Counting down to the MVP

Posted by Dave at Friday, March 13, 2009 5:51 AM
Categories: Red Sox,Weekend countdown

COUNTING DOWN TO CLOSING TIME WITH MY TAKE ON THE NBA MVP RACE ...

10BRANDON ROY, Portland. There are a lot of good players who didn't make this list — Dirk, Duncan and Dwight Howard immediately stand out — but Roy gets the nod because of where he's helped take the Blazers. In just three years he's already made himself one of the league's best, and now he's starting to make his team one of the elite as well.

9PAU GASOL, Los Angeles. Look at what the Lakers were before Gasol arrived from Memphis, and compare that with the club they are now. His impact was immediate a year ago, and now he seems to have found some grit and toughness, too. No longer is he the player who was routinely pushed around in the Finals — and that doesn't bode well for the rest of the NBA.

8YAO MING, Houston. It's hard to tell if Yao has reached his ceiling as a player, or if we will forever suspect there's still room to stretch because of his height. But a team that lost Tracy McGrady for the year, then traded its starting point guard, has the inside track on home court in the first round of the West playoffs — and that's proof enough for me of Yao's value.

7TONY PARKER, San Antonio. Tim Duncan's aging, Manu Ginobili is perpetually injured, and the rest of the roster is filled with role players — yet the Spurs continue to not only remain competitive in the West, but remain among the primary contenders. Maybe even more than Duncan, the reason for that is Parker and his ability to control every element of the game offensively.

6CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, Denver. Around this time last year, the Nuggets owned a similar record. They were on their way to 50 wins, and the No. 8 seed — but few saw them as a threat in the playoffs. This year that'll be different, and mainly because of Billups, who's changed the culture in Denver. He's playing great, they're playing defense, so the Nuggets are dangerous.

5PAUL PIERCE, Boston. At last, fans league-wide are beginning to appreciate Pierce the way Boston has for years now. He's one of the most passionate, competitive, gutsy players in the game today, not to mention a gifted scorer who isn't afraid to take the ball with the game on the line. Win one more championship and Pierce cracks the list of top 10 all-time Celtic greats.

4DWYANE WADE, Miami. It's popular among the pundits to put Wade at the top of the list after his recent scoring spree, and their logic is sound: He does everything for the Heat, and has taken a young team to playoff position. But, really, does anyone expect Miami to make any noise in the postseason? Let's not overstate the feat of finishing a few games over .500.

3DERON WILLIAMS, Utah. Last year it wasn't much of a debate. Ask anybody which point guard they'd prefer from the top of the 2005 draft, and they'd answer it easily: Chris Paul. Well, that's not so clear anymore. And it's not because Paul's game has slipped, but rather because Williams has reached his level of dominance — and the Jazz can play with anybody because of it.

2KOBE BRYANT, Los Angeles. The reigning MVP would again be worthy, and if the debate was strictly based on who is the best player, my vote would go to Kobe. And, frankly, it wouldn't be too tough of a decision. But in evaluating value you've got to consider how much help a guy gets, and even without him Bryant's mates might be talented enough to win more than lose.

1LeBRON JAMES, Cleveland. The Cavs were a moribund franchise before he arrived. They'll be a moribund franchise after he leaves. And, hell, they'd be a moribund franchise were he not around now. No team relies more on one player, and when that lone force lifts his club among the NBA's three true contenders for the crown, he comes to define the value element of MVP. 

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