(Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls)
With the NBA regular season coming to a close and the playoffs just around the corner, the league will soon hand out its awards to the players, coaches and executives they believe have made the greatest contribution to their team and community.
I won't try to predict any winners, but I will make known who I think is worthy of the highest regular season honor there is in the NBA. Being chosen to an All-Star team does represent the love and admiration of the fans, which is great, however the awards such as the MVP are much more individualistic and say a lot about how winners are viewed by their peers.
MVP (Most Valuable Player):
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
This may seem like a cop out to those who follow the NBA media, but this choice is far from a bandwagon joy ride. Derrick Rose, much like past MVP winner Kobe Bryant, has carried his team from last place in the playoff standings at 8th a year ago, to 1st place overall in the Eastern Conference expected to be dominated by the Heat and Celtics.
It being only his 3rd year pro, Derrick Rose has done this with players far less popular than Shaq, Kevin Garnett, 3-point record holder Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Derrick Rose finds himself among the top 10 in assists dishing out to players like Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, all while still being able to score just under 25 points per game. The Bulls currently stand at 51-19, with the 2nd place Boston and 3rd place Miami not far behind.
It's not numbers alone that make Rose top contender for this award. Watching him in action you can appreciate his speed, shot accuracy. great point guard decision making and ability to create plays from essentially nothing. Part of the reason he is playing at a such a high level may have something to do with his participation in the FIBA Tournament last summer. He unlike most players did not take the summer off. Other notable players showing much improvement this season such as Kevin Love, Kevin Durrant and Russell Westbrook all participated in the world basketball championship, ultimately winning the Gold Medal.
The Bulls defensive will be explored later when I discuss my choice for coach of the year, but in short they are 2nd in the entire NBA when it comes to defensive efficiency. That includes points allowed, opponents rebounds, steals and blocks.
It being only his 3rd year pro, Derrick Rose has done this with players far less popular than Shaq, Kevin Garnett, 3-point record holder Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Derrick Rose finds himself among the top 10 in assists dishing out to players like Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, all while still being able to score just under 25 points per game. The Bulls currently stand at 51-19, with the 2nd place Boston and 3rd place Miami not far behind.
It's not numbers alone that make Rose top contender for this award. Watching him in action you can appreciate his speed, shot accuracy. great point guard decision making and ability to create plays from essentially nothing. Part of the reason he is playing at a such a high level may have something to do with his participation in the FIBA Tournament last summer. He unlike most players did not take the summer off. Other notable players showing much improvement this season such as Kevin Love, Kevin Durrant and Russell Westbrook all participated in the world basketball championship, ultimately winning the Gold Medal.
The Bulls defensive will be explored later when I discuss my choice for coach of the year, but in short they are 2nd in the entire NBA when it comes to defensive efficiency. That includes points allowed, opponents rebounds, steals and blocks.
Honorable Mention:
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Kevin Durrant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Past Winners:
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan
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