NBA MVP 2012: Kevin Durant Doesn't Need MVP to Prove He's NBA's Best

The MVP award is the most prestigious in the NBA because of the singular performance of one man.

In the NFL, MLB and NHL, the MVP is only as good as the rest of the team surrounding him. In the NBA you are responsible for wins and losses more than any other player in the league. You have the greatest impact on each and every game.

Look no further than 2011 recipient Derrick Rose, whose absence has put the top-seeded Chicago Bulls on the brink of elimination against the No. 8 seeded Philadelphia 76ers.

This year the award is between two players: LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

James will win the award because he may have just pulled off one of the best statistical seasons in the history of the league. You can’t compete against a guy that averaged 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 53 percent from the field. His 30.80 PER is one of the greatest marks of all-time.

So what?

Just because Durant’s 28/8/3.5/1.3 and 26.26 PER doesn’t exceed James doesn’t mean he isn’t the better player.

Durant won the scoring championship this season for the third consecutive time and he did so because of his versatility. He shoots just under 50 percent from the field, and is an above-average three-point shooter at 39 percent. He shot almost 200 more than James from beyond the arc and hit them at a more prolific rate (James shot 36 percent).

Advantage Durantula.

This year James has done a much better job of being aggressive in the paint and creating easy buckets around the basket. He bullies his way down low with a ridiculous 6’8’’, 250-pound frame that can’t be matched in today’s game.

Durant has a smoother style. He finds holes and uses his freakishly long arms to weave around defenders. His post-game is much better than James’ is because of creativity. Durant can kill you with the up-and-under, spin and fadeaway. Taller defenders can’t handle his quickness and shorter ones can’t handle his length.

Defensively both are aggressive, but LeBron gets the edge for his ability to defend even the quickest guards.

So what makes Durant the better player?

Maturity.

As funny as that sounds, considering Durant is only 23 and four years younger than James, it’s hard to argue that Durant isn’t the smarter player.

With Russell Westbrook constantly causing drama in his life, Durant has handled the situation flawlessly. He says all the right things to the media, doesn’t show his frustrations on the court and the result is a team with some of the best chemistry in the game.

Miami is privately a mess. After two years the Heat have no idea what to do in crunch time, and it seems like LeBron is just fine deferring to Dwyane Wade. I’m not going to say he looks scared, but his complacence in deferring to his teammate is shocking. He doesn’t want to be “the man.”

Durant is already very comfortable in this role (just ask Dallas after Game 1). He has the Jordan killer instinct and is perfectly fine taking the heat if he misses.

In reality, that’s the most important aspect when judging stars. Durant strikes fear into oppositions when he has the ball with in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. Ditto for Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. You can’t say the same thing about LeBron.

Durant is the most dangerous player in the postseason, and LeBron is the most dangerous in the regular season.

Who would you rather have?

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