LeBron James is an animal. If you weren’t convinced he’s the best player on the planet, last years’ playoff run sealed it. In fact, all you really needed to see was his Game 6 performance in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. He won that game pretty much by himself.
Because of LBJ’s ridiculous playoff performance, he sits atop the NBA MVP Power Rankings. In fact, heading into the year he is the heavy favorite for the hardware. Here’s how the rest of the guys rank:
 |
| LeBron can't possibly get better this year... right? |
Pros: As mentioned, the guy is a beast. He’s coming off career highs in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and rebounds. What’s really scary for the rest of the league is that he may just be entering his prime years now.
Cons: N/A; LeBron is the odds-on favorite for the MVP trophy.
2. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
Pros: Durant should be coming back extra-hungry after getting thoroughly outplayed by the Heat in the Finals last year. His peripheral numbers are getting better, as he’s coming off career-highs in assists and rebounds per game.
Cons: If a championship is the only motivation for KD this season, there’s a chance his individual stats slip. Not a huge one, but there’s a chance. Also, if Russell Westbrook continues to take a bigger role for the Thunder, Durant’s numbers could stall a bit as well.
3. Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers
Pros: Kobe’s always a threat for the MVP. He’s the best player on the Lakers, and if Los Angeles ends up topping the Western Conference, Kobe will be in the discussion yet again.
Cons: I’m of the thinking that Kobe is pretty much only driven by championships at this point in his career, so there’s a chance he’s a little more focused on the team this year—to the detriment of his own numbers. Not to mention, his field goal percentage has slipped each of the last 4 years. Also, age and health has to be a concern for Kobe (he's been shut down for the rest of the preseason due to a foot injury).
4. Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics
 |
| Rajon Rondo gave us a taste of his full arsenal in the 2011-12 playoffs |
Cons: Unlike Kobe, the fear for Rondo is that he’s actually primed to take on a bigger role this year. Is he ready? Also, you’ve got to question his pure scoring ability.
5. Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers
Pros: The Clippers have put together a nice, deep squad, acquiring a ton of wing players like Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill and Matt Barnes. Paul will be the guy that makes this group tick, and where there’s a lot of talent, there’s a lot of potential for Paul to play like an MVP.
Cons: The depth that is so promising for Paul, could also be a pitfall for the point guard. There are a lot of egos on this team, and CP3 has to do his best to make sure they’re all happy. Then there's the fact that Vinny Del Negro is still the Clippers head coach, which instantly limits their upside.
6. Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks
Pros: The biggest story for the Knicks this summer was Jeremy Lin leaving for Houston. No one in New York was as happy about Lin’s departure as ‘Melo, who played drastically better without Lin. The Knicks start the year with injury concerns for both Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, so a lot will be asked of Anothony early on.
Cons: There’s a chance the Knicks are overrated, and won’t be that good in 2012-13. Obviously, that’s a negative for Anthony’s chances. Also, ‘Melo’s points-per-game have taken a tumble in recent years.
7. Andrew Bynum, C, Philadelphia 76ers
Pros: During the 7-game stretch the 2011-12 Lakers played without Kobe, Bynum averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds per game. Last time I checked, Kobe didn't come with Bynum to Philadelphia.
Cons: He’s always hurt. Now, I’m not one to assume that one injury-ridden season breeds another necessarily. But, Bynum misses time every year. That’ll hurt any MVP-chances he has. If he suits up for 65-70 games and Philadelphia is one of the better teams in the East, he'll be in the mix.
(Note: Bynum is now doubtful for the start of the season; if he misses an extended period of time, you can expect a drop in the next power rankings)
8. Deron Williams, PG, Brooklyn Nets
Pros: The Nets could be really good. That’ll be the first time in D-Will’s tenure with the New Jersey/ Brooklyn franchise that you can say that. He’s gotta be motivated with the roster he has now, and that could mean a big season.
 |
| Deron Williams could be in for a big year, now that he finally has some talent to play with in Brooklyn |
Cons: I wanted to put Williams higher. Then I checked out his recent stats. He’s declined over the last couple years, and a contending team can’t have their best player shooting just over 40% from the field (D-Will was at 40.7% last year, worst among the top-30 scorers in the league).
9. Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
Pros: No, the Cavs aren’t good, but Irving will finish the season as one of the top point guards in the league. It’ll be tough to top his amazing rookie numbers, but he will. He also makes the list because I wanted an excuse to show these highlights from when he practiced with the Olympic team this summer.
Cons: Again, the Cavs aren’t good. Not at all. That hurts Irving`s shot at the MVP.
10. Kevin Love/ Dirk Nowitzki
No Pros/ Cons here. Both are going to miss the start of the season, which is a real shame. They make the list simply because if they were healthy, they’d both do work.
Also in the running: Dwight Howard, C, Los Angeles Lakers; Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder; Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs; Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers
No comments:
Post a Comment