2011 NBA MVP?

[rise]

There's a lot of talk flying around about Derrick Rose likely being MVP this year, so I thought that this would be a good time to start deciding on your top 10 (or 5) candidates for MVP.

Here are mine:


1. LeBron James - The Cleveland Cavaliers kind of suck without him. Also his averages of 26 / 7.5 / 7 are unparalleled right now.

2. Dirk Nowitzki - The Mavs were off to an amazing start, but turned into a total wreck when Dirk sprained his knee and missed games. Then he came back and they were magically awesome again. He's
also been ridiculously accurate with his shooting. (53 FG%, 43 3P%, 88.8 FT%)

3. Dwight Howard - If he keeps up the pace he's rebounding at right now, he could come close to catching up to Kevin Love's rebounding average this season. He has 23 ppg and 14.2 rpg and his defense is downright scary. He's looking more and more like prime Shaq, and he has never been injured enough to miss a game in his seven-year career.

4. Derrick Rose - Seems to be a frontrunner for MVP in most people's minds. His 24 points and 7.8 assists are pretty awesome and Chicago looks like the best team in the East. Still he's behind LeBron, Dwight, and Dirk in my mind.

5. Kobe Bryant - Because he's Kobe. Kobe could be FIFTY-three years old and will still jack up enough shots that somehow go in to be considered for MVP.

6. Kevin Durant - He's the league's best scorer (28ppg) and he's also a pretty good rebounder for a small forward (7.2rpg). He's not quite where I thought he's be this season, though. I thought he and Westbrook would be destroying the whole league with KD averaging 33 a game. Seriously.

7. Russell Westbrook - Remember Westbrook's crazy start to the season and how everyone was saying he was playing like an MVP? Well, he still is, sort of. He averages twice the steals Derrick Rose does, has an assist more per game, and has only two less points per game. He'd probably have more points per game if he wasn't playing alongside the reigning scoring champ, who will likely win again.

8. Amar'e Stoudemire - Another guy who we thought would be a top MVP candidate. With 26 points per game (2nd in the NBA), 8 rebounds, and TWO BLOCKS (7th in NBA), he's shown that he can play offense and defense, and rebound at the same time, something he couldn't really do before. He's also shot 47.6% from outside. Unfortunately, the Knicks have underachieved all season, even after Carmelo came to town.

9. Paul Pierce - I had to include someone from the Celtics, so I picked their best, most consistent player.

10. Tony Parker - See above.

[Cleveland wins]

I chose Derrick Rose, but its a toss up between him and Lebron James, but i think Rose is the better player this year because he has led his team to the top spot in the east. Rose is the best player in the team and possibly the league.

[|)e8*]

Dwight Howard

[Lamrock]

Derrick rose is obviously going to win it. He deserves consideration for most improved, but being a one-way player, him running the bulls' mediocre offensedoes not warrant an mvp.

My vote (if I had one) would go to dwight howard. His dominance on defense is a game changer and he has also become a very effecive player on offense as well. Orlando would be awful without him.

Same argument could be made for lebron as the cavs are atrocious. However, he does not seem to be a good fit with the underachieving heat yet. While he has a lot of win shares, it's hard to believe a team led by just bosh and wade with the space spent on role players wouldn't do as well. You could blame this on spoelstra, but give me dwight over lbj this year.

Honorable mention to dirk, cp3, gasol and my homer pick, lamarcus aldridge

[kibaxx7]

If the Bulls end up with the 1st seed in the East, then Derrick.

[dare]

If Dirk did not get injured and continue his good season he would get my vote, I'm not hating on Rose but an MVP who only knows one way to attack the defense is overrated. If he gets his jumpshots improved then there is no doubt he would belong to that category.

[Andrew]

I'm not hating on Rose but an MVP who only knows one way to attack the defense is overrated. If he gets his jumpshots improved then there is no doubt he would belong to that category.

Actually, his jumpshot has already shown a lot of improvement this season, particularly from three point range. That's not to say it can't continue to improve, but he's far from being a player "who only knows one way to attack the defense".

Even putting my bias aside, I'd take Rose at this point. Even with Boozer and Noah missing a significant amount of games this season, the Bulls continue to win and Rose has been the constant. He's been the one taking most of the big shots, making things happen in the fourth quarter and putting up big numbers.

[Alpha_]

No doubt, this season's MVP is Derrick Rose. Still hoping that LeBron James will some how win the MVP award (I believe in miracles lol).

[shadowgrin]

Rose will not win it. One reason is that the voters might think it's still too early or he's too young to win the MVP now, like the same way Chris Paul didn't win it some seasons back.

[koberulz]

Rose will not win it. One reason is that the voters might think it's still too early or he's too young to win the MVP now, like the same way Chris Paul didn't win it some seasons back.

Paul wasn't helped by the fact that it was Kobe's turn.

It's gotta be Kevin Love.

[shadowgrin]

That too.

[NovU]

Rio Chalmers end of discussion.

[benji]

Rose will not win it. One reason is that the voters might think it's still too early or he's too young to win the MVP now, like the same way Chris Paul didn't win it some seasons back.

No, no, Rose WILL win it because it's the only way the writers can explain the Bulls. They only know the Bulls have two players, Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer. And Boozer is an injured loser while Rose is a winner who was the number one pick and a star from day one when they all rightly voted him ROY.

What's the point of even having this debate, the writers have decided, the fanatics will of course back Rose. I can't get behind the LeBron stuff though. LeBron's easily the greatest player in the game today but I look at MVP in a specific way personally. It's the best player with a gap between him and his second best teammate. Dwight's basically the MVP by this criteria probably. Shaq was only given one MVP, Nash was given two, Kidd nearly got one. Who gives a shit.

I still say go back to the players voting for MVP.

The OP is great. Tony Parker? Westbrook AND Durant? Plus the hyping of Amare when this is one of the worst rebounding seasons of his career and he's proven before he's a competent shot blocker?

[J@3]

I could get behind Dwight. Not going to be happy about Rose winning it though.

[Murat]

I voted for LeBron but if Chicago finishes the season with leading East, then Rose will win it of course. Note: Hornets was not leading the West.

[shadowgrin]

So the MVP award should only be given to players whose team led the conference? Then LeBron should not win it if that's the case.

[x-uNdErRaTeD-z]

Kobe
....jk I would go with Dwight/ Rose.

[rise]

It's gotta be Kevin Love.

Has anybody realized that the Wolves still suck with his strong scoring and rebounding?



...About his strong scoring and rebounding, try getting Kevin Love to play like that for another team. Right now he's battling for boards with Darko Milicic, a.k.a. nobody else. There is seriously no one else on his team to take those rebounds and score those points. Put him on a borderline playoff team like Portland, Phoenix, or Houston and he'll average no better than 18 points and 12 boards a night. Quote me whenever he gets traded, signed to a different team, or the Wolves decide to stop sucking.

[shadowgrin]

Do you realize that it takes more than one player to prevent a team from sucking? It's not like his name is LeBron James.

[benji]

he'll average no better than 18 points and 12 boards a night.

So he'll still be an exceptional player who we've never seen anything like before?

I'd be interested in seeing your list of past 22 year old superstars who played worse when they went to or were part of better teams.

[rise]

Do you realize that it takes more than one player to prevent a team from sucking? It's not like his name is LeBron James.

Exactly why LeBron James will be MVP and Love has no chance.

[koberulz]

It's gotta be Kevin Love.

Has anybody realized that the Wolves still suck with his strong scoring and rebounding?

So?

If we assume the MVP award is meant to go to the most valuable player, rather than the best player, or the best player on a playoff team, or the best player on a conference champion, or the best player on the league's best team, or the player whose turn it is, or the player who would make the best news story, or the player who got robbed last year for one of the prior two reasons, or any other moronic distinction, Kevin Love is the only possible choice.

[benji]

This is probably better, despite its major flaws, than any MVP article you'll read on ESPN: http://www.negativedunkalectics.com/201 ... r-mvp.html

[benji]

I think there's also another point to the Kevin Love debate. Can you imagine how bad that team would be WITHOUT him?

EDIT: Whoops, posted a reply instead of edited.

Dale with it.

[rise]

They're still not as bad as LeBron-less Cleveland. At least Minny's got a few decent players in Wesley Johnson, Martell Webster, and Michael Beasley. Luke Ridnour isn't bad either. Most of Cleveland's starters wouldn't even crack the rotation of most playoff teams. See: Alonzo Gee, Sarmado Sameuls.

Cleveland with LeBron had 60+ wins per season, this season without him, they have about 15.