Why Kobe Bryant Won't Win the NBA MVP

spike in blocked shots, which makes him the catalyst of the interior defense.

That defense has led to the fourth-best record in the NBA at 21-6.

What's stopping him? Poor free throw shooting and two Orlando road wins—one in Utah, without Howard.

Odds: 20:1


Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets)

The Nuggets looked like contenders in the West when they acquired Billups from Detroit. At one point, the Nuggets were 16-4 with Billups, but the team has recently lost three-straight games.

Still, it doesn't change that the Nuggets finally have a leader that anchors a good defense and commands a structured offense.

It may be too early to tell whether the Nuggets can really contend in the West, but Billups finally brings a defensive identity to the team.

And Billups knows a thing or two about championship defense.

Odds: 25:1


Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

Last year, Kobe clearly deserved the MVP award, so it may be hard to believe that my list puts Kobe at the bottom of the list, and I'll likely get crucified for this. But I don't think he deserves to win MVP, and I also don't think he will win.

The Lakers are 21-5, but have lost three in their last seven after starting out 17-2.

Here are several reasons why the Lakers are struggling: no defense, no intensity, and lack of leadership.

After getting shut down by the Celtics' defense in last years' final, the Lakers vowed to bring a better defensive identity to complement their offense.

We expected to see that defense with the return of Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza, yet the Lakers are still giving up over 98 points per game.

The fact is the Lakers defense is still as soft as a marshmallow, and Kobe has not done anything to fix this problem. He has not been to Lakers compared to what Garnett has been to the Celtics.

Kobe has also appeared to have lost some edge in taking over games. It could be due to the amount of talent the Lakers have that he expects his teammates to keep the team in the game or win. But when the role players falter, Kobe has appeared to falter too.

In any case, Kobe has failed to replicate the leadership he showed when he won last season's MVP award. It is still early, but if the same trends continue, we could see Kobe and the Lakers get bounced out of the playoffs sooner than expected.

Realistic Odds: 6:1

My Odds: 25:1

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