Crowning of the King

Although I try to be creative and different in my style of writing, when it comes to selecting the NBA’s MVP, once can only stray so far from the norm. Sure I could develop a case saying that Derrick Rose of even Jason Kidd are deserving of the award, but such arguments may strip me of the little credibility that I currently have. Therefore, my selections largely resemble those of the majority. However, while most are billing this as one of the largest MVP fields in recent memory, I see it as a one horse race. Sure, I have noticed what Dwight Howard has done for Orlando, and I love watching Chris Paul pick apart a defense with his pinpoint passing and precision, but this is simply not their year. Their time will come, most likely in the very near future, but this is the present. I have three finalists in mind, whom (if you have paid any attention to the NBA this year) you could easily guess.

The first is the League’s reining MVP, Kobe Bryant. When Kobe was awarded the MVP last year, it felt like one of those “well you’ve had a great career and there’s no clear cut MVP, so it will go to you” situations. Not to say that he did not deserve the award, because he surely did, especially after leading the Lakers back to the Finals for the first time in the post-Shaq era, but I did not feel that Kobe dominated the League as most MVP’s do, or even as Kobe has done in the past. A large reason for this was the improved team that was assembled around Kobe, allowing both his minutes and shots to decrease. Over the past couple seasons his supporting cast has developed into a spectacular one, headlined by Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and a young Andrew Bynum. This lineup makes the Lakers dangerous even without Kobe, therefore making it difficult to say that Kobe is the most important player in the league to his team. This was my argument against Kobe last year, and it carries over completely into this one as well. So, another stellar season from Kobe Bryant; good enough to propel the Lakers into the number one seed in the West, but not convincing enough to justify a second straight MVP trophy.

The next candidate is Dwayne Wade, who had his best year as a pro while carrying the Heat back into the playoffs after a dismal campaign last year. Wade played extraordinary ball all season, and the success he has been able to get out of a young, inexperienced team is impressive. He certainly has the numbers of an MVP, and if his 2003 draft mate wasn’t having a career year of his own, than Dwayne may be placing a new trophy next to his Finals MVP one from a couple years back. Unfortunately for Dwayne however, he is. Despite the drastic turnaround from last year and the impressive numbers put up by their leader, most still do not view the Heat as true contenders, therefore hurting Wade’s chances at the award.

This leaves one player for my selection of NBA MVP; Lebron James. I will skip the discussion of the ridiculous numbers that Lebron puts up, because it simply does not explain what Lebron means to the championship-favorite Cavaliers. His ability to dominate a game, the improvements he has made on the defensive end, and his ability to lead his team are all signs of an MVP, not to mention that it appears as though the Cavs have the most fun in the League behind Lebron’s oft-documented off-court antics. He led the Cavs to the League’s best record for the first time in team history, along with developing them into a bonafide title contender this season. It is difficult to do justice to what Lebron has done on the court this season, and the only proper way to recognize it, is to crown The King.