NBA MVP: Team Success Is Crucial

Matt Bosley by Scribe Written on April 03, 2008
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Kevin Garnett       1st            1st       45th     10th       DNP

 

Going by team standing alone, Kevin Garnett is the clear favorite, but his relatively low PER may keep him from getting enough votes. Then again, Steve Nash had similar rankings in '04-'05, his first year on a strong Suns roster that included Amare Stoudamire and Shawn Marion. 

In contrast, LeBron James has by far the best PER in the league, but with his team so low in the standings he might not stand much of a chance. On the other hand, Moses Malone was in a similar situation back in '81-'82, as was Michael Jordan in '87-'88.

Kobe's team is ranked high and so are his scoring and efficiency stats. Chris Paul has him beat, though. As long as the Hornets can stay on top of the Western Conference and comfortably ahead of the Lakers, recent trends in MVP voting seem to favor CP3.

Of course, there are other factors that come into play. For instance, some voters may base their judgments of who is the most "overdue" for an award. Others may favor older players figuring that the young ones will have other chances.

Though some of the trends mentioned here are generally applicable, they occasionally get thrown out the window. How else can you explain Steve Nash being named MVP in '05-'06?

Still, based on the tendencies we've seen in past MVP voting, it's pretty safe to say that Chris Paul is in the lead.

...for now.

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written on April 03, 2008 Sports

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