I can’t remember a year that I have struggled more with determining the MVP than this season. Unlike baseball, it’s usually a three or four horse race for the NBA’s MVP award. This year was no different with three clear favorites including Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and LeBron James as well as Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard. You could make the argument for Kobe or LeBron in any given season, and that’s the case once again this year. Kevin Garnett was the main cog of the Boston Celtics’ machine that steamrolled the Eastern Conference this year, and Dwight Howard is on a fast-track to becoming one of the best power forwards in NBA history. Yet out of all these big names, Chris Paul seems to be the most forgotten.
Paul is the point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, the equivalent of being the quarterback of the Houston Texans – a mediocre, still fairly new franchise in a small market. In a place where people are still rebuilding their lives, it’s hard to blame NBA fans for not taking notice of Paul. He plays for a team that made their first network television appearance since leaving Charlotte in 2005 SIX WEEKS AGO. Despite winning the murderous Southwest Division, which includes three other playoff teams in defending champion San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas, the Mavericks were the sexy pick to upset the Hornets in the First Round. However, while Paul’s team may lack attention and respect, his game demands both.
The casual NBA fan may have never seen Paul in action
After watching Game One of their Western Conference First Round series with Dallas, it is becoming increasingly clear that Paul is not letting the detractors get to him. CP3 took over in the third quarter, scoring 15 points to turn a 12-point deficit into a four point lead. While 15 points in a quarter may not look spectacular in a box score, you had to watch the game to truly see how Paul’s scoring charge transformed that team. After a lethargic first half, it was like the Hornets were struck by a bolt of lightning in the third period, thanks mostly to Paul deciding to take the game into his hands. He knocked down runners, got to the basket, dished in transition, and breathed life into his team. His final line was 35 points, 10 assists and 4 steals – but most importantly, Paul turned the ball over just once.
I know it’s just one game, and that the MVP voting closes before the playoffs, but that game single-handedly pushed my vote in favor of Paul. The bottom line is there isn’t a player in the NBA that does a better job making his teammates better than him. LeBron and Kobe can take over games, and both make their supporting casts look better, but nobody elevates his team like CP3.
And that’s why it’s a shame that everyone seems reserved to give Kobe his “lifetime achievement award” MVP this season. Does Kobe deserve the MVP? Sure, like I said before you can make an argument for him every year. Is it a travesty that he has never won one? Yes, in fact it’s shocking. But, Kobe didn’t elevate his team to the top record in the Western Conference like most are saying. When the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol, that is when they became a contender. They went 27-9 after that deal with Gasol in the lineup (5-3 during Gasol's injury). The Lakers were just 25-13 before they made that trade. Meanwhile, the Hornets, who went 77-87 over the past two years, skyrocketed to franchise-record 56 wins this season with virtually the same roster from a year ago. After six underachieving years in Chicago, Tyson Chandler averaged almost 12 points and 12 rebounds per game in his second season in the Big Easy. David West averaged a career best 20.6 points per game and had an All-Star season. Sure those players are both young and talented, but is it a coincidence they are enjoying the best seasons of their careers with Paul quarterbacking the offense?
Without Gasol, the Lakers would be the fifth best team in the West
Why is this the year that Kobe should get MVP? His scoring average is down over 3 points from last season. Obviously that’s attributed to him having more help around him, but his 28.3 points per game average is only good for 5th best in his career, and his 5.4 assists average is tied for 4th best. He has had better season averages in steals, FG% and 3-PT% before, yet he never won MVP in those years. Meanwhile, Paul averaged over 21 points per game, and averaged a ridiculous 11.6 assists per game to just 2.5 turnovers. He leads the NBA in assists, steals, and is the only player in the league to average double-digit assists and less than three turnovers per game. Kobe doesn’t lead the league in any major category.
Remember that Karl Malone won an MVP in 1997 because everyone was tired of giving the award to Michael Jordan. Why should a less deserving player win again on a technicality? Kobe still has several prime years left. Put his MVP on ice until he’s fully deserving.
However you determine the meaning of the MVP Award – whether it’s “Most Valuable Player” or “Most Outstanding Player” – it doesn’t matter.
Paul has been both.
SHOOTING THE REST OF THE SPORTS WORLD:
Swish: Danica Patrick
Well it's about freakin' time. Danica finally took her first trip to Victory Lane in her 50th career start by winning in Japan last weekend. Perhaps the only bad news was that due to rain delays, the race concluded around 3:00 in the morning on Sunday in the United States. The win for Patrick continues what has thus far been a monumental season for the Indy Racing League. First, Helio captures the Dancing with the Stars title (say what you want about the show, but this was a huge PR coup for IndyCar). Then, Graham Rahal becomes the youngest winner in open-wheel history followed by Danica becoming the first female winner in open-wheel history – and we’re only THREE races into the 2008 season! If Rahal can develop a rivalry with fellow youngster Marco Andretti, and Danica can prove this victory isn’t a fluke, then maybe IndyCar can get back to where it used to be.
Danica can start showing some more swagger after proving herself last weekend
Brick: Phoenix Suns
Saturday’s Game One between the Suns and Spurs would certainly get a swish-plus if I was grading it on an entertainment factor. The reason the Suns get a brick is because you can’t give away a game like that and expect to come back in win that series. The Suns outplayed the Spurs for four quarters but a defensive lapse on a perfectly-executed screen-and-curl involving Fabricio Oberto and Michael Finley gave the Spurs new life going into overtime. The Suns then dominated the extra period, but blew a five-point lead with a minute left after Tim Duncan's first three-pointer of the season in the waning seconds. After Manu Ginobili actually made a play which didn't involve him throwing himself on the floor (he knocked down the game-winner), it was the Spurs who escaped with a victory in a game that they had no business winning. Kudos to the Spurs because they made all the plays down the stretch and avoided a series-changing loss. I know it’s a best-of-seven, but trust me, Phoenix is toast. No team could recover from a loss like that. We may end up remembering the 2000's Suns like the Pacers, Knicks, or Jazz of the 90’s – all teams that were incapable of getting over the hump.
Air Ball: Kenton Keith
So, apparently Colts players can get in trouble on the Westside late at night just like the Pacers? That’s what happened to backup RB Kenton Keith who was picked up at Cloud Nine (of the Jamaal Tinsley's rootin’ tootin’ downtown shootout fame) and booked on charges of disorderly conduct, public intoxication, resisting law enforcement and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Unlike some of the other incidents we’ve had in the past few months, this one was seemingly harmless at the start. Police were just trying to clear the parking lot at the club because it was closed for the night, as most clubs are at three in the morning on a Sunday. Instead, according to police, Keith thought it would be cool to take the party to the parking lot and ignore requests to vacate the premises. By trying to extend his fun for a few moments longer, Keith may have cost him a spot on the Colts roster. It is well known that the Colts will be looking to select another backup running back in this weekend’s NFL Draft. That could mean bye-bye to the NFL for Keith, and back to Canada!
The Colts could place Keith on an iceberg and send him afloat
Swish: Manny Ramirez
In the past ten days, Manny has been on an absolute tear, batting .452 (14-31) with 5 HR, and 12 RBI, bumping his average from .256 to .338 and his OPS from .792 to 1.096! Most importantly for his team, the Sox won 8 of 9 during that stretch. Ramirez so far has been picking up the slack for David Ortiz, who is finally starting to show some signs of life after a horrific slump (3-for-43) to start the season. When Manny is locked in, there isn’t a more dangerous hitter in baseball. He is in a contract year and if he can get anywhere close to .300/40/125 – numbers that he’s well on his way to getting to this season – then the Sox are going to cruise to another pennant.
Brick: C.C. Sabathia
Do you think C.C. still wishes that $68 million extension was still on the table? Sabathia took a major risk in turning down that deal, and so far it is not paying off as he as had a disastrous start to the 2008 season. C.C. is 0-3 in four starts and hasn’t gotten out of the sixth inning in any of them. He has given up 32 hits in just 18 innings, and one more bad outing and his WHIP (2.56) will be equal to his weight (290). Look, it’s just April. David Wright batted .244 with 0 HRs last April and finished at .325 with 30 bombs. I still think Sabathia is going to win 15 games and get 175+ strikeouts. But, with the Indians floundering early at 7-12 and Sabathia off to a rocky start, I’m really not sure that the Barry Zito money is going to be out there for him this winter.
Air Ball: DeShawn Stevenson
I’m not sure if Stevenson is stupid or just naive, but whatever the case may be, calling LeBron James overrated was a really, really idiotic thing to do. LeBron has scored 32 and 30 points in the first two games of the series to lead the Cavs to a 2-0 lead. Stevenson? He’s scored a whopping 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting in the series. Another big mouth on the Wizards, Gilbert Arenas, scored just seven in Game Two. Only a handful of players in the NBA in the last 20 years could win games by themselves, and LeBron is one of those players. Giving LBJ extra motivation is like inviting Pacman Jones to your buddy’s bachelor party at a strip club. You don’t want to play with fire.
"Overrated" LeBron is playing like he took Stevenson's comments personally
The Shots What to Watch this week:
Philadelphia at Detroit, Wednesday
With Cleveland up 2-0, the Spurs handing the Suns a devastating loss, and the Rockets too unhealthy to compete with Utah, this could possibly be the only First Round series to go seven games. It’ll be interesting to see how Detroit responds after seemingly just going through the motions in Game One.
Baltimore at Chicago White Sox, Friday-Saturday
Don’t look now, but arguably baseball’s two biggest surprises so far meet up for a weekend series at the Cell. The White Sox pitching staff is already in midseason form as Javier Vazquez looks great (3-1, 27-6 K/BB going into Tuesday) and Gavin Floyd is finally living up to his First Round billing (2-0, 1.40 ERA). Luke Scott, one of the main pieces of the Miguel Tejada deal, has been raking for the O’s at a .361 clip – good for 3rd in the American League.
RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300, Saturday
With Danica’s win in Japan last weekend, this is suddenly a must-watch race. The Turbo Indy 300 takes place at Kansas Speedway, which is an oval track, similar to Twin Ring Motegi where Patrick just took the checkered flag. If she is going to win multiple races this season, Kansas Speedway and Indy might be her two best remaining chances. Only Helio, TK, Wheldon, and Dixon are better on the ovals than Danica.
The Shots YouTube clips this week:
This is how overrated LeBron is…
Non-sports related -
Stuff like this never stops being funny.
The Shots Chick Pick this week: Kristen Bell from Forgetting Sarah Marshall
This one comes from Dave in Louisville...
Wow. I should leave this up to the readers every week.
See you next week.
Listen to Derek as he hosts the Xtra Large Lunch, every weekday from noon to 1 PM on XL 950!
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