The Philly Phanatics

Hey everyone, now that my short-lived radio career alongside Kyle has ended, I'm back to writing. It's all the better. I'd like to think I'm a better writer than I am radio co-host. But thankfully, I stopped short of pursuing television...I'm told I have a face for radio. And, unlike Roger Clemens, Brett Farve and now Larry Brown, I know when to hang it up and won't try to stay an extra year because I think I "still have it." I'll keep my mediocre legacy intact.

...now on to the real topic: the media screwing a host of NBA superstars by giving Kobe Bryant the NBA MVP award.

I admit that Kobe put together a tremendous season. He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. I cannot dispute the fact that he had a very good season. His team is the number one seed in the Western Conference playoffs, beating out a host of other teams that all were very competitive. (Sidenote: I think for the playoffs the conferences should be referred to as the "Best" and the "Least." C'mon, the Hawks made the playoffs while being eight games sub-.500.) Hell, Kobe Bryant might have even become some type of a teammate after twelve seasons in the NBA. But, while he did put up great statistics, I do not think his season is deserving of the MVP award. Sorry Kobe, I still do not acknowledge you as most valuable. I am certain you are heartbroken that some guy with fewer readers than you have championship rings thinks you are undeserving of this honor.

Personally, I have two guys who I would have voted for ahead of Kobe: LeBron James and my choice for MVP, Chris Paul.

If we look at who had the best season in the league from a statistical standpoint, the answer is LeBron. King James' per game averages are statistically significant not only for this season, but historically. LeBron averaged 30.0 PPG (led league), 7.9 RPG, 7.2 APG (8th in league), and 1.8 steals per game (T-10th). Comparing LeBron and Kobe, LeBron outscored and outrebounded Bryant. LeBron even led the league in field goals, edging out Kobe Bryant who played in seven more games because of LeBron's better FG% (48.4% compared to 45.9%).

Here's where readers yell about the Cavs being a very distant 3rd seed in a very weak conference where the Pistons and the Celtics just schooled everyone else. And here's where I ask readers to tell me where this team would be without him. The answer is somewhere in the lottery. When LeBron James did not play this season, the Cavs went 0-7. Let me amend my answer: in the lottery with a heckuva lot of ping-pong balls.

LeBron also did this while watching a large percentage of his team walk out the door in mid-February at the trading deadline. The Cavs traded away six players, three of which were starters. LeBron took an entire team and had to forge some type of chemistry with a group of new players 55 games into the season. It was a huge deadline deal involved a total of 11 players and 3 teams, but what was left was LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the previous game's starting five.

But on to the person who I thought most deserving of this honor: Chris Paul. The New Orleans Hornets point guard averaged 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game this season. There are very few players in the NBA that can average 20 and 10 every night. But most players do it with points and rebounds, Paul is the only one that did it with points and assists. In fact, he is the first player to average 20 points and 10 assists in 15 years when Tim Hardaway did it in 1992-1993 for Golden State. The list of players who have accomplished this feat is a very short and significant one, with only seven players having done it, including Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and Isaiah Thomas.

Paul also led the league in assists and steals, and turned around a team that went 39-43 last season. The last time New Orleans finished .500 or better was 2003-04, when they finished exactly 41-41. For Paul to lead his team to a 56-26 record (.683 winning %) and a tie for the second best record in the Western Conference with the San Antonio Spurs (one game behind the Lakers). They also play in an unbelievably difficult division in a tight conference. Need proof: only 7 games separated the #1 seed Lakers from the #8 seed Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks with a .622 winning percentage were the fourth-place team in the Hornets' division. Paul truly led his Hornets back from the dead and amongst some fierce competition.

An additional point in favor of Paul for MVP is the comparison to MVPs in the past. The recent benchmark for a deserving season for a point guard has been Steve Nash, who won back-to-back MVP awards in '04-'05 and '05-'06. Paul has smoked Nash's statistics from those two seasons. Nash averaged 16.3 PPG and 12 APG in '04-'05 and 19.2 PPG and 10.6 APG. Paul has oblitherated those marks, arguably making his the best season by a point guard in years.

Based upon Bryant's career statistics, he is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league. Year after year he has been one of the most statistically dominant players in the league. Too bad for him it's not a "most outstanding player" award, but rather "most valuable player." And after breaking this down, I think the most valuable would have to be Chris Paul with LeBron James a close second. Congratulations to Kobe, but a loud "booo" to the voters who robbed Chris Paul this season. Luckily for the New Orleans point guard though, he is quickly proving his dominance at the point guard position and will likely be in the running for the MVP award in future seasons.