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Sports

Kobe's great, not quite MVP material

Stat Boy

Jong Lee

It's still amazes me what Kobe Bryant did against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22. Kobe lit the Raptors up for 81, the second highest single game total, only surpassed by the great Wilt Chamberlain.

Bryant is, without a doubt, the most prolific scorer in the NBA today. Personal opinions aside, I haven't seen someone put on a performance like that since Jordan played through the flu in the playoffs. There's only one other player in the NBA who I can think of who can score at will, and he resides in Houston. He even says how he can't even do that in a video game -- that's how amazing Tracy McGrady thought Kobe's performance was.

This isn't the first time in Bryant's career he's had to carry the bulk of the Lakers' scoring for an entire season. Bryant has willed the mediocre team to seventh in the West and he's looking to push them into the playoffs.

This brings up the debate on whether or not Bryant is the league's most valuable player. If he's able to lock up a playoff spot, he's definitely up for consideration. 

As of this moment, though, I would say no. He hasn't been able to do what other MVPs have done in the past, such as making his teammates better and proving his team is among the contenders.

Let's throw some names in the hat to make this interesting. LeBron James is averaging 31.2 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game. He has placed the Cavaliers fourth in the East, and could win the scoring title but has failed to show that competitive killer instinct that many great players have. Scratch.

Dirk Nowitzki is prime to win it this year, leading Dallas to the best record in the West, tied with San Antonio. Nowitzki leads the Mavericks team, which claims to be rebuilding. With a 34-10 record? With Dallas' great performance, Nowitzki, however, is not having the same season he had last round. He's averaging 25.9 points per game (down from 26.1), 2.6 assists per game (down from 3.1) and 8.4 rebounds per game (down from 9.7).

Elton Brand is a legit candidate. His scoring has increased by 4.5 points per game from last season. He only trails Dirk Nowitzki in scoring by a power forward and his Clippers are only trailing the Phoenix Suns in the Pacific by 1.5 games. But then again, Brand is just having another solid season and the only reason why people are noticing is because the Clippers are winning.

As of right now, the MVP is still Steve Nash. Without Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson, the Suns are still on top of the Pacific Division and hold the fourth best record in the NBA.

Nash averages nearly the same amount of assists he did last year with 11.5. With the lack of offense on the Suns this season, Nash has raised his scoring to 19.1 points per game from 15.5. 

His ability to get the best performances out of his teammates is incredible. Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, James Jones, Eddie House and Leandro Barbosa are topping career averages in points. Before this season, most didn't know who they were, with the exception of Marion, but now they're fantasy studs. 

Nash set a precedent last season that point guards can win MVP awards and with Stoudemire coming back soon, the best is yet to be seen. Count on Nash holding the Maurice Podoloff Trophy once again while Bryant looks on.

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