NBA Predictions 2011: 5 Sleepers for the NBA MVP Award

Last season saw Derrick Rose emerge as NBA MVP.

D-Rose lit up the stat sheet night in and night out for a stand out season and was of worthy MVP honors.

With that said, no one other than Rose himself actually expected him to do such a thing. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard were all expected to take the MVP last season. What Rose accomplished was breathtaking and heroic. He defied the odds, worked on his game, and anticipated the payoff.

Are there any players who might sneak up on us this year to take the NBA's top individual honor?

Let's explore five sleepers for this year's NBA MVP Award.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks should be excited about the 2012 NBA season.

The Knicks return Amare' Stoudemire and Anthony for their first full season together, and also bring in free agent Tyson Chandler.

Anthony has an opportunity to prove he belongs when mentioning the top players in the game. Players like Stoudemire and Chandler will allow him to flourish, while also having dependable forces inside. Carmelo has something to prove, and playing well in the Big Apple will help his chances to win his first MVP Award.

Blake Griffin

We learned last season Blake Griffin is no doubt exciting to watch.

Now, Griffin must prove he is an elite player. We love his inside finishes. If Blake can add post moves and become a force on the defensive end, there is no reason to doubt the Clippers will compete for a playoff spot.

Willing the lowly L.A. Clippers to the playoffs will have Griffin in the MVP hunt for sure.

Deron Williams

Deron Williams should learn from Derrick Rose.

With the right mindset, Williams too can be an NBA MVP...and the right team.

Rumors have been circulating of future free agent center Dwight Howard looking to join Williams in New Jersey. Dwight will obviously get a lot of the attention if he does indeed get traded to the New Jersey Nets, but Williams also could up his game.

Playing with a beast like Howard would only cause Williams to fill the stat sheet with MVP like numbers.

Dwyane Wade

It's time for Dwyane Wade to take over.

ESPN's Skip Bayless recently told Dwyane Wade in an interview that he is the best player in the NBA. It's time Wade started acting like it.

Wade's teammate, LeBron James, deferred to him in the Finals. This should happen the entire season. If the Heat allow Wade to be the dominant scorer he is, the Heat will win big and D-Wade might just get that elusive MVP he should have had long ago.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul will likely be leaving the city of New Orleans very soon.

If he lands in L.A. to play alongside Kobe Bryant, Paul has a great opportunity to grab the NBA MVP Award. The stats can only get better for Paul, and winning will make it all work.

Twenty-plus points per game and 13-14 assists seems about right for Chris Paul, but this only happens in a Laker uniform.

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