10 Reasons Why LeBron James Will Win MVP Next Season

He's won two MVPs in the past and finished third last year, so what exactly is holding LeBron James back from securing a third MVP award in four years?

Absolutely nothing.

Even with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by his side, James was still able to prove he's capable of statistically leading a team in just about every way, much like how he did with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Perhaps the greatest reason as to why James was still an MVP hopeful last season was due to how well he adjusted to his new team after dealing with momentary struggles throughout the year.

James had a lot to sacrifice when joining his new team and did just that by giving the spotlight up to Wade and Bosh while also attempting to stray away from his previous habits in Cleveland of dominating the ball and dictating the flow of the offense. Rather than transitioning that type of play to Miami, James made attempts to try and learn how to play off the ball and thrive off his teammates rather than himself as he did for years prior.

Now that he'll be motivated more than ever before after a tough NBA Finals loss, have healthy and new teammates and possess a better understanding of his team in general, there isn't much else holding James back from possibly coming out and winning an MVP along with an NBA title next season.

It is possible for James to right previous wrongs, and he's going to do so next year whenever the season does start back up. Winning MVP would be a good start to that journey.

Best Player on Best Team

The NBA MVP award is like no other.

Unlike sports like the NFL or MLB where the MVP award goes to the player who had the best statistical season, the NBA MVP will be awarded to the player that carried the greatest impact on the best team in the league. It's always been a disputed award in the NBA considering just who exactly has received it over the past few seasons.

Take a look at the 2005-'06 season when Kobe Bryant averaged 35 points per game with an 81-point game just to stir the pot some more. Surprisingly, Bryant didn't walk away with the award and it went to the Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash, who was only averaging 19 points and 11 assists per game. What gave Nash the advantage was that his Suns had finished a 54-28 record, compared to the Kobe and the Lakers, who only had a 45-37 record that season.

It even happened this past season when many would argue that Dwight Howard was a more deserving recipient of the award instead of Derrick Rose. However, the Bulls' 62-20 record beats the Magic's 52-30 by a mile, and that's all that needs to be said.

Why not let the trend continue this next season? The Miami Heat finished four games back of the Bulls last season, which is still impressive considering that the team started out 9-8 and had a five-game losing streak at the beginning of March. Both of those troubling instances came during some major soul-searching periods for the newly formed team and it could be assured that occurrences like that won't be happening as often next season.

I've said before that Dwyane Wade is the best player in the league, and it's a belief that I'll stand by. I say now that LeBron James is the best player on the team because of how much more often the team looks to him on offense rather than Wade and Chris Bosh. James was the statistical leader last season and he will be for the duration of his time with the Heat.

Athleticism

Are there critics out there that still stand by their firm belief that LeBron James won't walk away with a title by the end of his career?

Michael Jordan isn't playing on another team and he's got Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on his side. Trust me, he's going to be fine.

With James not even 27 years old, the two-time MVP still has plenty of time to win a championship or two, as well as a few more MVP awards while he's at it. His driving force and the greatest aspect of his game that will allow him to reach these heights is his athleticism, which is among that of the elite athletes in the game today.

What separates James the athlete from other NBA athletes is that he knows how to use his athleticism to his advantage on just about every occasion. He finds shots easier, has deeper range and can keep defenders on their toes because of his ability to either hit from the mid-range or the scarier thought of allowing James an open lane.

It doesn't appear that James' athleticism is going anywhere anytime soon either, as he was finishing off more electric plays and having an easier path to the rim thanks to his new teammates than ever before in his first season with the Miami Heat. He's one of the league's most durable players and is also it's most athletic as he utilizes it to his advantage whenever he wants to make a clear path to the basket for an easy score.

Set to be 27 years old by the start of the season, James is still going to be a freak athlete with the ability to perform more acrobatic finishes and score easier than ever before. Since he's also going to possibly come into the season with a more consistent jumper and even a post game, James will be able to use his athleticism to get to the rim at a more efficient rate considering defenders might want to shadow him and focus more of their attention on James' newest traits that he's instilled in his game.

Adjusted with Offense

Becoming accustomed to your team's offense and knowing the tendencies of your teammates will assist anyone if they actually want to make adjustments and learn how to fluently run in their teams style of play.

No two players had tougher times adjusting to their teams offense than LeBron James and Chris Bosh, who had to deal with quite a few rough stretches to finally maintain some sort of consistency within the Miami Heat offense. With both players trying to make the adjustment from superstar surrounded by role players to superstar surrounded by other superstars, James, Bosh and Wade would all have their fair shares of struggles when playing without the ball in their hands.

Whether wires were getting crossed, players weren't being found were they wanted to take their shots, or one player would dominate the ball too much, the Miami Heat's newly formed trio would find an extreme lack of production in their offense despite it being led by three players that had all averaged at least 24 points per in the season before.

By the end of the season, however, they were getting it together and actually showed off some consistency by the time the postseason came around. It's understood that the Dallas Mavericks showed just how inconsistent the Heat's offense could be, but a zone defense is designed to personally deter players like Wade and James from driving.

They won't see it again for a long time if coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley found out what it takes to break zones like the one the Mavericks ran.

With James now comfortable with his new team and now showing off some chemistry and cohesion with his fellow superstars, he can finally get back to work and drastically improve that 27 points per on a career-high 51 percent shooting last season.

That's sarcasm if you didn't already know, Fouad.

Less Hype Surrounding Other Candidates

Disclaimer: I enjoy Derrick Rose's play. He is a superstar and a premier athlete through and through, and I do believe that he was deserving of the MVP award last season, so don't get startled when you witness the statements I'm about to make of his MVP season.

Face it: LeBron James didn't stand a chance when it came down to winning the MVP award last season.

It was tough enough admitting he had no chance when he joined the Heat for the sole purpose of winning a championship and leaving behind the individual awards, but it certainly didn't help when he had to compete with an MVP that was the media darling and being regarded as the anti-LeBron for the entirety of the season.

What did the fans want to see? James triumphing over everyone for his third consecutive MVP or the humble, young breakthrough star that was leading the Bulls to their best season since the Jordan years?

With James struggling to find his niche in Miami and Rose helping to lead the Bulls to a 62-20 record, the reigning MVP didn't stand a chance against the up-and-comer that took advantage of the situation regarding the award. Rose was most certainly the best player on the best team, but the voters might have given a little too much credit to a player that was greatly supported by one of the league's top benches and a defense that was on par with the New York Knicks of the 1990s.

James still somehow found a way to finish third in voting behind Rose and the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, but could very well find himself back in position to take the MVP award now that he's comfortable with his team and the hype surrounding players like Rose has died down.

Rose will still give James a run for his money, but Kevin Durant and Howard might also emerge as front-runners with Durant only improving with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Howard continuing to put the Magic on his back.

Improvement in His Overall Game

It turns out that it is possible for LeBron James to improve. After all, all we heard from James' critics last season was his inability to do this or that instead of focusing on his already elite arsenal.

The critics once again have fueled James' fire. With constant criticism surrounding his abysmal post game, James has actually taken the initiative to search for help from famed post-player Hakeem Olajuwon as a means to improve his footwork in the post. Watching James attempting to post-up last season was ugly to watch at times, as he had no prior knowledge of playing with his back to the basket.

Now that players like Shawn Marion have exposed that weakness in the NBA Finals, James has received help in the post and even showed off some of the improved footwork in a few of the summer games that he has partaken in.

If James can learn how to play with his back to the basket, it will only add to an already stacked arsenal that he has possessed for the past seven seasons. Defenders would have to find new ways to keep James at bay since they won't be able to force him to play with his back to the basket like they were before.

Perhaps they could still force James into difficult jumpers from 25 feet out? His overall perimeter game has always lacked and it's been the go-to move by his defenders to allow him to shoot at will from outside of the paint. The only problem with this now is that James actually appeared to improve his jump shot last season with the Heat.

It wouldn't come as a surprise either if James admits that he worked on his jumper this offseason along with refining his post game. He has shown a clear indication that he wants to improve as an individual and teammate by admitting that he went to get help to improve a part of his game and it shows great strides in James' overall game physically and mentally.

Which leads us to...

A More Mature Player

One of the biggest gripes dealing with LeBron James is his mentality and maturity.

He's always been held in high regards for his athleticism and physicality as it's been the staple of his overall game. It's what has allowed him to win two MVP awards, make it to two NBA Finals and help lead the Cleveland Cavaliers out of obscurity and the Miami Heat out of mediocrity.

We get it, LeBron. We all know that you're one of the greatest physical specimens that's ever stepped onto the hardwood, now let's see what you can do mentally.

That's always been one of James' greatest weaknesses. He's never been an elite player when it comes to utilizing the mental part of his game. He'd rather allow his athleticism to do the talking which has gotten him this far in life, but is also holding him back considering that he's one of the greatest players to play the game and still hasn't won a championship.

Athleticism can get you far in basketball, but teams can adjust to that. Defenses can't adjust when you actually utilize the mental part of your game by finding new ways to score, keeping defenses wondering what you're going to do next and using court awareness to your advantage rather than attempting to do it all on your own.

James showed great maturity when sacrificing playing time and the spotlight that we all thought he clamored for when joining the Miami Heat and he's continued to show it this offseason by staying out of the media's way and not making any comments that have turned him into the social pariah that he is today. Not only that, but the ego-maniac that his critics picture him as has also openly come out and said that he actually went to get help from a different player to improve his game.

Next season we will not only see a better physical player, but a better mental player as well. He's shown great strides in his maturity over this roller-coaster ride of a season as a member of the Heat and can now transition that to next season where he will use that maturity to stay motivated and on the course.

Speaking of that whole motivation deal...

Man on a Mission

We thought LeBron James was motivated already with all the criticism and hatred that he has received equally from analysts, Cavalier fans and just people that don't respect LeBron James for the fact that he's LeBron James.

It almost carried him to an NBA championship in only his first season with the Heat, but he came up two games short in the worst way possible. Even after being the leader of the Heat throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs and eliminating the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics on his own accord, we have all seemed to forget about how quality of a player he was in the first three series of the postseason up until the NBA Finals.

The NBA Finals was an absolute travesty for James as we saw a player completely different from the one we saw in the month prior. James wasn't driving, he was hesitant, had no confidence and it was just an all-around dismal performance from a player who was proving everyone wrong with some unbelievable performances in the postseason. He finished averaging only 17 points per and it just wasn't enough for a team that desperately needed his aggression and physicality to win.

James almost became a liability for the first time in his career. He couldn't stop his assignment on defense, since he had no confidence, and wasn't playing aggressively, which allowed the Mavericks to regain their energy in time for the fourth quarter so that they could beat what became a two-man team in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

All of that talk is coming together again as the reason for the Heat's NBA Finals loss is being pitted on James, which is an honest assessment considering that he averaged 10 points per less than he was in the regular season and it caused the offensive and defensive load being placed on the shoulders of Wade yet again.

James is going to be motivated than ever to prove his doubters wrong once again. It would not come as a surprise to see LeBron leading his team to the NBA's best record and a title victory because of all the fuel that has been added to this raging inferno known as the hate of LeBron James.

Improved Statistics

Remember when there was talk about LeBron James possibly pulling an Oscar Robertson by averaging a triple-double in his first season with the Miami Heat?

Yeah, I thought that was hilarious, too. James doing just about everything with the Cleveland Cavaliers and he still couldn't best anything more than 29.7 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 boards per. Averaging a triple-double is just about near impossible considering how methodical offenses are run in today's game compared to when Robertson played where defense wasn't too much of an option.

Still, James impressed in his first season with the Heat by averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and seven assists per. Not exactly triple-double numbers, but impressive nonetheless considering the circumstances that James was put through. By circumstances, I mean having to adjust with his new team, playing alongside role players that weren't consistent and losing the two best role players that could have greatly added to that assist total.

For James to average nearly nine assists per to go along with 30 points per, he had to have shooters that could knock down the open jumpers that they were receiving courtesy of James attracting double teams and taking the attention off of the perimeter. When James would drive in Miami and have to kick out, all he would find beyond the perimeter were Mario Chalmers and James Jones.

Jones was the teams best three-point shooter last season and that is saying a lot considering that he barely received any sort of playing time since joining the team in 2008.

With James adjusting to the offense and the team getting its main role players back from injuries as well as possibly some players that can catch and finish under the rim, he should be able to see a drastic inflation in his offensive production when it comes to assists.

Rebounding will be the only stat limiting James, but it won't matter too much considering that James could very well average a double-double in points and assists if given the chance to run the point without dominating the ball.

Consistent Defense

Here's one aspect of his game that needs absolutely no improvement and will only continue to assist James in his quest for a championship and the off-chance that he locks up an MVP award in the mean time.

James certainly doesn't limit his athleticism to just driving and slashing on offense. He's also a notoriously stellar defender and has been a member of the All-Defensive first team for the past three seasons for good reason. He's a stellar athlete when it comes to defense as he's fast enough to keep up with guards while still being strong enough to defend forwards of all sizes.

LeBron is one of the few players in the league that can legitimately contain players that reside from the one to four spot. What James lacks for in size against the taller power forwards, he makes up for in strength and agility when harassing those players into ill advised shots or turnovers.

The Heat ran a small lineup a number of times last season with James playing at the four and it actually worked more efficiently than what anyone could have anticipated.

Aside from being an excellent individual defender, as seen by his defense on Derrick Rose in the conference finals where he limited the MVP to 1-of-15 shooting, he's also a notable team defender that's notorious for being quick enough to intercept passes in the lane and possibly the most famed aspect of his defense: the chase-down block.

While some might argue that the chase-down block isn't as respectable as the usual going straight up to block the shot, it takes an unbelievable amount of timing, speed and knowledge of the opponents' tendencies when racing up from behind at full speed to strategically block a shot before it has a chance to hit off the board or get above the cylinder.

James remains today as one of the league's top defenders and it's going to help carry the Heat to another deep postseason run and a possible MVP nod for "the King."

Improved Performance in the Clutch

I'm still perplexed as to how we can still deem LeBron James as inept when it comes to performing in the clutch.

It seems as if a lot of people watched the NBA Finals for two weeks and no one tuned in to the Eastern Conference Playoffs for a month. Or maybe there are people out there that blocked that out of their memory as to continue this facade in believing that James is unable to perform in the clutch when in actuality, we did see him perform quite well.

For the first time in his career, we saw James consistently perform in the clutch for a month-long stretch throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. He was an absolute force that couldn't be contained as he was able to drive and score at will or sit back and nail three-pointers while also nailing the coffins of his opponents futures. We have seen James show off signs of performing in the clutch before, but never at a rate where he did so over three playoff series rather than just a brief week-long stretch.

It was an unbelievable achievement in James' career to see him finally approach these pressure situations with confidence and without thinking of the pressure that comes with missing the shot rather than picturing the shot go in. James went out there at the end of those games against Boston and Chicago with confidence and the swagger that we see him play with in the first three quarters.

Now that he has the confidence of knowing that he can perform, the Heat should be able to expect to see James perform in the clutch at a consistent rate now. What makes a player being recognized as clutch is their consistency when they are in pressure situations. There's a huge difference between a player that will go out and net you a few shots in the final five minutes of a game then the player who throws up a shot at the buzzer and makes it thanks to the grace of the basketball gods.

If LeBron can transition those performances in the Eastern Conference playoffs to next season and beyond, he could see an MVP in his future as well as a few titles.