LeBron James is, by most people's account, the most hyped up player in the NBA. I am sure most of you remember the day James decided to pack up shop and move his talents to South Beach. Well, maybe not most of you, but it's pretty safe to say the majority of Cleveland remembers.
At 27 years old, James already has two MVPs and dominated three of four quarters in the majority of the games he has played. The question is, does "King James" really deserve a third MVP award? Let's look at the stats. At the break, James is averaging 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.7 steals a game. I know what you're thinking. That alone should be enough to secure the MVP, right? Those are some solid numbers and his team is leading the East with a 27-7 record and an eight-game win streak. What we fail to see is that "LeBronze" plays on a team with two other top 10 players, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Both are putting up solid numbers themselves. This is good because come fourth quarter, the "The Chosen One" becomes "The Frozen One" (Last year's NBA Finals).
LeBron James has talent. I don't think anyone can argue that, but he's been in the league for nine years and still doesn't have a title, yet he still calls himself "King James." Am I missing something? Michael Jordan didn't even make it five years before getting remarks about his lack of a ring. Not to mention, Miami is first and fore¬most Dwayne Wade's team. He is the uncontested leader of that squad. I am not saying LeBron has to carry the Heat to be worthy of the MVP, but the MVP should be the most valuable player to the team. They call it "The Big Three," not "LeBron and Two Insignificant Support Pieces." However, Lebron is having the most efficient season to date, but the skill level of his team and his inability to show up to games on time should knock him down to second in votes. You might be asking, if not LeBron, who deserves the MVP? That is a great question. There are a handful of players in the league that have numbers to compete with LeBron. Here are my top five.
Coming in fifth, Kobe Bryant, who has gone hand in hand with the word MVP throughout his career, is leading the league in points per game with 28.4. But with the Clippers taking over LA, who holds a 6-12 road record, it's hard to imagine Kobe with another title.
In fourth is Derrick Rose. He doesn't think he deserves the MVP, and his stats really don't compare to the rest of his list. That's mostly due to his recent back issues that cost him 10 games this season. He's undeniably the best point guard in the game and can do it all: shoot, steal, pass, block and most importantly, put his team on his back in a tight game and pull one out. In the number three spot I have Dwight Howard, whose stats alone are enough to warrant an MVP, averaging 20.1 points, a league leading 15.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. Howard only had six games this season without a double-double.
The only reason I did not put him at number two is because you cannot ignore James' numbers. Therefore, at number two, I have LeBron James. I am assuming you read the first part of the article, so I don't have to explain my reasoning. In that case, I will get to my number one pick, who is … Kevin Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard. Standing head and shoulders above the rest of the pack in search for the MVP, Durant is the leader of a 27-7 team, leading the West with a five-game winning streak. His 27.9 points, 3.4 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game are more than impressive and make him one of the most versatile players in the game. As Skip Bayless would say, Kevin Durant possesses the "Clutch-Gene." Durant doesn't have to carry his team, but I can see him carrying the Thunder all the way to the finals. Do not hold me to that; it's just a theory.
I am sure there are more than a few LeBron fans that don't understand how anyone could put him second for the MVP. The truth of the matter is, despite how good his regular season totals are, LeBron has not shown anyone he can come up big under pressure, and most importantly, has not won the big one. When he does, maybe then he can crown himself the "King." Until then, I don't think he should be rewarded for disappearing when it matters most.
