as impressive as the other candidates in the running, what Garnett did was win and if the award would go to the best player on the best team, as it did to Nowitzki last season, then there would be no contest for KG.
Why he won’t: As I mentioned above, KG’s stats were not that impressive compared to a Kobe or LeBron. You get the feeling that the voters don’t look at winning as much as what the player did in numbers to help his team. If this is the case, then Garnett is already out of the voting.
Posted by Luka on May-1-2008
Here are the reasons why (or why not) LeBron will win the MVP:
Why he’ll win it: While Kobe may be the most skiled player in the world, LBJ is by far the most physically dominant. In terms of superstars, LeBron has no help. In terms of stars, LeBron still has no help. He is the only player in the entire league who manages to will his team to victory whenever it matters without a star supporting player (LeBron has the most fourth quarter points in the NBA). The next Oscar Robertson has got his team as a serious title contender from the East, a direct opposite of what they would be without him (headed for the lottery).
Why he won’t: Although his team is one of the favorites to win the East in the Playoffs, the Cavs do not have a very strong record to show for it. All of the other candidates are on teams with more wins (and against tougher teams). If James is serious about winning the MVP, then this many losses in a much weaker Eastern Conference won’t help.