2012 NBA MVP Rankings: Who Has Been League's Pre-All-Star Break MVP?

Here are the top 10 candidates for the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award at this point in the season. 

Despite starting out this shortened season without much time for preparation, these 10 players have responded well to the quick schedule and are playing at a high level for their respective teams. 

The players on this list are the usual suspects and those who are in the MVP conversation each season. Every player on this list has been named to the 2012 NBA All-Star team.

While this list may change during the second half of the season—and anything is possible in the playoffs—this is where these players sit for the first part of this year.  

10. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 18.6

Rebounds: 2.8

Assists: 7.6

Steals: 1.1

Blocks: 0.1

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.5 percent

Team Record: 19-9

Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs are playing well despite the early-season loss of Manu Ginobili to a hand injury. 

Parker has raised his scoring and assist numbers from last season and is leading the Spurs to the second-best record in the Western Conference. 

The team has big wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks. 

Once again this season, Parker is helping this team to be one of the top teams in the NBA, and that trend should continue when Ginobili returns.

9. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 23.3

Rebounds: 8.6 

Assists: 2.8

Steals: 1.1

Blocks: 0.8

Field-Goal Percentage: 51.3 percent

Team Record: 15-13 

LaMarcus Aldridge is finally gaining some of the respect that he has deserved for a long time. 

Often forgotten in Portland, Aldridge is enjoying the best season of his career and is leading the Portland Trail Blazers into contention in the West. 

After being snubbed in the past, Aldridge was finally named to his first All-Star Game this season.

The Trail Blazers are a dangerous team who are capable of beating any Western Conference team in the playoffs, and Aldridge's play may lead them on a long playoff run.

8. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 22.9

Rebounds: 4.9

Assists: 5.7

Steals: 2.1

Blocks: 0.3

Field-Goal Percentage: 46.6 percent

Team Record: 21-6 

Russell Westbrook, the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week, has picked up his game over the last few weeks and is showing why the Oklahoma City Thunder recently signed him to a long-term deal.

This season, Westbrook is averaging more points per game than he has over his career and is proving to the league that he is one of the best young point guards in the game.

Westbrook has helped his team to the top record in the Western Conference and one of the best records in the league.

Great things are happening in Oklahoma City, and Westbrook is a big reason why.  

7. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 18.5

Rebounds: 3.7

Assists: 9.0

Steals: 2.3

Blocks: 0.0

Field-Goal Percentage: 50.5 percent

Team Record: 17-9 

Chris Paul has found a new home in Los Angeles and has helped the Clippers become the team to beat in that city.

Paul is playing better than he did last season in New Orleans and has been a great addition to Blake Griffin and the Clippers. Paul is nearly averaging a double-double and is once again among the league leaders in assists.

The Clippers are leading the Pacific Division and will be a strong contender during the playoffs at the end of this season.

6. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 25.3

Rebounds: 13.9

Assists: 1.7

Steals: 1.0

Blocks: 0.5

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.4 percent

Team Record: 13-16 

After a breakout season last year, Kevin Love has followed it up with more great play.

Averaging a double-double and leading the league with 25 of them in 27 games this season, Love is leading the Minnesota Timberwolves out of the Western Conference basement.

Love is the best power forward in the league and finally has had some help, from rookie Ricky Rubio. A few games ago, the two helped the Timberwolves get their record above .500 for the first time since Love joined the team. 

Love would be ranked higher if his team had a better record and he did not miss two games due to a suspension for stomping on Luis Scola in a game against the Houston Rockets.

5. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 20.2

Rebounds: 15.2

Assists: 2.0

Steals: 1.4

Blocks: 2.1

Field-Goal Percentage: 55.0 percent

Team Record: 18-11 

Despite all of the drama surrounding Dwight Howard and which team he will be playing for next season, Howard is having another strong season and leads the league in rebounds per game.

Howard is leading the Orlando Magic to an 18-11 record in the difficult Southeast Division and is on track to win another Defensive Player of the Year Award.

If Howard adds the MVP Award to his collection, it will be even harder for the Magic to keep him in Orlando.

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 29.3 

Rebounds: 5.8

Assists: 5.0

Steals: 1.2

Blocks: 0.3

Field-Goal Percentage: 44.0 percent

Team Record: 16-12 

Kobe Bryant is doing all that he can to lead his struggling team, but he's not getting much help from many of his Los Angeles Lakers teammates.

Bryant, who was supposed to be getting older and slowing down, continues to play at a high level, as he is leading the NBA in scoring and put together a nice string of games with 40 points or more earlier this season.

Kobe has to be in in the mix for the Most Valuable Player Award, but he's going to need some help to improve things for the Lakers before getting to the playoffs.

Once they make it to the postseason, Bryant will make sure that the Lakers are a team to be taken seriously in the Western Conference playoffs.

3. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 22.0

Rebounds: 3.4

Assists: 7.8

Steals: 0.9

Blocks: 0.6

Field-Goal Percentage: 46.2 percent

Team Record: 23-7

Reigning Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose is once again putting up MVP-like numbers and is leading his Chicago Bulls to one of the best records in the NBA.

Despite being slowed a bit by injuries this season, Rose is putting on a great encore performance to last year, and his team is a strong contender for the NBA title.

It is expected that the Eastern Conference will come down to a matchup of the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, and the on-court leadership and play of Derrick Rose could very well put the Bulls over the top.

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 27.0

Rebounds: 8.2

Assists: 3.3

Steals: 1.2

Blocks: 1.4

Field-Goal Percentage: 50.5 percent

Team Record: 21-6 

After winning the scoring title in each of the last two seasons, Kevin Durant is once again among the league leaders in scoring and trails Kobe Bryant by less than three points per game for the lead.

Durant is once again playing at a very high level and is leading his Oklahoma City Thunder team to the top spot in the Western Conference.

This young team had high expectations heading into this season, and Durant is helping the team to meet them.

If things continue the way they have for Durant and the Thunder, he will get his first opportunity to play for a championship in the NBA Finals this season.

1. LeBron James, Miami Heat

2011-2012 Per Game Averages

Points: 28.2

Rebounds: 8.2

Assists: 6.8

Steals: 1.6

Blocks: 0.7

Field-Goal Percentage: 54.7 percent

Team Record: 22-7 

LeBron James is having the best individual season of any player in the league and one of the best of his career.

James is doing this year what many thought he and the Miami Heat would do last season, and the team is playing to one of the best records in the NBA.

The Heat currently have a convincing three-game winning streak, and James picked up the slack well earlier this season when his sidekick Dwyane Wade was out with an injury for several games.

LeBron James is the Most Valuable Player of the NBA at this point in the season, and it is going to be difficult for other players to take that away from him by the end of the year.