NBA MVP 09: Who’s Your Pick?
Saturday, March 14th, 2009
At the end of each NBA regular season, the league hands out several awards. The best head coach receives Coach of the Year, while the best substitute player wins Sixth Man of the Year. And of course, the best player in the league receives the Most Valuable Player, or MVP, award.
Perhaps the most prestigious award in all of sports, only a select few NBA legends have won MVPs throughout the history of the league. Unlike other sports, players do not often get awarded this accolade for one terrific season. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Tim Duncan are just a few of the names who have held this award.
With the current season about over, three candidates are vying for the 2008-09 regular season MVP award:
Dwayne Wade -
At first glance, Wade may seem like an odd choice for the top-three. Although his personal numbers are terrific, his team barely has a winning record and is stuck in the middle of the Eastern Conference. Look closely, however, and Wade’s impact becomes clearer.
The Miami Heat, national champions only a few years ago, have a very young roster. Two of their best players, Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, are rookies. Outside of them, the rest of the team is the same basic core that lost nearly seventy games last year. But with Wade healthy, the team has made a remarkable turnaround. Given how poorly they played without him last year, it is safe to credit most of Miami’s wins to Dwayne.
Odds of winning: 6-1. Although Wade arguably deserves to win, MVP voters normally do not seriously consider candidates who play on teams with average records.
Kobe Bryant -
Last season’s winner, Bryant has turned basketball into an art form over his thirteen years in the NBA. He is the single most feared player in the league, able to take over any game in an instant. And with an excellent supporting cast, Kobe has led his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to the best record in the West.
Bryant does everything a player needs to do to win games. He plays tough defense, rebounds and passes well for his position, and performs better during the final two minutes than any other player. And with his youth behind him, Kobe has finally become a true leader, inspiring his team to wins game after game.
Odds of winning: 2-1. Kobe is having a terrific season, but his supporting cast is the best of all three candidates. That may deter from his candidacy.
LeBron James -
LeBron has always been “The Chosen One” since he entered the league in 2003. With each passing year, he has improved his game on both ends of the court. And now, in his sixth season, James has finally become a serious MVP candidate.
The main difference between LeBron this year versus last year is his team’s performance. The Cleveland Cavaliers are on track to win well over sixty games and were the first team to clinch a playoff berth. And with James continuing to put up impressive numbers that no other current player could achieve, he seems a lock to win.
Odds of winning: 2-5. At this point, the award may as well already be engraved with LeBron’s name and number.
So there you have it, for now it seems like LeBron James is on a collision course with the NBA’s highest honor. But with a third of the season left, much can still happen.
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