NBA MVP Rankings - 25 Feb

It was a short week for the NBA due to All-Star Weekend, so there wasn't quite as much movement as you would see in a normal week, but there were still a couple of interesting changes among the top 10 players. Kevin Durant has been doing everything he can to overtake LeBron James, but the gap isn't closing very fast, with the streak the Heat is on. Here are the latest MVP and Rookie Rankings, with rising players in green and falling players in red.

Most Valuable Player


1. LeBron James - MIA - 27.4 pts, 8.1 reb, 6.8 ast, 1.8 stl, .547 FG%, .413 3P%, .773 FT%

LeBron was solid in all three games for Miami this week, racking up 8 assists in each, and even though nothing he did was incredibly spectacular, he has the Heat on a league-leading 8-game winning streak heading into the All-Star Break, and he is the best player in the NBA, playing for the best team in the NBA, which has the best record in the NBA. I can't see any way not to give him the MVP at this point.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 3.4 ast, 1.2 blk, 1.4 stl, .513 FG%, .365 3P%, .836 FT%

Durant was incredible this week, scoring a career-high 51 points against Denver last Sunday, and averaging over 30 points in each of his team's other 3 games, but the Thunder are still not as hot as Miami, and Durant isn't quite the all-around player that LeBron is, although he has definitely improved his rebounding and shot-blocking this season, which will make him an MVP candidate for years to come, but not this year, unless LeBron gets hurt or Miami collapses.

3. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 23.5 pts, 4.8 reb, 5.5 ast, 1.9 stl, .471 FG%, .814 FT%

In the same game that Durant put up 51 points, Westbrook had 40 of his own, making his placement up here in the rankings not seem quite so crazy. Three straight 30-point outings this week were a big reason that the Thunder extended their winning streak to 5 games and tied Miami for the league's best record entering the All-Star Break. We could be in for a very star-studded Finals if everything goes the way it looks like it will.

4. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 28.4 pts, 5.8 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.3 stl, .435 FG%, .828 FT%

Kobe's best game of the week came in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, and his worst game came in their come-from-behind win over the Dallas Mavericks, so the disturbing trend of the Lakers performing better without Bryant continues. It just doesn't seem like a trait befitting an MVP.

5. Blake Griffin - LAC - 21.4 pts, 11.4 reb, 3.0 ast, .539 FG%, .539 FT%

Griffin has now scored over 20 points in 7 straight games, and the Clippers are leading the Pacific Division and looking like they will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, both situations foreign to this franchise. Against San Antonio he put up a 20-20, but then fouled out and the Clippers lost to the Spurs, but he may be the most valuable player in Los Angeles before long.

6. Chris Bosh - MIA - 18.4 pts, 8.3 reb, 2.0 ast, .494 FG%, .817 FT%

Bosh recorded back-to-back 20-point games this week, a tough feat on a team featuring Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, and although it doesn't appear that he has done much different than last year, he has been very instrumental in keeping the Heat from slipping while Wade was out, and has continued to play well even with him back in the lineup.

7. Dwight Howard - ORL - 20.1 pts, 15.3 reb, 2.1 ast, 2.2 blk, 1.5 stl, .554 FG%, .492 FT%

Two losses this week dropped Orlando to fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff race and prevented Howard from passing Kobe Bryant to move closer to Orlando's first MVP, but in both losses Howard scored only 12 points against teams that will likely be in the playoffs, while scoring over 20 points in wins against teams that won't make the playoffs.

8. Kevin Love - MIN - 25.0 pts, 14.0 reb, 1.9 ast, 1.0 stl, .446 FG%, .348 3P%, .833 FT%

The stat line is incredible, but Love is still playing for a team hovering below the playoff line. They have reached the .500 mark, and if they make the playoffs for the first time without Kevin Garnett in franchise history, Love should get serious consideration for this award, as he is the new face of the franchise.

9. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 22.4 pts, 4.4 reb, 4.8 ast, 1.4 blk, 1.7 stl, .502 FG%, .804 FT%

Wade's minutes increased a bit more this week, and so did his production in every major category. He scored 30 points in 30 minutes against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, and handed out 10 assists in the same game while missing only 5 times in 16 field goal attempts. With Wade at full strength, there's no telling how good the Heat will be in the second half of the season.

10. LaMarcus Aldridge - POR - 22.3 pts, 8.3 reb, 2.7 ast, 1.1 stl, .506 FG%, .798 FT%

Aldridge returned from an ankle injury and returned to the top 10 in the same week, and a large part of that was due to his 21 points in 27 minutes against San Antonio on Tuesday in the game that ended the Spurs' 11-game winning streak. He probably would have scored more, but the game was over midway through the third quarter, and Portland coasted to a 40-point blowout of the red-hot Spurs.

Dropping Out

Tony Parker - SAS

Honorable Mention

Tony Parker - SAS
Pau Gasol - LAL

Rookie of the Year

1. Kyrie Irving - CLE - 18.1 pts, 3.5 reb, 5.1 ast, .476 FG%, .415 3P%, .857 FT%

The game might have been meaningless, but Irving was named the MVP of the Rising Stars Game last night that opened All-Star Weekend, scoring 34 points and hitting all 8 of his 3-point attempts in the game. That performance was just more proof that he is the best rookie in the league this year.

2. Ricky Rubio - MIN - 11.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 8.4 ast, 2.4 stl, .375 FG%, .354 3P%, .812 FT%

Rubio has had a great rookie season for the Timberwolves, who waited for two season to get him from Spain, and he has been worth the wait, dominating all facets of the game that a point guard should, with the only noticeable flaw being his shooting percentage, which is among the worst in the league. His passing and defense, however, more than make up for that one weakness.

3. Kemba Walker - CHA - 13.3 pts, 3.8 reb, 3.8 ast, 1.1 stl, .370 FG%, .345 3P%, .800 FT%

Although his shooting percentage is still quite low, Kemba Walker has been steadily improving as his rookie season progresses, even though his team has not. He has had at least 5 assists and 2 steals in each of the last 3 games for Charlotte, and it's looking like he'll become a solid professional point guard.

4. Kawhi Leonard - SAS - 7.0 pts, 4.9 reb, 0.9 ast, 1.3 stl, .464 FG%, .348 3P%, .659 FT%

Leonard has not been getting as much playing time lately as he would like, but when Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out against Portland on Tuesday, Kawhi played 43 minutes, racking up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a losing effort. For a while back in December he was playing nearly 30 minutes per game, but his minutes have been a little more unpredictable lately.

5. Brandon Knight - DET - 12.8 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.5 ast, .413 FG%, .382 3P%, .817 FT%

Detroit has won 6 games in the last 3 weeks, which is pretty good for them, and Knight has been an important part of the equation for the Pistons. Last Friday he tied his career-high with 23 points while also passing out a career-high 10 assists, then bested his scoring feat 3 nights later with 24 points against Cleveland in a 1-point loss.

Dropping Out

MarShon Brooks - NJN