And the MVP goes to ...

SI's Burns unveils his choice for the league's top award

When it comes to the MVP award, the criteria should be simple: Give it to the best player, period. After all, the league awards a championship to the best team. It ought to have an honor for the top player.

Sounds simple.

Except ... it gets boring picking the same guy every year.

As Danny Ainge noted on TV recently, if the MVP went to the best player, then Michael Jordan would have won it every year he laced 'em up from '87 to '97. Thankfully, voters decided to let Karl Malone, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley get to hold it for awhile.

This season, Shaquille O'Neal would likely be the first player picked by coaches if they had to choose one guy around which to start a team for a playoff series. But Shaq, the '00 MVP, never really brought his "A" game this year, because of injuries and so forth, so it's hard to reward him with another MVP trophy. Like last year, he might have to settle for a Finals MVP.

So in an effort not to be boring (my friends say it's too late), I'm going to go against my normal policy and vote for the guy who, along with being a top player, also made the biggest difference to his team.

MVP: Jason Kidd, Nets

Kidd's numbers aren't eye-popping (15.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 10.0 assists), but if there were a stat for leadership, he would be off the charts. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Suns, he turned around the Nets franchise with his unselfish play at both ends, transforming them from a laughingstock that won 26 games a year ago to a 50-win squad that claimed the franchise's first division title since joining the NBA in 1976. He ranks second in the NBA in assists and third in steals (2.16), hit myriad clutch shots and led his team in rebounds despite standing just 6-foot-4. Most important, he got everybody involved. Not even the EPA could have done a better job cleaning up the toxic atmosphere in the Swamp.

Tim Duncan, Spurs

Like Kidd, Duncan deserves nearly all the credit for keeping his team among the NBA elite. The Big Fundamental ranks in the top 5 in scoring (25.5), rebounding (12.8), blocks (2.42) and minutes (41.0) while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor. Despite an aged supporting cast, his overall effort at both ends has carried San Antonio back to the top in the Midwest Division.

Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers

Still the game's most dominant player, O'Neal ranks second in the NBA in scoring (26.9), seventh in rebounds (10.6), sixth in blocks (2.35) and first in field goal accuracy (57.7 percent). Nagging injuries and the presence of superstar teammate Kobe Bryant will prevent him from winning this award, but he's just too darn productive to leave off.

Tracy McGrady, Magic

Another player who does it all for his team, almost single-handedly. Despite losing Grant Hill to injury, he not only kept the Magic afloat but he also carried them to the upper division of the East. He ranks fifth in scoring (25.4), just behind Paul Pierce, but he grabs more rebounds (7.7), dishes more assists (5.3) and is slightly better defensively than his Boston wing counterpart.

Gary Payton, Sonics

Despite nearly being traded in the offseason, Payton has come back with one of the best overall seasons in his 12-year career. He scored (22.1 points), dished (a career-high 9.0 assists) and played his usual Glove-like defense while leading the surprising Sonics back to the playoffs. Perhaps most impressive, he curbed his temper and became a true team leader.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.

 

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