The 50 Most Valuable Players of This NBA Season
I've watched every team numerous times this season, and thus every god-awful to decent to flat out great player this season. Because of this knowledge I figured what better way to start off then counting down the 50 most valuable players in the NBA this season. In a year where good teams got better and bad teams even worse, a players value becomes even the more important. Three of the top valuable players from last year now play on their own squad, the Heat, and another superstar just decided to join forces in the big Apple, making it even bigger.
Yet some teams (think Raptors) really don't have this go to player making even one player from each thirty teams a stretch. Never in recent years have we seen this before, but never in recent years have I done this column either so this is how it will have to play out.
Just for readers to know, if two players are somewhat unidentifiable when it comes to knowing who is more valuable, age and their respectable salaries will obviously be of dividend.
Comments are always welcome knowing that this site is one of the few where i can find people considering themselves as avid a fan as I.
50: Brandon Jennings
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Every once in a while I'll turn on a Bucks game, and wonder how in the name of speed anyone in the League can defend Brandon Jennings. When he's hot, which is evidently not enough considering his horrendous field goal percentage and his teams Win-Loss record, very few can stop him. His shot isn't spectacular, but like Allen Iverson or a smaller, less muscular, yet more skilled LeBron James, getting too the hoop doesn't seem like much of a chore to him. It's finishing that does.
Also a dismal defender.
Barely cracks the top fifty after showing much promise last year. Hopefully this is just a glitch in an otherwise dominant career, and not a sign of where he's heading.
49: Brook Lopez
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Lopez is already our second player on this list who hasn't quite lived up to the potential or promise spotted in him in his rookie season, and even last year. Though many speculated Avery Johnson's balanced attack, and one that gave Dirk Nowitzki an MVP, would heavily benefit Lopez, yet it has seemed to do the opposite.
Maybe it's because Brook Lopez has lost so many games the last three seasons he's developed a worst case NBA disease of a "losing mentality".
On the upside, it has seemed that the recent surprising addition of Deron Williams has again somewhat woken up Lopez from his funk, yet the all out effort still isn't quite there.
48: Demarcus Cousins
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Demarcus Cousins has so much skill and potential; but his attitude, much like a young Zach Randolph, could hold him back.
Though the Kings had a dismal record, Cousins was one of the few bright spots because, when he put in the effort, he was a regular double double contributor and provided great help on the defensive end. If he cools down, and forms a good on court relationship with Tyreke Evans, the two could be a great tandem for years to come.
47: Demar Derozan
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The second Derozan realizes he's allowed to pass the ball to teammates, the NBA will have one more great offensive player. Though it maybe because he's almost the only player on his team capable of scoring, Demar had some great nights where it seemed as if he could score at will.
Defensively he has room to improve, but his ridiculous athleticism made up for it at times. Hopefully, he gets out of Toronto quickly and looks to be the third or fourth best player on a championship contending team.
Though ranking him at 47 may seem like a reach for some of you, watch one of his games and I guarantee you he will provide three or four feats of amazing athletic ability that will leave you wondering just how it happened.
46: Brandon Roy
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Brandon Roy was supposedly the best player on the Blazers roster coming into the season. But with LaMarcus Aldridge's career year and multiple knee injuries, he lost that title.
In game 2 of their opening-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Roy was driven to tears on the bench as head coach Nate McMillan decided against a still recovering Roy down the stretch. In game 3 and 4, however, Roy proved his worth as a very valuable player to the organization.
In the third game, his twelve points were a welcome help, but in game four he exploded. His 22 fourth-quarter points propelled Portland back from the dead, and he hit bucket after bucket against a helpless Mavs defense.
Although Roy is no longer the face of the franchise, he has proved that his good play leads to the Blazers good play.
45: Andrew Bynum
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Wow. First player on this list to have actually made the playoffs.
If Bynum wasn't to injury prone, and perhaps got the ball a bit more, I honestly think he and Dwight Howard would have the fun of competing year after year as the NBA's only two real centers left.
Watching a Lakers game, it's hard not to notice Bynum's strength. Feed him the ball and, though he doesn't always make the shot, 'Drew has barely any trouble backing his man down.
Though he's provided the Lakers with some great games, I think it's in Bynum's best interest to find a fresh start where he can display his whole arsenal of offensive and defensive skills.
44: Tyreke Evans
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Really should be played at shooting guard; he's becoming one of those players with ridiculous skills, but put him at the PG position and his teammates don't touch the ball nearly enough.
Evans needs to mature a little bit as a player, and hopefully bounce back from a mediocre season, before returning to his Rookie of the Year promise.
43: Nene
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Nene is a really good player. I know that may sound like a pretty evident, and dumb statement, but it's more out of pure shock.
I had never really seen him play that much before this year and, when I had, the ball was generally in Billups or Anthony's hands and rarely in Nene's.
Getting rid of their two superstars really allowed this big Brazilian to grow, but a few more solid acquisitions on Denver would help as sometimes Nene is asked to do to much on both ends of the floor.
42: Serge Ibaka
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Though this article is most valuable players of the season, it is definitely worth noticing how well Ibaka has played in these playoffs. You can almost expect to see three or four blocks a game for him now but, unlike Javale McGee or other shot blockers, he rarely finds himself out of rebounding position.
Serge started playing basketball at age 15 or 16 depending on where you hear it from.
Yeah, I'd say he has upside.
41: Luis Scola
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If Scola wasn't so awful on the defensive end, he would be at least five places higher. Very little big man have better court vision and dribbling skills then Luis and, with Yao out this year, he showed the whole NBA how talented he can be.
But, once again, his defense is really holding him back from becoming the player he can be...
40: Andrew Bogut
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Jeez...I remember just a year ago everyone was praising these Bucks and talking about how well Bogut had improved.
This year? Not so much. You can blame it on his knee, and there's no questioning that that injury heavily affected him, but his whole game and mentality seemed to have degraded as well.
Maybe it's because the Bucks have turned into a team of ball hogs (Jennings, Maggette, Salmons) and Bogut doesn't get the amount of touches he wants, which in turn has turned him into somewhat of a ball hog.
Lastly, the Bucks should stop dreaming of having a good playoff run with Bogut as their number one. He's very talented, and one of the better rebounders in the league, but Milwakee is going to need one other very good player, or have Brandon Jennings step up, before doing anything special.
39: Tony Parker
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His quote in the recent french magazine stating that the Spurs' chances are winning pretty much closes the window with his team.
Oh well...he had a good run with three rings and one finals MVP.
Still, though, he should join a team with the Knicks and use his smarts and speed to help them get in the chase for a ring.
38: Paul Millsap
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Unfortunately for Millsap, Sloan and Williams left. I honestly though they'd make a great tandem, especially with another post presence to help out in Al Jefferson.
Millsap still displayed great offensive skills and, at a young age, evidently still has a lot more coming.
For his own benefit, he should stay with the Jazz to see if he can lead this young team.
Once again, though, this is a player that should really work on his defense.
37. Ray Allen
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Ray Allen is only the fourth best player on his team, but he is one of the top 40 most valuable in the NBA. He has one weapon that every team in the whole league craves. Give Ray a good look from anywhere downtown, he'll drain it.
Ray was the key player in the epic seven-game series with Chicago, and made many critical threes during Boston's championship run back in 2008. His three point shooting makes him a hot commodity this year in free agency, and Boston's top priority is to get him back in Beantown.
Ray has the capacity to take over a game with his shooting and that has served his team well everywhere he has gone.
36: Danny Granger
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Another player who was thrust into "franchise player" without being a franchise player.
Granger has an amazing shot, and is one of the few wing players in the league capable of scoring so much in very little time, but his contract and role are too big compared to what he can actually produce.
Still, he cracks the top 40.
35: Carmelo Anthony
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First of all, I should say that the way Carmelo handled his whole leaving the Nuggets thing was not a good idea. Telling the media in the off season that he wanted to leave, and then making his own organization go through all the scrutiny with him until the trade deadline hurt his value in my mind.
Then, coming to the Knicks, where he joins forces Stoudemire, and gets swept out the first round whilst the Nuggets improved dramatically without him hurt him even more.
Maybe some of my biased is getting in the way, but I still don't think 35 is that bad of a place for 'Melo.
34: Steve Nash
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If Nash was anyone one else in the league, he would have demanded a trade by now. He gave this team everything he had, including two MVP seasons, for eight years and they couldn't win it all.
Now they should give one last chance on a very good team, where I have no doubt in my mind that he could be their last piece to a championship. (Think Nash and Robin Lopez for Jameer Nelson wouldn't land the Orlando Magic back in the race?)
Though he couldn't lead his team to the playoffs this year, Nash didn't exactly have the best roster around him and was still clearly the most valuable on his team.
33: Lamar Odom
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It's unfortunate for Odom that his Lakers career could potentially come after a sweep in which he didn't deliver. Still, this season was his best, and his versatility off the bench was one of the reasons the Lakers had just won two championships in a row, and had four straight very good regular seasons.
Hopefully, either Odom stays with the Lakers and they stay in the hunt for another three years, or gets traded to another very talented team in need of a great all around player.
(Quick Note: I know Carmelo and Nash just came before Odom, but this is not to say that Odom is better than them. He's just more valuable at this point)
32: Rudy Gay
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Although I originally had Gay ranked higher, the final months propelled me to move him down to no.32. From February onwards, Memphis showed what they could achieve without their supposed star player.
During the season, the Grizzlies they were 31-27 with Gay, but improved to a 15-9 without him. In the playoffs, you could sense better ball movement because of a lack of a main scorer on the perimeter. The injury allowed many players, notably Zach Randolph and Mike Conley Jr. to have all-star series.
Gay might bring his most value by what talent they bring in in a deal involving Gay.
31: David West
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It's very unfortunate that West got injured and couldn't participate in the playoffs because, especially with the Lakers struggles, New Orleans could have given L.A a run for their money.
West had a very good year and right now looks as if he's the only piece that could convince Paul to stay. David West is continuously one of the most underrated players in the league, and this year didn't change that. Hopefully, people start to realize how valuable he really is for a team that, apart from Paul and Okafor and sometimes Ariza, that can find their own shots.
30: Chris Bosh
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Last year, I would have heavily considered putting Bosh in the top 20, maybe even cracking the top fifteen. Seeing how much he feigned in comparison to the other two superstars on his team, he only merits top 30 recognition. (Though it does help his case when you review Toronto's porous record)
Bosh needs to improve his rebounding and defensive toughness, but his offensive skills are still very good.
What Bosh, and the Heat, really need now is for him to step up big in this series and maybe even the championships.
29: Kevin Garnett
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Sadly, Garnett isn't in the top 30 because of skill anymore; but the leadership and heart and pound for pound toughness he brings out of everybody on the Celtics give him this spot.
Someone else, even with Garnett's exact stats, at the power forward position on this Boston team would give them a first round exit year in and year out. It's impossible to measure what he does for this team.
I still think it's embarrassing how far some of his trash talk goes but I had to give this spot to him...
28: Carlos Boozer
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I know there are a lot of you out there who would literally boooo Boozer. But let me tell you this; I know his statistics were mind blowing and that they had a significant drop from his best seasons in Utah.
But last year Chicago was not even slightly good enough to get out of the first round: they made two very significant acquisitions of Tom Thibodeau and Carlos Boozer. Without either of them they're not here. Obviously, "Thibs" is more valuable than Carlos, but the fact that Boozer makes it one player who, performing well or not, can't be unguarded by the other team leaves Derrick Rose with much more one on one possiblities.
Furthermore, I ask you to try and find another player in the league as content as Boozer to see his back up play great. That's the kind of energy that has led the Bulls to believe they can win it all this year.
Though it may be a slight reach, I find no problem in putting Carlos Boozer at number 28.
27: Tim Duncan
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Another player who's spot in this list would change if this was a season/playoff type thing; in Duncan's case, his value would drop.
Still, during the season, he managed to use his old body and was a key factor into giving the Spurs the record they get. Moreover, even if he isn't at the top of his game, other teams will always have to use defensive schemes specifically to stop Timmy, making the game easier for a lot of his teammates.
I felt bad for Duncan after he got knocked out, and I truly hope San Antonio can make one last good run.
26: Joachim Noah
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The second Chicago player on this list (and I heavily considered putting Luol Deng here to) and definitely, like Garnett, the heart and soul of this team.
Boozer just recently said that it's Noah's attitude that drives the team at points.
Though you'll find many better offensive player on this list with a higher and lower ranking than Noah, you will maybe only find one with more hustle and only a couple with more of a defensive energy/presence.
If the Bulls had gone through and shopped Noah this summer, they don't find themselves in this position.
Skill wise, Noah shouldn't even be in the top fifty. Value wise, Noah almost finds himself in the top 25.
Let that be a tribute to his hard work.
25: Al Horford/Joe Johnson
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One is vastly over paid but very, very skilled.
One is vastly under-rated, yet could be more talented.
I couldn't decide on which one was Atlanta's second most valuable player so, for the only time in this article, I awarded a tie.
Both were large reasons that Atlanta beat the Magic in six games, yet both were large reasons Atlanta couldn't fend off Chicago in the second round.
Good players on a team that just needs one more really good big man or point guard to find themselves in the hunt.
24: Manu Ginobili
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Manu Ginobili was the most valuable player on the team with the second best record in the league. Enough said...
(though this didn't amount to anything, and the rest of the team is still very talented)
23: Eric Gordon
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Along with Blake Griffin (a player who will, in turn, get his place on this list soon), Gordon is the key to this franchise's long wait to finally make a splash in the league.
Eric is a terrific three point shooter, and although he has been known to shoot too many, he will be more free to give up the ball to the players that the Clippers are slowly bringing in to complement that nucleus.
Gordon gives other teams a reason not to double team Griffin, cause he will always knock down the open trey. This is a very valuable asset for any squad to have.
22: Monta Ellis
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Ellis is one of three players on the Warriors who are best known for hitting threes. His progress has been fun to watch, and he has some unbelievable talent.
That said, with too many players who just won't play D on one team, no kind of offense will get them into the playoffs. Ellis is definetely the most accomplished out of him, Curry and Wright, but soon you will see that he is not the most valuable.
However, in a multitude of ways, the Warriors need hum. He has learned how to attack the basket, now if he only learned how to play D, he would be a top player on a top team. If the front office doesn't feel the need to win now, by all means, polish Ellis into an all-around player.
If not, they could get even better value by dealing him away.
21: Stephon Curry
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Curry fits perfectly with the Warriors run-down-the-court-and-throw-up-the-first-decent-look-from-downtown approach, as he has been a ball hogging superstar since high school. Take this away though, and Curry has actually really improved his passing since joining the NBA and, save his defense, has shown potential to one day be a top ten player in the league.
Though it's fun, him and Ellis can't do anything significant in the back court. He has to be the more valuable of the two because he has more time, and from what we've seen, is more willing to learn the rest of an arsenal.
Curry will probably never the face of a prominent franchise, but any franchise could definetely use a player of his caliber. With the Warriors keen on getting more star power, Curry will be a very helpful asset in the near future.
20: Paul Pierce
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Paul Pierce has been through it all. A young player on a very good team. A very good player on a very bad team, yet he stuck around with the Celtics. Finally, he got what he wanted when he was joined with two other aging superstars, and won a championship together, and lost in one more.
This season, Pierce proved to be the most valuable of those three on a team and, if as young as Rondo, the most valuable on the team. Sadly, he isn't as young as Rondo so is not nearly as valuable to the Celtics organization as him.
Yet, day in and day out, though his slow play would see to claim other wise, he gives it his all and is continuously the go to guy in the clutch.
This merits him a place this high on this list.
19: Josh Smith
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Over the course of the season, Josh Smith showed that he could be very, very good, or very, very bad. In 2009-10, he had a career year; a big part of that was that he cut his threes attempted from 87 to 7. He no longer settled for jumpers. Instead, he attacked the rim and his inhuman athleticism helped him finish with ease. Why, then did he end up launching a career-high 154 threes in 2010-11 (he made only 51).
When he is attacking the rim, he is one of the thirty best players in the league offensively. He has wonderful passing ability for a man his size. Throw in his great shutdown D and you have on of the top 20 players in the NBA.
However, even when he settles too much, Smith will always be vital to Atlanta because he can do pieces of everything, He scores, rebound, blocks shots, gets steals, passes and hustles after every ball. A playe like that is always hard to find.
18: Zach Randolph
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If this slide show was most valuable player of the season/playoffs, I would estimate that Randolph would be in the top 10 (though I won't lie and say I didn't bump him up a few spots after seeing what he did for his team in the first and second round.)
But let's talk about the season; Randolph finally became the player all the teams he had bounced around from thought he could be. He stopped letting his emotions get the best of him (which he credits to becoming a father) and started letting his play do the talking.
Ideally, he continues this way and by the end of next season can be a potential top 10 candidate on this list.
17: Amare Stoudemire
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Earlier on in the year, a list like this one might pit Amare as high as number 6. The Knicks' entire offense revolved around him.
In mid-February, all that changed, when the Knicks finally brought in Carmelo Anthony from Denver. Of course, Stoudemie had already co-exsisted with a superstar, but this time it was different. But, 'Melo was a totally different package than Suns teammate Steve. True, they both suck at defense, but Anthony is always looking for his shot whilst Nash is looking for anything BUT his own shot.
Nonetheless, Amare easily proved that he was more important that Carmelo to the Knicks. Amare had New York well ahead in sixth, and possibly fighting for the fifth seed when Melo arrived. They instantly went downhill, and thankfully they were able to hold onto number 6.
Again, in the playoffs, with Stoudemire sidelined, Melo never looked to pass and the shorthanded Knicks were swept away by the Celtics.
16: Pau Gasol
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Gasol drastically hurt his stock in the postseason. Prior to that, he was considered the best power forward in the league. All that changed during a 10-game span. Gasol was soft on offense and defense, as LA was swept away with ease by the Dallas Mavericks.
Since, Gasol has been the subject of multiple trade rumors, none bigger than he being part of a package deal to get Dwight Howard in purple and gold.
All that said, Gasol is still a valuable component to the Lakers. He was nothing short of great during two championship runs, and proved his value over the season as the Lakers played very well when he was in. Even if he has played his last year in L.A., his legacy will remain there for more.
15: Kevin Love
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A year ago, it looked as if the Wolves would really regret trading Mayo away for Kevin Love. Now, David Kahn actually looks good.
Love has quietly become the best white American basketball player on the league, and though you can denote him to a good stat player on a bad team, his rebounding and scoring arsenal is through the roof. Like so many other on this list, yes I've also noticed the trend, his defense has to improve to move higher than fifteen on this list.
But for now, the key to the T-Wolves franchise hinges on his shoulders. Good thing they're big.
14: John Wall
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It sucked that his teammates were so bad; not necessarily talent wise but maturity wise. Hopefully, it doesn't affect what I consider a once in a life time talent. John Wall has all the offensive and defensive talent to be the next Iverson, yet an Iverson willing to pass the ball and glory to other teammates.
John Wall is unlucky that Griffin counted as a rookie this year, because the ROY was his for the taking without Blake. Still, this can't be considered anything less than a very good season for Wall. With his athleticism and surreal speed, it's almost impossible that good things won't come for the Wizards in near years.
13: Russell Westbrook
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These playoffs have made me rethink putting Russell Westbrook in the top fifteen, but his ability to put the game in his hands while also getting teammates involved is a rarity in today's NBA, so this spot is well deserved.
At this point, he just needs to realize that Durant is still better than him on the offensive ends, and that in close games he should get the ball. This and realizing that his three point shot isn't quite as good as he thinks it is, can easily land Westbrook in the top ten.
12: Rajon Rondo
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As Bill Simmons puts it in his terms, Rondo is a "table test guy".
Let me post what Simmons writes:
Rondo may have replaced Gary Payton as the all-time Table Test guy: Has anyone in basketball history ever brought more things to the table and taken more stuff off the table? In Sunday's Miami win alone, he finished with a triple-double, demanded to cover LeBron and disrupted him for a couple of quarters … and in the last few minutes, Miami played 40 feet off him and dared him to win the game. In close games, Celtics fans are an emotional mess: We want Rondo to shoot, we don't want him to shoot, we don't know what the hell we want.
The enduring Rondo question: Does he get enough done in those first 44 minutes (routinely spectacular, consistently excellent) to offset the last four minutes (when his outside shooting, porous free throw shooting and fear of getting fouled become such major liabilities) and the strategic conundrums he inadvertently creates (like when smart teams leave Rondo alone and use his defender as a double-teamer/extra rebounder)? I honestly don't know the answer. I just know that, when he shoots the ball in a big spot, I want him to shoot it … but I'm always surprised when it goes in.
Couldn't have said it better myself...that's why I didn't.
11: Lamarcus Aldridge
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I think Lebron said it best when he claimed that leaving Aldridge off the Western Conference All-Star team was "the biggest snub in all-star history."
Lamarcus had always been unbelievably good, but this is the first year he realized how good he was. He sometimes demanded the ball, and rightly so, down low and if you watched him play, he would switch with Camby to guard the hotter of the two big men.
His confidence alone propelled him to almost a top ten talent. There's no way he shouldn't have made the all star team.
10: Deron Williams
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Leaving the Jazz, and ending Sloan's career in turn, obviously dropped Williams value. But the second he left, and for a good point guard too, Utah's season went down the drain. Moreover, when he played, the Nets weren't dismal; actually they were rather okay and, for a such a bad team, became fun to watch.
In my opinion Deron is still one of the better point guards in the league, and to see what he could do with Lopez and a bunch of scrubs should be an indication around the league that Williams could really shine with a good team.
No one should forget how much he did for the Jazz when Boozer and Okur and Sloan were at their best.
Our first top ten value player. The rest just gets even more interesting.
9: Blake Griffin
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The first good thing for this franchise since...well, since a long time. Griffin was everything and much more for these Clippers and still, and this is scary, has so much more he can do.
His offensive game revolves around his athletic ability, but rumors have it that already this summer Blake has been working tremendously on his shooting range. Defensively, he has room to improve, but by no means is he a bad defender.
L.A Clips are going to be good soon, with a very talented young nucleus making up their team. Believe it or not, they could be the better L.A team in a matter of years.
8: Dwayne Wade
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It's still hard to believe someone who isn't even the most valuable player on his own team can be one of top ten more valuable players in the league.
Wade at times strikes me as by far the best in the league with his tendency to get and ones and his ability to transform rebounds into fast breaks, but also at times strikes me as vastly overrated because of his inconsistent shooting touch and sometimes ball hog mentality.
Basically, on any given night, Dwayne can go far fifteenth on this list to second or first. Average it out, and I put D-Wade at number eight.
(Look at his playoff statistics, sometimes amazing sometimes mediocre, as proof of his unpredictability.
7: Dirk Nowitizki
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The player who's season/playoff value would jump the most/even more than Randolph's. Dirk is the most unguardable player in the league with his over the head jump shot, and his off balance three pointers. Oh, and don't forget, he's 7 feet but way too quick for your average NBA center. The biggest mismatch in the NBA.
And last little tidbit: Dirk is old, in a supposedly youngster ruled league, and is dominating his younger competitors.
Though his teammates are very, very good, Dirk is really the only reason they make the playoffs this year, and the only reason they find themselves one step away from the NBA finals.
6: Chris Paul
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Let's start off by saying that Chris Paul is injured; and he's been injured all season. He refuses to admit, like any great competitor, but teammates, friends, and coaches alike all see it.
Which means one thing; Chris Paul almost single handedly carried what should have been a 40 win team, a playoff seed without their second best player for the end of the ride, and to six games against the defending NBA champions injured.
He's the best pure point guard in the league, only Williams comes close, and though most superstars would be demanding a trade by now, he's been standing confidently by his team the whole time.
Add this player to the Knicks, and I truly think they're better than the Heat trio.
5: Lebron James
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Last year, an easy number one. Admitting to the public that he needed two other superstars to do the job moves him to number five. In my opinion, the most talented in the league; maybe by a lot. But obviously his value drops knowing that his team could be in the hunt with a small forward not named Lebron James.
If he wins a championship this year, maybe it moves up to number three or two, but for now I think he will calmly remain at the four or five stage on the value list.
4: Kevin Durant
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Durant is right now the best pure scorer in the league, and has had the highest PPG average in the league for two straight years now. And if Westbrook gave up the ball just a reasonable amount less, he could easily average 35 a game, no matter how crazy that sounds.
Kevin should use his height to an advantage more in scoring in the post, but why fix something that isn't broken, right?
His defense is actually very impressive, as he continuosly uses his long arms as a strength. If Durant leads his team to a championship now, at this age, it's blasphemous to assume he won't go down as one of the best to have ever played.
3: Kobe Bryant
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These playoffs finally proved that Kobe has limits. He can't carry a team that's having huge struggles anymore. But what's a sentiment that isn't passed around enough is this; before joining the Lakers, all the players were struggling. Odom had made his mark in the league as a very talented player who didn't care enough; now, he shows huge heart and was sixth man of the year. Pau Gasol was a hated man even in his own city; now he's a back to back champion.
Bryant makes his team adjust to his personality, and his personality is "perfection or nothing else." I hate to have watch him dwindle these playoffs, but never take away his value. It is definitely in the top three.
2: Dwight Howard
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Yet another player who's value should go down after the playoffs. But in the regular season? He carried a team that underwent a huge trade, found themselves with a team that was meant to shoot threes but actually couldn't really shoot, and ended up putting everything on Dwight's very broad shoulders.
Dwight's defensive game has never been in question: he just recently won his third straight DPOY award, which should be seen as a very, very incredible accomplishment.
But this year his offensive game also flourished, and he almost always found himself double teamed in the point without another post presence on his team to take that seriously. If not for the player above's break through, Dwight would have found himself at number one.
Oh well...
AND AT NUMBER ONEEEEEEE
1: D-D-D-Errick Rooose
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Was it even a question? His MVP basically cemented him at number one, but even before them it was obvious.
No one did more for his team. He carried a team that had one of their best players injured at almost all times, and, the times they did all play together, to a great record. Teams play their defense against Chicago all based on how they are going to guard Derrick.
But even more, opposing guards greatly fear his defensive prowess and his tendency for steals.
Much like Kobe, Derrick's team bought into Derrick's style. A pedal to the metal the whole time, and a great worth ethic. Plus, he remains the most down to earth and modest star in the NBA.
Rose, you are my most valuable player. Not that that matters compared to your actual MVP.
