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Perfect candidates This year's MVP race may be tightest in NBA historyPosted: Friday April 11, 2003 2:07 PMUpdated: Friday April 11, 2003 2:36 PM
It might be the tightest MVP race in NBA history. Kobe Bryant. Tim Duncan. Kevin Garnett. Allen Iverson. Jason Kidd. Tracy McGrady. How does one choose between so many qualified candidates? Do you favor consistent scoring (McGrady)? Quiet efficiency (Duncan)? Unmatched versatility (Garnett)? All-around brilliance (Bryant)? The thing I like about this year’s group is they all play defense. No cherry-pickers here. It’s largely a matter of personal opinion. They’re all worthy. There is no wrong choice. In general, I’ve always felt the MVP should go to the best player, period. If one guy is clearly head and shoulders above the rest (think Michael Jordan in his Bulls days), then he should win it. Only in the absence of a single dominant player should other issues come into play, such as team record and/or how a guy’s team likely would fare without him. This year we have no clear-cut dominant player. The only one who might fit that bill, Shaq, gave up his claim when he chose to have offseason toe surgery right before training camp. McGrady probably was the most spectacular player this season. He averaged 32.1 points per game, the most in 10 years. But the Magic weren’t a very good team, not even in the Eastern Conference. Bryant, meanwhile, was probably the best all-around player. His string of 40-point games in February was absolutely Jordan-like. But his Lakers also struggled for much of the season and -- fair or not -- he has the luxury of playing alongside Shaq. As for Iverson and Kidd, both have been impressive while leading their teams back to the top of the East. But neither has been as good as McGrady or Bryant, and we’ve already eliminated them. That leaves Duncan and Garnett. Statistically, the two are very close. Both score and rebound at a similar rate, and they both carry their teams on a nightly basis. Garnett dishes out a lot more assists, but Duncan gets more blocks and shoots a higher percentage. The difference is that Duncan took the Spurs to a higher level. Since Jan. 1, he has averaged 26.2 points, 13.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 blocks to lead San Antonio to a ridiculous 38-7 record, a full five games better than the next-hottest team (Lakers). Meanwhile, Garnett’s T’wolves have slipped down the stretch. Garnett’s backers like to point out that without him Minnesota would be lottery bound. But the same could be said for San Antonio. At least Garnett has Wally Szczerbiak, an All-Star in 2002. Duncan’s ability to dominate in the low post separates him from KG as well. When the Spurs need a basket, they can throw it into Tim on the low block and let him draw double teams and set up teammates. Garnett is getting better at this part of the game, but he still isn’t as potent there as Duncan. Duncan’s amazing consistency, meanwhile, just makes everything easier for San Antonio. During a key stretch two months ago, the Spurs won eight consecutive road games, including the Blazers, Lakers and Kings, to fuel their home-stretch run. It was a remarkable feat for a team that starts a second-year point guard, Tony Parker, along with Bruce Bowen and Stephen Jackson. And there is no way it happens unless Duncan shows up every night ready to compete mentally and physically. As much as my heart wants to go with Garnett, a hard-working player who is enjoying a career season, my head says Duncan is the real MVP. There just isn't a substitute for winning. Garnett and the others might have been able to lead the Spurs to the NBA’s best record. Duncan did it. He’s the choice here for MVP.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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