Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls Would Both Be Lost Without Their Superstars, but Which Player Deserves the MVP?
With the 2010-2011 NBA regular season coming to a close in a month's time and the playoff teams in either conference all but set, one of the only things worth arguing about at this point is the race for the NBA's MVP award.
As far as most people are concerned, the front-runner for the MVP this year is none other than Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. Now in his third year in the league, Rose has taken his game to new heights. His 24.7 points per game represent a career high; so do his 8.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
With Rose leading the charge, the Bulls currently sit tied for first in the Eastern Conference, and they definitely have the goods to make it to the NBA Finals.
Meanwhile, down in Orlando, Magic center Dwight Howard is being his typical dominant self. He is generally acknowledged as a candidate for the MVP, but there doesn't seem to be much of a push for him to actually win the award.
Why not?
Indeed, as much as we want to talk about Rose stepping up his game, Howard has also made some improvements. He can do more than just dunk the ball on offense now, and he is also averaging a career high in PPG with 22.8. He is also still the most dominant defensive player in the league, and he could very well take home his third straight Defensive Player of the Year award.
With Howard, the Magic are a very solid team. They currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, and they could very well make their way to the Finals once the playoffs start.
Without Howard, however, the Magic would probably be doomed. They have some good players, but it's hard to see how they would be able to threaten anybody in the East without Howard doing work in the paint.
You could obviously make a similar argument as far as the Bulls are concerned, and it's true that they wouldn't be nearly as dangerous without Rose. The way I see it, neither team would be very good without their respective superstar in the mix, the Magic just look much weaker once you take your eyes off of Howard. And in fact, it wouldn't be hard to see them out of the playoff race altogether without Howard.
The Bulls, on the other hand, have plenty of talent around Rose. For example, despite the fact he's battled injuries this year, Carlos Boozer is still a two-time All Star. When he's on the floor, he's one of the better power forwards in the league. Outside of Howard, the Magic don't have a player of Boozer's caliber.
In any case, this is just my two cents on the MVP race, and you don't necessarily have to agree with me. Just don't start screaming in my ear about LeBron James, because I honestly don't want to hear it.
For more on this matter, check out our Power Rankings for Each of the NBA's Year-End Awards.
Sergio Romo Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside Mike Fontenot Brett Pill Pat Burrell
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