Sources (such as ESPN, foxsports.com) are reporting that Kobe is to be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player. An award that is given to the best player from the regular season. He is by far the best player on the Los Angeles Lakers, and arguably the best in the league. But that being said, is he the apropriate choice?Without Kobe, the Lakers would be worthless. It was not until his teammates picked up there game that the team was able to win 50 plus games. Kobe could score all the points he wanted, but without the help of supporting cast he could not drive them to victory.
That being said, it was not until after the Lakers raped the Grizzles for Pau Gasol that they started making a push for the West's number one seed. One could argue that Andrew Bynum made them a different, with that I would agree. But Gasol is a much more accomplished and skilled player than Bynum. Gasol's veteran experience is a reason why he and Kobe have meshed together so nicely (that and Phil Jackson runs a great system of offense). Now when Bynum comes back healthy next season, watchout. The Lakers are liable to be the top in the league.
Kobe is certainly a worthy candidate for the MVP. And if he wins, I will not be surprise or upset. I think there is a better choice. Who? Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets. The man is simply a beast.
Without CP3, the Hornets are barely a one win team, let alone 50 plus. Yes, Paul has Stojakovic, David West, and Tyson Chandler. Those guys are all good solid players. But they were playing for the team before Chris Paul was there. Chandler played for the Bulls, and he did little to help make them contenders.
It was not until the addition of this man that they were able to dominate teams like the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks. He is the playmaker on that team. Paul can score, but what is more important he brings out the best in the players around him. That is what makes players like him special. His play encourages others to step and play bigger than themselves.
So, in my own opinion, Chris Paul should be the MVP. He has been, hands down, the heart and soul of the New Orleans Hornets team all year long. And I would not be surprised to see him lead them all the way to the finals. The first in what could be many trips for a team on the raise. With Chris Paul, the sky is the limit.
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Chris Paul has indeed been instrumental to the Hornets' success this season, and I'm glad to see that such a gorgeous man is also a great floor leader. But if there's one thing that even Chris Paul has acknowledged, it's that his coach, Byron Scott, has done a magnificent job at the helm. The man has inspired everyone on the team to play the way they have been all year. He gives them confidence and closure every step of the way. That's why he's won Coach of the Year.
Look at Kobe Bryant, though. Phil Jackson, who a lot of people adore but who I loathe, did a pretty darn good job in LA. Did his style have anything to do with Kobe's ability to get the Lakers wins, though? Not as much as Byron Scott did for the Hornets. Kobe, who was adamant about getting traded last summer, bit the bullet and decided to become a true leader on a team that lacked one.
He befriended every player on the team and installed a belief that this Laker team can win it all. Andrew Bynum, who made immense strides this season only to then suffer a debilitating injury, believed in what Kobe had to say. Before that, he was just a bum.
Jerry Buss brought in Pau Gasol, and the Spaniard has been Kobe's first mate ever since. He went from being a perennial loser to a potential winner. But I doubt just a change of scenery brought that out of him. I think it's because Kobe's emerged as the go-to-guy both on the court and off.
Chris Paul is indeed magnificent, Kobe Bryant has finally reached the status he was supposed to have reached back when Shaq left. Comparing CP3 to Kobe, the former is young and has plenty of room to get better in the experience department (which is scary considering how awesome he already is), but the latter has definitely reached that elusive peak that comes with experience. The two players' stats may be similar, and their winning records may not be far off, but there's a huge difference between the two when it comes to wisdom. And that's why Kobe's the MVP and CP3 isn't.
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