???The NBA playoffs are here and the team seeds are set. However, one thing is still to be determined. Who will win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award?
???While watching an NBA game on TV, one will often hear the crowd chant "MVP" when their favorite player is at the free-throw line, but many times it is for players unworthy of the accolade.
???Candidates of the award must be amongst the top players statistically and on a winning team. If they were to be removed from said team, then that team would be worse off than any other.
???This criterion keeps my favorite player, Chris Birdman Anderson, and other subpar fan favorites, from getting the award. But, I have chosen the top five NBA players who I feel do qualify for the accolade.
???1. LeBron James
???Finishing the regular season with 28.4 points, 7.7 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game, statistics do not even scratch the surface of how valuable King James has been for his team.
???James has led his team to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time, in addition to leading them to the best record in the NBA (66-16).
???James is statistically having a better season than the year that Kobe Bryant won the MVP award.
???2. Dwayne Wade
???Wade has led his team back to the playoffs, this time without Shaquille O'Neal and a great supporting cast. After not finishing the 2008 season due to injury, Wade has managed to win the scoring title, averaging 30.2 points per game.
???3. Yao Ming
???When Tracy McGrady announced that he was too hurt to finish the season, many people wrote the Houston Rockets out of the playoffs. However, Ming has emerged as the go-to guy for the team. He now has the Rockets believing they can win in the first round of the playoffs.
???4. Dwight Howard
???Howard has been referred to as a man amongst boys due to the way he controls the paint. He ranks first in rebounds per game, blocks per game and total triple-doubles in the league. Howard also ranks first in free-throw attempts.
???5. Chris Paul
???After being in the league only three years, Paul is now being compared to other point-guard greats such as Isiah Thomas and Oscar Robertson. His great ball-handling skills along with his excellent court vision has turned the once mediocre Hornets into an annual playoff contender.
???Shocked to not see Kobe Bryant's name on the list?
???Bryant's stats have declined since last year, which is why I don't understand how he could even be in contention for the MVP award. Yes, he is the best player on the second-best team in the league, but the Lakers finally have a supporting cast, which has allowed Bryant to share the workload.
???I can't say that about the teammates of the players mentioned above.
???When all is said and done, King James should win the award. The Cleveland Cavaliers were horrible preceding James' arrival and horrible they will be if he left for any reason.
???Who else could make Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao household names?
???Let's give James his first NBA Most Valuable Player award. It's one that he has diligently earned and deserves.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
