As big as a Laker fan I am, I can see the writing on the wall that Kobe Bryant is the dark horse for this season's Most Valuable Player award.
The clear-cut favorite is NBA darling LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. I say so because LeBron's resume this season fits the MVP voters' requirements:
- Team success - LeBron has led the Cavs to the best record in the league so far;
- Individual stats - LeBron is averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. This is probably one of the best stat lines since Oscar Robertson's triple double average in the early 1960's;
- X-Factor - I think a lot of voters think LeBron's time has arrived. A lot of folks primarily attribute the Cavs' success to LeBron's play and leadership.
Kobe, on the other hand, is in the MVP discussion, but not so high on many llists. Because...
- Team success - Kobe has led the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2nd best record in the league so far;
- Individual stats - Kobe is averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, which is superb by NBA standards. But for MVP considerations, it's weak compared to LeBron's stat line;
- X-Factor - A lot of people argue that Kobe has a stronger supporting cast (Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum) compared to LeBron's posse (Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Zydrunas Ilaguskas), thus his contribution to the Lakers success is diminished. Also, I get the impression that if you take away Kobe and LeBron from their respective teams, the Cavs will be crippled severely.
So there, I have several reasons to believe that Kobe has a long shot to get this season's MVP award. And I think it's a shame because the Lakers have had the best team success this season since the dynasty years.
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I have to agree with you. I believe Kobe won't be able to get MVP twice in a row. Especially with this big loss against Portland, whom they may meet in the playoffs, Kobe has really changed in the last two years. It might be good for the Lakers but I liked it when he would dominate the game.
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