2012 NBA MVP Rankings: Has Kevin Durant Moved Past LeBron James?

The NBA MVP rankings see a shakeup this week with two new entrants inside the top 10.

One incredibly prolific club has two members listed, both Los Angeles teams are represented and many hoop heads will be thrilled to read that there is some international talent making an appearance.

There has been some awfully impressive basketball played on a consistent basis this season despite the lengthy lockout, and things will only heat up in the MVP race as we enter the second leg of the 2011-12 campaign.

10. Dirk Nowitzki, PF Dallas Mavericks

Stats: 19.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, 1.7 turnovers, 45.9 percent shooting

Dirk Nowitzki's season averages certainly are not as impressive as some others on this list, but he's been a completely different player since returning from his four-game rest period.

His Mavericks are an impressive 8-4 run since he's returned to form, and the increased success of the club is directly tied to Nowitzki playing an improved brand of basketball.

He's putting up 23.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and shooting 36.6 percent from downtown during the month of February, and that is right on par with his career averages of 22.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc. 

9. Russell Westbrook, PG Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats: 23.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, 4.3 turnovers, 47.3 percent shooting

Skip Bayless likes to refer to Russell Westbrook using the nickname "Westbrick," but that is an unfortunate choice considering the 23-year-old is averaging a career-best shooting percentage from the floor.

In addition to being one of the most durable players currently in the game, Westbrook has asserted himself as a dynamic weapon at the offensive end, where he is capable of scoring in a variety of ways.

The turnovers remain a definitive concern, but he's taken on an increased scoring role for the Thunder and has handled it incredibly well.

Oklahoma City needs Westbrook to score in order to fire on all cylinders, and he's increased his scoring average every month since the season began.

8. Kevin Love, PF Minnesota Timberwolves

Stats: 25.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks, 2.7 turnovers, 45.8 percent shooting

The last time Kevin Love had fewer than 12 rebounds in a game was January 30, and the last time he scored fewer than 19 points in a game was January 27.

Despite being known as a monster on the glass, that's clearly not all he's got in his arsenal when it comes to being an impact player.

Acting as the centerpiece for a Timberwolves team that is much better than it has been in recent seasons, Love is a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end of the floor.

He's averaging far too many minutes at nearly 40 per game, but it doesn't seem to be having an impact on him at this time.

Love has scaled back on the three-pointers and is averaging his best numbers of the season in February with 25.8 points and 15.9 rebounds while shooting nearly 90 percent from the free-throw line.

7. Derrick Rose, PG Chicago Bulls

Stats: 22.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks, 2.9 turnovers, 46.2 percent shooting

It's going to be incredibly tough for Derrick Rose to win back-to-back MVP awards, as so many predicted he was ready to do prior to the season beginning.

His major nemesis this season has been his health, as he's already been forced to sit out 10 games, more than he's missed in the previous three years combined.

Rose has done a phenomenal job of cutting down on his turnovers from the beginning of the year, but he's going to have to deliver an unbelievable second half to be considered a favorite.

6. Dwight Howard, C Orlando Magic

Stats: 20.1 points, 15.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 2.2 blocks, 3.2 turnovers, 55.2 percent shooting

There are some real concerns about Dwight Howard's leadership skills, but his request to be traded hasn't impacted his overall performance on the court.

In addition to opening up the perimeter for his teammates by drawing defenders inside, Howard has nearly as many 20-20 games as the rest of the league combined at this juncture.

His inconsistency from the foul line and underwhelming conversion rate is something that should be expected, but Howard is inside the top 10 in scoring, is fourth in blocks and leads the league in rebounding.

5. Tony Parker, PG San Antonio Spurs

Stats: 19.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks, 2.5 turnovers, 45.6 percent shooting

Remember when most were ready to turn the page from an old, slow San Antonio team that already had its best days in the rear-view mirror?

Tony Parker clearly didn't forget what many analysts, experts and columnists had to say about him and his team.

After performing incredibly well in the EuroBasket tournament for France this summer, Parker has put the Spurs on his back and is carrying the club in impressive fashion.

Following a tepid start, Parker has really turned on the jets in February, helping the Spurs amass a 9-0 record over that stretch of time.

4. Kobe Bryant, SG Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 29.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocks, 3.9 turnovers, 44.1 percent shooting

To emphasize the idea Kobe Bryant is shooting too much is a shallow argument at this point.

Frankly, it's beating a dead horse.

The Lakers have a ton of problems—no point guard production, nothing cooking at small forward and a reserve unit that is utterly laughable when juxtaposed to others around the league.

He has the ball in his hands very frequently because the Lakers need him to facilitate some type of offensive flow, and the fact that he's been able to keep this team afloat says a lot about how high his level of play still is at age 33.

Only three players have a higher EWA (estimated wins added) than Bryant: Kevin Love, Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

3. Chris Paul, PG Los Angeles Clippers

Stats: 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.3 steals, 2.1 turnovers, 48.3 percent shooting

The impact Chris Paul's arrival has had on turning around the Clippers has been obvious, but his incredible inaugural season in Los Angeles doesn't get enough attention.

He's shooting lights out from deep (44.3 percent), converts at better than 85 percent (85.7) from the charity stripe and is averaging more steals than turnovers despite playing 36 minutes per game.

Paul has completely changed the culture of the Clippers and is showing no signs of slowing down at any point in the near future.

His PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is an unbelievable 25.42, the best mark among anyone at the point guard position.

2. Kevin Durant, SF Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats: 27.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks, 3.7 turnovers, 51.6 percent shooting

It's about time Durant got the recognition he deserved for the insanely efficient shooting season he's having. 

Shooting an insane 51 percent on shots from between 16 and 23 feet, Durant's been able to convert from almost anywhere on the floor even though he's averaging 19.5 shot attempts per game.

Proving that he can contribute in other areas beyond scoring, Durant has averaged more than eight rebounds per game since January began and been an asset on the defensive end as well.

No matter how you slice it, Durant is playing extraordinary basketball.

1. LeBron James, SF Miami Heat

Stats: 27.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, 3.7 turnovers, 54.8 percent shooting

There are a lot of adjectives to describe LeBron James, but from a basketball vantage point, the most accurate might be "different."

The gap between James in PER (32.89) and the second-place Dwyane Wade (27.36) is the same as between Wade and Stephen Curry (21.83), who sits at No. 23 in the rankings.

Converting at a career-best rate of 77.1 percent on shots at the rim, James has shot a ridiculous 55-of-98 since February 10 for 152 points over a six-game winning streak.

Miami has won those games by a combined 106 points during that span, and James didn't play more than 37 minutes in any of those contests.

He's finally using his strengths as a natural competitive advantage, and his team is rolling as a result.