CP3 for MVP

In the midst of the NBA Playoffs, a heated debate has sparked.

No, it's not about who will replace Isiah Thomas in New York or how the NBA can let the Sonics move from Seattle.

It's a question of who will be the most valuable player this season.

It comes down to two players and it will be sure to come down to the wire.

On one hand you have Kobe Bryant, the proven winner, the guy that gets MVP chants every time he hits the Staples Center floor. His face is on every billboard in California, and he loves to be the center of attention (think Colorado girls and jumping over Aston Martins). He's the one who demanded a trade over and over again in the off-season because at the time, his teammates played worse basketball than Philip Seymour Hoffman in Along Came Polly.

In the other corner is Chris Paul, a youngster who has taken the NBA by storm. He has given life to the sport in New Orleans. CP3 has also led the Hornets to the number two seed in the tough Western Conference. Keep in mind the Hornets did not make the playoffs in the Western Conference until this season.

With all due respect to other MVP candidates like Kevin Garnett and LeBron James, their play this season has not come close to having the impact of Paul and Bryant.

It seems like every year at this time, Bryant's name is mentioned, but he has yet to win the award. It's a shame that Bryant's best chance to win comes when Paul hits the spotlight.

Even with Paul's spectacular season, people expect KB24 to win the award hands down. I don't see that to be true.

What Bryant did all the years prior to this season was actually more impressive. Sure they were knocked out in the first round the past two seasons, but he flat-out carried the Lakers on his back once Shaquille O'Neal left. This year, after his constant complaining, Kobe finally got some talented teammates in Los Angeles.

Kobe is now in a situation where he is expected to win a championship. Pau Gasol is an All-Star that gives them a playmaker in the post. Andrew Bynum, despite injury, has become one of the better centers in the NBA. Once he returns to the playoffs, I fully expect the Lakers to reach the Finals without breaking a sweat.

Also, believe it or not, bench players like Ronny Turiaf and Jordan Farmar have stepped up their games so much that the Lakers can afford to now give Kobe an occasional rest on the bench.

This is why CP3 should be the leading candidate for the MVP. What he has done is nothing short of a miracle. The year before Paul landed in New Orleans, the Hornets won only 18 games.

When Paul arrived, Hurricane Katrina slammed New Orleans and relocated the Hornets to Oklahoma City. While playing on the road the whole season as a rookie, Paul led the Hornets to 38 wins, a 20-win increase from the year before.

This season, Paul has become one of the elite players in the NBA. I mean the guy averaged a double-double (21.1 points and 11.6 assists per game) in his third year in the NBA.

Dare I say that Chris Paul, at the age of 22, is the best point guard in the NBA? He has made power forward David West look like Karl Malone, and has helped players like Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler play at the highest levels of their careers. You can't tell me Bryant has made Gasol or Lamar Odom significantly better.

Most importantly, take CP3 off the Hornets roster and you have a disaster. The roster wouldn't work, the Hornets would not make the playoffs, and the fans would not have come out to support the team. The people of New Orleans have enough to do as it is, such as resurrecting their city, that they wouldn't bother supporting a losing team.

Take Kobe off this years' Lakers team and you still have a playoff team. Sure, they would not be nearly as good, but with Gasol, Odom, Derek Fisher and "The Great White Hope" Luke Walton, the Lakers would have enough talent to make the playoffs in the West.

Not since John Stockton has a point guard taken over the game like Chris Paul has. It is relatively scary that he is the same age as most seniors at our school, and yet dominates the NBA like he is a seasoned veteran.

The sky is the limit for CP3, and I'm glad that I'll be able to experience the maturity of such a great player.