NBA MVP Rankings: Is Anyone Standing in LeBron James' Way?

LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant all have legitimate cases for the regular season NBA MVP Award this season.

It's been a very interesting season considering all of the ups and downs of clubs around the league. It will make for an extremely tight race as the season moves forward.

Although some candidates will begin to separate from the pack, the ladder will be packed with a plethora of talent all year long.

There are some young guns making a serious push, but can they continue their impressive charge all season long?

10. Paul Pierce, SF Boston Celtics

Stats: 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks, 3.4 turnovers, 42.8 percent shooting

After an incredibly slow start to the season, Pierce has come roaring back with a vengeance and illustrated that he's still got plenty left in the tank.

He's an incredibly versatile contributor and doesn't get enough credit for his inclination to knock down the long-distance shot. Pierce has been much more efficient from the field over the last two weeks.

The veteran might not be the scoring machine that he once was for Boston, but his ability to fill up the stat sheet and serve as a floor general from the small forward position isn't something that comes around often.

9. Blake Griffin, PF Los Angeles Clippers

Stats: 21.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, 3.0 turnovers, 51.8 percent shooting

Griffin has turned into much more than just a human highlight reel, and his impressive double-doubles are a thing of regularity for the Clippers these days.

Lately, he has done a much-improved job of asserting himself on the defensive end. If he can continue to make a mark at that end of the floor, it won't be long before he shoots up these rankings at an absurdly quick pace.

Despite having just 16 blocks on the season, Griffin has half of those over his last three games. He's really taking a committed approach to rounding out his attack at both ends of the court.

He has elite athleticism and speed for someone of his size. It's safe to say the Clippers have a good thing going with Griffin and Chris Paul running the show.

8. Russell Westbrook, PG Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats: 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.2 blocks, 3.9 turnovers, 45.9 percent shooting

Westbrook's production often gets overlooked by some because of the attention paid to Kevin Durant, but the freshly-extended point guard deserves to be on this list.

He's averaging career-high marks in field-goal percentage as well as steals per game, and his ability to put up 20-plus points with regularity is nothing to be scoffed at given Durant's scoring prowess.

A 23-year-old point guard putting up the numbers he is this year on arguably the best team in the league is downright impressive.

Oklahoma City needs his offensive production to sustain success.

7. Kevin Love, PF Minnesota Timberwolves

Stats: 25.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.5 blocks, 2.6 turnovers, 45.5 percent shooting

David Kahn frustrated diehard Wolves fans when he was futzing around with his contract extension offer to Minnesota's franchise player, as Love has played like a man possessed this season.

His numbers are video game-esque, and the fact that he's hitting approximately 40 percent of shots from beyond the arc makes it extremely difficult for the opposition to defend him.

He's a beast down low as well with his ability dominate the offensive glass. The main thing holding him back from climbing these rankings is his shot selection.

6. Chris Paul, PG Los Angeles Clippers

Stats: 18.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.1 blocks, 1.9 turnovers, 50.9 percent shooting

Paul's clearly enjoyed playing in Los Angeles, and there is no doubt that he's really allowed for increased opportunities for his newest teammates.

A defensive pest as he's always been, Paul has also found increased success from deep this season while remaining a deadly shooter from the free-throw stripe.

Despite his assists being slightly down from last season, Paul's scoring average is up from where it previously stood and that is helping the Clippers to find their groove and build the chemistry that had been missing.

5. Dwight Howard, C Orlando Magic

Stats: 20.0 points, 15.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.1 blocks, 3.3 turnovers, 55.3 percent shooting

Free-throw shooting struggles aside, Howard is an absolute force at both ends of the floor in the middle for the Magic.

His mere presence on the floor allows for his teammates to get looks they normally wouldn't. He single-handedly spaces the floor because the defense has to pay so much attention to him inside.

When talking about centers in this league, it's Howard and then everybody else. The way he abuses even the more sizable competition in guys like Andrew Bynum and Roy Hibbert illustrates how wide the talent gap is between him and everybody else at his position.

There is nobody else like him in the game today.

4. Derrick Rose, PG Chicago Bulls

Stats: 23.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.8 blocks, 3.2 turnovers, 45.8 percent shooting

Derrick Rose's ceiling is truly limitless.

Already a superstar point guard in the league at just 23 years old, Rose's humble approach off the court and his aggressiveness on it speaks volumes about his work ethic and dedication to improve as a player.

Leading his team by example rather than shooting off at the mouth, Rose makes it a point to strengthen his weak points between games and seasons. It's really scary to think about the type of player he could evolve into as time goes on.

A hometown kid, there is no question that the Bulls have found their franchise identity with Rose. There is no reason that he should ever be playing in a different uniform.

3. Kobe Bryant, SG Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 30.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.4 blocks, 3.8 turnovers, 45.6 percent shooting

On a team that is struggling to produce consistently on the offensive end, Bryant is leading the way in emphatic fashion.

The torn ligament in his shooting wrist is no longer a subject of conversation, as Bryant has quieted everyone with how well he's played despite being at far less than 100 percent.

Although much of the focus has been on his scoring, he's contributing across the board and finding new ways to set up his teammates who can't create their own shots, like Bryant is able to regularly.

Without Bryant, the Lakers would be completely lost on both ends of the floor and Mike Brown would have a lot more questions to answer to on a day-to-day basis.

2. Kevin Durant, SF Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats: 26.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.3 blocks, 3.9 turnovers, 51.3 percent shooting

Durant might not produce statistical absurdities like some of the other candidates on this list do, but he doesn't have to do that when his performances are so consistent.

Like Rose, Durant leads for his team by example and has really improved his all-around game since initially coming into the league.

A pure scorer capable of hitting shots from anywhere on the floor, Durant is finding his offense with supreme efficiency and hasn't sacrificed shot selection just to get his points.

The best part about Durant's production is that he doesn't care about the numbers he's putting up as long as his Thunder continue to win games. That's a defining trait in a leader.

1. LeBron James, SF Miami Heat

Stats: 29.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, 4.0 turnovers, 55.1 percent shooting

How dominant can James be when he puts on his alpha-male hat for Miami? We're all seeing it.

He can literally do anything he wants to on the floor; James makes the game look extremely easy when it is anything but that.

After taking a lot of flack for deferring to Dwyane Wade constantly last season, James is taking a new approach and stepping up as "the man" in Miami.

Many people focus on his trouble from the free-throw line, but if he continues to play the way he has been of late, there won't be anybody talking about it by the end of the season.