It's that time of the NBA season when the discussion turns to MVP candidates, surprises and disappointments.
Who is the NBA MVP at this point in the season? Let the debate begin! The NBA has never listed the criteria for the MVP which leaves it the eyes of the beholder. The league could easily clarify the standards, but that would kill some arguments.
Today there are a number of players in the running:
1. Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics) KG continues to prove how good a player he is not just with his play, but with his unselfishness as well. He makes his team better by providing a legitimate low post threat that allows his Parquet Posse (Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) teammates room to roam. Garnett has also been a great defender and that has landed him in the top spot on my ballot. As for his selflessness, just ask Celtics coach Doc Rivers about Garnett turning down an opportunity to go back into a blowout game to keep his longest consecutive double figure scoring streak alive. According to Rivers, Garnett's words were: "I don't care about that streak man!" His old teammate, current Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell, shakes his head and says: "He's relentless. You just don't understand how much he wants to win."
2. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) I was the first one to decry Kobe's selfishness and seeming unwillingness to be a true team player, but that has changed. Bryant is sharing the ball and making it a priority to involve his teammates. He is scoring, passing and is still one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the NBA. The test for Bryant will be keeping the Lakers near the top of the conference with injured centre Andrew Bynum on the shelf.
3. Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) Look at where the Hornets are in the standings, and the road record in particular, and then examine Paul's numbers and you'll see a direct correlation. He is almost impossible to guard and he has struck that balance of scoring and passing to make his teammates better. With the exception of his shooting accuracy, Paul's numbers bear a striking resemblance to those of Steve Nash during Captain Canada's first MVP campaign. Thanks to Paul, New Orleans is leading arguably the most competitive division in basketball.
4. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) LeBron and the Cavs are finding their groove as head coach Mike Brown is finally able to employ the roster that went to the NBA finals last season. In the interim, King James kept the Cavs afloat, but now that all the King's men are back, don't be surprised if James leads the Cavaliers on a run over the second half of the season.
5. Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns) Unlike others who seemed to get bored with the greatness of the game's best performers, I still think Nash's exploits are the main reason the Suns are hovering close to top spot in the West. The problem for Nash is the team needs to win a title before he will get another award. But before that happens, all you have to do is examine Nash's stats and they will continue to confirm how much he means to Phoenix.
As well as Bryant are Paul are playing in leading their respective squads, there is one more name that people should be talking about and that is Portland's Brandon Roy.
He's only a second-year player but he is the driving force behind one of the leagues biggest surprises. The Trailblazers, the youngest team in the NBA, are an unexpected 25-17. Yes, there is still half a season to go but Portland is a confident team and if this young squad holds up, they will be a tough out in the playoffs.
At the other end of the spectrum is there a more disappointing team than the Miami Heat? Here's how bad it is in South Florida: A Canadian friend of mine who is a season seat holder in Miami literally could not give away tickets (20 rows up on the baseline) for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on the Martin Luther King holiday.
It has been a puzzling and precipitous fall for the Heat, who still have four starters from the 2006 championship team.
Heat coach Pat Riley has publicly bemoaned the loss of Jason Kapono, while the loss of key veterans James Posey and Eddie Jones hasn't helped either.
With Shaquille O'Neal injured and carrying a big salary, the Heat need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to become competitive again.
