And the Race is On…

By Theo Williams

Before March, 9th 2009 fans and spectators of the NBA were involved in a heated debate about which NBA superstar would win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. Before March 9th, 2009 Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were entwined, not only in a race for the NBA’s MVP award, but also in a race for regular season supremacy and home court advantage through out the playoffs. Then came March 9th, 2009…….

“Here at the American Airlines Arena the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls are tied 127-127 in double overtime with: 11 left to go and Chicago coming out of a timeout. The Bulls inbound the ball to John Salmons, who looks like he will hold the ball for the final shot. Salmons at the top of the key….Ten seconds…..Eight seconds….Six seconds, Salmons drives toward the basket on Mario Chalmers. Salmons cuts back, and Dwayne Wade out of NOWHERE with the steal with: 03 left to go!!! : 02 left, Wade for the win, has to settle for the Three……IT’S GOOD!!!! IT’S GOOD!!!! The Miami Heat win the game off of the Dwayne Wade Three Pointer!!!! Oh man, we are watching one of the great players in the history of the NBA…”

Dwayne Wade ended up finishing that game with 48 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Not only is this when D-Wade officially placed himself squarely in the discussion for who is the NBA’s league MVP, this is when D-Wade etched himself into the frontal consciousness of the average NBA fan. No one had seemed to noticed that the former NBA Finals MVP had been ranked either 1st or 2nd in scoring (currently 1st) for the majority of the season, not to mention overall efficiency rating (currently 3rd). Or, how about the fact that he has taken a team full of journeymen and rookies, essentially, who last year struggled to accumulate 15 wins, to being the 5th seeded team currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture… So it took a dramatic double overtime, game winning steal and a buzzer beating three point shot, plus a Jordanesque stat line in order for him to even have the privilege of simply entering the discussion of League MVP.

Now, I’m not trying to deny that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant both have their own legit arguments as to why they should be the NBA’s MVP. Both, Kobe and LeBron are on teams that have the NBA’s best records, both with Conference leading squads (Cleveland 2.5 gms better overall than L.A. but The Lakers hold the tie breaker if one is needed). LeBron is currently 2nd in the league for scoring (28.6), 10th in the NBA for assists (7.3 apg) and leads the league in Efficiency rating (which is used to figure out a players overall production while on the court using an assortment of stats and formulas). Not to mention the fact that he is an absolute physical anomaly, reportedly at 6’8” and 270 lbs, with an improving jump shot to the point where he can now hit three pointers from Lake Erie. There is no question he is seen as the future of the league by most of the writers and MVP voters, and you can’t be the future without MVP(s).

Then there is the reigning league MVP Kobe Bean Bryant. At the start of the season, and even immediately following the All Star break, Kobe and the Lake Show had looked to be the premier team in the NBA, vanquishing both teams, at home, that presumptuously stood in their way of an NBA title. Those teams naturally included the team that had defeated them in the NBA Finals the year before, the Boston Celtics and the then undefeated at home Cleveland Cavaliers. But statistically speaking, in my opinion, Kobe isn’t in the conversation. He’s behind both Wade and LeBron, in scoring (27.7 ppg), assist (1.83 apg), and efficiency (24.8). And, in the case of assist, Kobe “Ballhog” Bryant doesn’t even rank in the top 30; meanwhile both Wade and LeBron are in the top 10, respectively.

So where does that leave us? It leaves us with the two shining stars from the talent draped ’03 draft class, LBJ & D-Wade, The King & The Flash, Lebron James & Dwayne Wade… With a little over 10 games left to play in the season its anybody's guess as to which of the two will walk away with the coveted MVP award. My guess is it's going to end up being presented to LeBron James, considering the fact that Cleveland is in prime position to have the best record overall in the NBA and home court advantage throughout the playoffs, and that’s fine and well. But, when I consider the fact that the Miami Heat are a far less talented team (journeymen and rookies), that barely scrapped together 15 wins last season, plus a rookie head coach, minus an inside presence, until Jermaine “The Big Slouch” O’Neal showed up by way of a trade for their no. 2 scorer in Shawn Marion, and they are currently sitting 5th in the Eastern Conference standings??? Please, given Dwayne Wade being in the top 10 in practically every meaningful statistical category, I personally think it would be absolutely ludicrous for this years NBA MVP award to be anywhere else, than in Wade County.