NBA MVP Race 2012: Assigning Odds of Winning to LeBron James' Challengers

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is the man to beat in the NBA MVP race.

LeBron has all the credentials of an MVP. He's got outstanding numbers, as he's averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He also has the benefit of having led the Heat to an impressive 44-17 record. He has tons of help in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but the Heat wouldn't be nearly as good as they are without King James.

At this point, the MVP award is his to lose.

But you never know. Somebody might sneak in and steal LeBron's third MVP away from him, even if the odds of that happening are relatively slim.

Here's how I view the odds of LeBron's pursuers taking the MVP away from him.

Dwight Howard, C, Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard always finds himself in the MVP race this time of year, but he hasn't won it yet.

All the usual numbers are there for Howard this season. He's averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game, as well as 2.1 blocks per game. He hasn't done anything this season to put his status as the most dominant center in basketball in jeopardy.

And as per usual, Howard kept the Magic afloat. Without him, they're nothing. With him, they're a playoff team.

Nonetheless, I think Howard's odds of winning the MVP this year are pretty slim. He's going to lose votes due to all the drama he and the Magic experienced this season, much of which was Howard's fault. He's been a blessing, but he's also been a curse.

Most dominant center? Yes. Most Valuable Player? No.

Odds of Winning MVP: 18/1

Kevin Love, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves

Does Kevin Love have numbers?

Yeah, K-Love's got numbers. He's averaging 26 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, and he's among the league leaders in player efficiency rating (or PER, if you're into the whole brevity thing). You also have to give the dude props for becoming a deadly three-point shooter this season. 

In addition, one shudders to think how hopeless the Timberwolves would be without Love. I'm assuming they would be pretty hopeless, and they certainly wouldn't be entertaining.

I'll wager Love has a better shot at winning the MVP award because of the fact he hasn't been a lightning rod for controversy, but it's hard to justify giving the MVP award to a player whose team didn't even make the playoffs.

Maybe next year, K-Love.

Odds of Winning MVP: 16/1

Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers

Is Chris Paul having the best season of his career?

No. Averages of 19.4 points, 9.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game are all well and good, but we've seen CP3 put up better numbers than that. 

The reason CP3 is in the MVP discussion has more to do with how much he's meant to the Clippers this season. They haven't quite lived up to the massive hype, but CP3 helped transform them from a talented bunch of youngsters into a legit threat in the Western Conference.

That's worth a little extra consideration, especially seeing as how these are the Clippers we're talking about. Any man who can make them relevant deserves some props.

So I'd say CP3's odds of winning the MVP are pretty decent.

Odds of Winning MVP: 9/1

Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers

Remember when we all thought Kobe Bryant was washed up last season? That was cute.

This year, Kobe has looked a lot like the old Kobe. He's leading the NBA in scoring at 28.1 points per game, and he's averaging close to five more minutes per game this season than he did last season.

This could have been a rough year for the Lakers, but Kobe basically didn't let that happen. The Lakers had their down moments, but they've stayed relevant in the Western Conference thanks in large part to Kobe.

He'll get plenty of MVP love, but there are a few things working against Kobe. No doubt some voters are going to point to Andrew Bynum's emergence as a big reason why the Lakers were able to be successful this season. In addition, this year's Kobe will no doubt be compared to the Kobe of years past, who was a better and more dangerous player.

Unfortunately for Kobe, he set the bar too high before this season.

Odds of Winning MVP: 6/1

Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Yes, Russell Westbrook is great. And no, the Thunder wouldn't be nearly as good without him.

But come on, it's all about Kevin Durant. He was already a brilliant player. This year, he's been an even more brilliant player.

Durant is scoring just as well as he did last season, as he's averaging 27.8 points per game. However, he's also pulling down 7.9 rebounds and dishing out 3.5 assists per game, both of which are career highs.

In short, he's been more than just a scorer this year. He's also helped lead the Thunder to a truly special season.

If anybody is going to take the MVP from LeBron, it will be Durantula.

Odds of Winning MVP: 9/2