Welcome to Round 8 of the NBA Blogger Most Valuable Player / Rookie of the Year Rankings. We like to call this the ¡Vota me! Edition in adulation of our most revered Slam Dunk Competition participant, the man pictured below who was mercilessly disregarded by the judges.
What are these ranking all about? You can get the lowdown at BrewHoop — the official birthplace and archive for all that is Blogger MVP/ROY.
Illustrious contributors – take a bow (in order of submission, since as we know, timing is everything*):
- Dream Shake – grungedave
- Rufus On Fire – David Arnott
- NBA Mate – robd
- Piston Powered – Dan Feldman
- BlazersEdge – Ben
- Daily Thunder – Royce
- Slam Dunk Central / Le Basketbawl – Jeff Sack
- Bucksketball – Jeremy Schmidt
- And One – Carolyn
- Brew Hoop – Alex
- 3 Shades of Blue – Joshua Coleman
- A Stern Warning – mookie
* Just ask Rudy Fernandez about timing after watching Pau Gasol botch eight consecutive dunk “assists” off the rear of the backboard.
Most Valuable Player (rank, player, average points-per-vote)
1. LeBron James (9.9)
NBA Mate: “It’s ironic that Lebron has been the #1 MVP candidate all season because of his supreme team play and unselfishness, yet only individual performances like his 55 against Milwaukee will keep Kobe at bay in the MVP race.”
3 Shades of Blue: “There simply aren’t words to describe what he does on a nightly basis…unless you want to sound like Dick Vitale after a case of Red Bull.”
Bucksketball: “If Lebron James is hitting 8 threes in a game he’s turned into Shep from Above the Rim.”
Slam Dunk Central: “Could we all just declare right now before February comes to a close, that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James can be named this season’s MVP? I am not advocating pushing up the start of the NBA Playoffs, or suspending the playoff chase. However, as well as Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and D-Wade have played this season “The Chosen One” has already clinched the award in this longtime NBA observers opinion.”
A Stern Warning: “First on every ballot, bar one. ‘Nuff said.”
2. Kobe Bryant (7.8)
Dream Shake: “Shooting 23 times in 27 minutes in an All-Star game is rather arrogant. I like that in a basketball player.”
NBA Mate: ” I watched the Lakers v Hornets game. Kobe shot terribly in that game, absolutely terrible, yet I fully expected him to take over in OT. No other player exudes that sense of inevitability like Kobe.”
Le Basketbawl: “The toughest words for any man to write are “I was wrong.” If they happen to be media members who covering sports as their career, degree of difficulty writing those words increase one thousand fold! When Kobe Bryant rejected to have surgery on his ailing digit before the season, I predicted he would end up missing time in December or January to have the procedure. You proved me wrong Black Mamba, you are tougher than I gave you credit for.”
3. Chris Paul (6.9)
3 Shades of Blue: “His numbers in the 5 games since coming back from injury: 23 ppg, 9.2 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.4 spg, .667 FG%.”
Slam Dunk Central: “A once in a generation pure point guard, who averages a double-double almost every night. A player who you build a winning team around.”
A Stern Warning: “We’ve all seen that CP3 is invaluable to Nawlins, perhaps never more so than when he is out of action.”
4. Dwyane Wade (5.8)
Daily Thunder: “Shame to see 50 points go to waste. Even bigger shame to see 50 points go to waste in a 23-point loss.”
NBA Mate: “Dwyane Wade is like one of the dudes in Voltron. Except there’s not five of them – it’s just him. He has to run around to each of the Lions with a different set of keys, start them up and fly them together to form the Voltron robot before launching on a quest to defend the Universe. At the end of the day he has to park them all himself, one in the forest, one on the statue, one underwater, one in the desert, and one in a freaken volcano.”
3 Shades of Blue: “He scores 50…and his team loses by 23. Get this man some help!”
Le Basketbawl: “He has taken the Heat on his back all year long, and now has them in the thick of the playoff hunt. Jermaine O’Neal will be a god-send, to D-Wade who will know how best to utilize his skill set.”
Dream Shake: “He’s going to need all the support he can get after Nelly sues him for trademark infringement. Which only adds insult to the injury of ‘it looked stupid, anyway’.”
5. Dwight Howard (5.3)
3 Shades of Blue: “He’s failed to grab double-digit rebounds twice…since New Year’s Day. That’s straight-up manly.”
Slam Dunk Central: “A throw-back a classic pure center cut from the same stone that Wilt, Moses, Russ, and Kareem were made from. A man among boys in the modern NBA.”
NBA Mate: “With KG going down Orlando could finish with the third best record in the league. With Jameer Nelson out of action, this really is Dwight’s time to shine.”
A Stern Warning: “Forget your fancy uniforms, you’ve seen the one and only time Dwight Howard will stand there and let someone dunk over him this season.”
6. Tim Duncan (4.8)
Rufus On Fire: “What will Tim Duncan say in his Hall of Fame induction speech? We know Shaq will do an extended comedy routine. Steve Nash might cast his career in political terms. But Duncan? He’ll probably just say thanks to Pop, Parker, and Robinson, and call it a day. Then go score 42/25 in some competitive rec league that weekend.”
Dream Shake: “Loses points for losing to the Knicks in the first game back from the break.”
Bucksketball: “Duncan’s music after he scores should be Mr Roboto by Styx. He is more reliable than any appliance I’ve ever had.”
7. Brandon Roy (3.0)
NBA Mate: “Brandon Roy is like an ultrathin condom – reliable, penetrates effortlessly, and sometimes you don’t even notice it’s there.”
Dream Shake: “He may be a top 3 guy by next year.”
3 Shades of Blue: “The most remarkably efficient player I’ve seen so far this year. Some wouldn’t see that as much of a compliment, but he’s better than anyone realizes.”
A Stern Warning: “He is the tempo, heart and only consistent force on a Blazers team that would be virtually undiscussed if not for his presence.”
8. Chauncey Billups (1.4)
Le Basketbawl: “I have the feeling that if the Association had a “Mulligan” rule, when you could have a do-over, Pistons President Joe Dumars would still see Billups in a Detroit uniform.”
NBA Mate: “Billups’ numbers have dropped since the Big Dog Carmelo came back to piss all over the yard and reclaim his territory. But everyone is really eager to see how this Denver team fares in the postseason and that has nothing to do with Melo and everything to do with Chauncey. Also, look at how shit Detroit are now.”
A Stern Warning: “Billups to Detroit: How you like me now??“
9. Deron Williams (1.1)
Daily Thunder: “Rapidly rising due to his incredible performances against top tier opponents. He should definitely be in the discussion right now.”
Slam Dunk Central: “Bill Gates says life is not fair, Deron Williams may personify that. If he came along 5 years ago he would be the Gold Standard in point guards. His misfortune to being a distant second to CP-3.”
A Stern Warning: “I’m quite sure that I’m right in saying that Deron has not made the top 10 before this week — a sign that he is doing something special at the turn of the All-Star break. Think he felt snubbed, not being invited to Phoenix?”
10. Kevin Durant (1.0)
Dream Shake: “For all the people who thought the Thunder would be the worst team of all time, say hello to your 2010 scoring champion.”
Rufus On Fire: “His defense is shockingly poor; Tyson Chandler would have been a huge addition, as a shotblocker inside. Regardless, Durant’s electric scoring gives him a token tenth place vote, here.”
Daily Thunder: “Does anyone realize (or care) that this guy is averaging almost 32 points a game over the last month and a half? He’s at 26ppg now… is the scoring title completely out of reach?”
3 Shades of Blue: “From gunner to greatness, Kid Delicious has improved in nearly every facet of the game this season and has failed to score 30 in only one game this month. He only scored 20 that night. Time to give the kid the proper amount of respect.”
A Stern Warning: “People are growing bored of talking about Kobe and LeBron’s MVPness, but bring up the topic of Durant and you’ll certainly get some heated debate.”
Others receiving votes (in ranked order): Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Danny Granger, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Steve Nash, Andre Miller, Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, Mike Bibby, Tracy McGrady’s MRI Results.
Rookie of the Year (rank, player, average points-per-vote)
1. Derrick Rose (4.3)
Dream Shake: “Just wait until he gets a coach and teammates who care.”
NBA Mate: “I watched Derrick Rose very carefully when they played Detroit and he did NOT look like a rookie. The Bulls are going to make the playoffs, mark my words. Rose has to be your ROY.”
Le Basketbawl: “His single greatest accomplishment has been the resurrection of his back-court partner’s career, Ben Gordon. A tandem that if kept together will some day be a force to be reckoned with.”
3 Shades of Blue: “The only complaint I have about this former Memphis Tiger is that he just doesn’t get to the free throw line as often as you would expect, given his astounding level of skill and athletic ability.”
2. OJ Mayo (3.3)
NBA Mate: “Mayo is facing the Kevin Durant Conundrum: trying to prove you’re a winner when your team loses 90% of the time.”
Slam Dunk Central: “Yes he has a Huge Ego! That turns a lot of folks off, but not in this corner. Mayo can play on my team anytime.”
Dream Shake: “Loses points for blowing a GEIC to —– lead in HORSE.”
A Stern Warning: “Rose v Mayo is the same argument as LeBron v Kobe — do you rate more highly a killer scorer or a facilitator? Watch this space — the ROY race will go down to the wire.”
3. Russell Westbrook (2.6)
Rufus On Fire: “As advertised at the draft, a great defender. When someone figures out how to use him on offense (probably as a small two guard next to a big point, like Gordon or Augustin), he’ll be a top tier player. Not for nothing, going into Friday night, he was right in between Pau and Bosh in adjusted plus-minus.”
Daily Thunder: “Westbrook is the only rookie that hasn’t hit the “wall” yet. Does this mean he’s about to or is there a chance he won’t at all?”
A Stern Warning: “As I noted earlier in the season, Westbrook did the smart thing by hitting the rookie wall at the start of the season and then jumping straight over it with a running start.”
4. Brook Lopez (1.3)
Le Basketbawl: “No doubt the best big man picked in the 2008 NBA Draft. In the Golden Age of the Point Guard in the Association, Lopez shows that a skilled big man has a lot of value.”
3 Shades of Blue: “Tabbed as the “next big stiff bust” by many, this young big man has surprised many by showing that his game fits the NBA style just fine, thankyouverymuch.”
NBA Mate: “Lopez is averaging 17 and 9 through February so far – that’s good for 5th and 7th respectively amongst centers in Feb. That joke I made last time about him being a top ten center is looking increasingly less like a joke.”
Dream Shake: “I still can’t believe he’s actually good. I blame his brother.”
5. Kevin Love (1.0)
Rufus On Fire: “I love the “late-career Charles Barkley” comparison. No idea how he’ll age, but the first eight years will be excellent.”
A Stern Warning: “The master of the outlet pass. Long live Kurt Rambis!”
Others receiving votes (in ranked order): Eric Gordon, Mareese Speights, DJ Augustin, Greg Oden, Mario Chalmers.
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