2007, 2008 NBA MVP Candidates

With the 2007-2008 NBA regular season winding down, it's time to take a look at the leading candidates for the Most Valuable Player award. Here are the top 5 players in order of predicted finish:

1. Kobe Bryant, Guard
Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe is in his 12^th year in the league, and has somewhat surprisingly never won an MVP award (though he has won the All-Star game MVP twice). The most obvious reason was that his most successful years with the Lakers were with Shaquille O'Neal, who usually took home all of the hardware while Kobe waited in the wings. Now in his 4^th year without The Diesel, he finally has had the winning team he's been waiting for. His stats are always impressive: 28.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 84% FT this season. The Lakers have been hovering at the top of the Western Conference for a good portion of the year, which adds to his credentials. One possible setback - technical fouls. As I write this, he is only 1 more technical away from being suspended for 1 game. If that indeed does happen, I think this would be a big blow to his chances of winning. By keeping the Lakers on top and his temper in check, he may finally get the award he's been missing.

2. Kevin Garnett, Forward
Boston Celtics

After spending his first 12 years in the league with the often-lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett has found new life and energy with Boston this season. While Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have certainly played well, it has been Garnett that has turned Boston into a legitimate championship contender. What is interesting to note is that his numbers this year in the major categories have lowered in comparison to his career statistics:

Career: 20.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 4.4 APG
'07-'08: 19.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.5 APG

However, one stat that has gone up is his field goal percentage, from 49% career to 53% this season. No matter what his numbers look like, what cannot be denied are how much he has transformed the Celtics into one of the teams to beat in the entire league. He won the MVP award in 2004 with the Timberwolves, but one can argue that he is even more valuable this season. His arrival has given instant credibility and a winning attitude to a team that has been missing those ingredients for years.

3. Chris Paul, Guard
New Orleans Hornets

Prior to this season starting, I highly doubt anyone, even Chris Paul fans, would have guessed just how fantastically he would be playing. Everything has gone so well for him that not only have the Hornets been battling for the top seed in the West, but he's being mentioned as the best point guard in the league already. In only his 3^rd season, he has seen his scoring and assists go up each year. This year, his numbers leap off the page: 21.6 PPG, 11.3 APG, 49% FG. Throw in 2.7 steals and nearly 4 rebounds a game, and it's not hard to see just how dominating he can be, despite being 6-0 and 175 pounds. His unselfishness has helped big men Tyson Chandler and David West obtain career years. The Hornets have now gone from a fringe playoff-hopeful into a championship threat.

4. LeBron James, Guard
Cleveland Cavaliers

Simply put, the Cavs would be pretty much worthless without LeBron. While other top-contending teams like the Pistons, Celtics, Lakers, and Suns would still be talented without their top players, the Cavs would not even be in the playoff picture, even in the weaker Eastern Conference. Just ask the Pistons how he can single-handedly take over a game when he wants to. His numbers this year have all seen an increase:

Career: 27.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.4 APG
'07-'08: 30.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 7.3 APG

Those career numbers are overwhelming to being with, but to actually increase on them is simply brilliant. What may hurt him in the end is that the Cavs are not one of the top teams in the East, as they are currently holding down the 4^th spot and trying to keep their home-court advantage for the first round. Still, their success is all because he knows how to take a mediocre team and make them look great.

5. Tracy McGrady, Guard
Houston Rockets

While he still missed a part of the season with injuries, what cannot be forgotten was the incredible run the Rockets went on without Yao Ming in the lineup. For those that have forgotten, they ran off 22 straight wins (10 without Yao) that covered the entire month of February and into March. McGrady was the leading scorer in 8 of those 10 games. Most impressive was that teams had to have been focusing on him, and he still found ways to win and be ultra-productive. His scoring output has dipped slightly from 22.4 to 21.8, but he averages more assists this season than in his career: 5.8 to 4.7. As the Rockets have surged to battle for the top spot in the Western Conference, more respect should be given to him for his ability to make not only himself, but his team better as a whole.

*All stats courtesy of ESPN.com*