There are only two weeks left in the NBA season, and the MVP race is as close now as it has been all season, so the next two weeks will be extremely important in deciding which player most deserves the award. It's probably a two-man race at this point, but there are several other players who should at least be mentioned for their play this season. Players who have moved up since my last rankings are in green, and falling players are in red.
Most Valuable Player
1. LeBron James - MIA - 26.8 pts, 7.9 reb, 6.4 ast, 1.9 stl, .530 FG%, .363 3P%, .763 FT%
James has been picking up his game this month, but the Heat have not been following suit. Miami has now lost 6 of their last 12 and appear to be locked into the #2 seed in the East yet again, which means that they will have to beat the Bulls in Chicago in order to advance to the Finals again. LeBron's 41 points against Philadelphia were a season high and led Miami to a very important victory over a potential first-round foe.
2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.6 pts, 7.9 reb, 3.5 ast, 1.2 blk, 1.4 stl, .500 FG%, .377 3P%, .856 FT%
Just when LeBron and Miami started to look beatable, Oklahoma City also went into a lull, losing 4 of their past 7 games and actually losing their lead in the West for a day. The Thunder, unlike the Heat, rebounded and regained their lead in the conference, and Durant could end up as the MVP favorite if they win the West, and especially if they are able to overtake Chicago for the league's best record.
3. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 24.1 pts, 4.6 reb, 5.4 ast, 1.7 stl, .466 FG%, .328 3P%, .819 FT%
Westbrook does not have much of a chance of being named MVP, especially since most people recognize that Durant is the Thunder's best player, but the great season he's had may end up being the thing that prevents his teammate from winning it, because he may siphon off just enough votes to throw the voting in LeBron's favor.
4. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 28.1 pts, 5.4 reb, 4.6 ast, 1.2 stl, .430 FG%, .845 FT%
Kobe's candidacy took a hit with him missing four games with a shin injury, especially since the Lakers seem to be playing better in his absence. They have won 3 of their four games, with the only loss coming against a hot Suns team that it fighting for its life right now, and impressive wins over Denver and San Antonio without Bryant in the lineup.
5. Blake Griffin - LAC - 20.6 pts, 10.9 reb, 3.1 ast, .543 FG%, .524 FT%
Griffin hasn't been at his most effective lately scoring points, but he's been doing the other things well, missing fewer shots (except at the free throw line, where he's looking like Shaq), grabbing more rebounds, and turning the ball over less. The Clippers have also moved into the #4 slot in the West, and with the tiebreaker over Memphis in hand, they will probably have home court advantage in the first round.
6. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 22.5 pts, 4.9 reb, 4.7 ast, 1.3 blk, 1.7 stl, .497 FG%, .788 FT%
Wade has not been at full strength lately, and trying to play through the pain seems to be hurting his team. In the three games he has sat out this month, Miami is 3-0, with an average margin of victory above 17, but they are only 1-4 in the five games he has played, with all four losses coming against teams that will be in the playoffs, so if Miami wants to prove that it's better than the rest of the league, it needs to beat the playoff teams more than 20% of the time.
7. Pau Gasol - LAL - 17.3 pts, 10.5 reb, 3.4 ast, 1.4 blk, .506 FG%, .770 FT%
Pau is stepping up his game in April, and has played even better with Kobe out of the lineup, taking his season average from 17 before this month to 18.5 in the first four games of the month to 22.5 in four games without Bryant, and the Lakers have strengthened their hold on the #3 spot in part due to the strong play of the Spaniard.
8. Kevin Love - MIN - 26.0 pts, 13.3 reb, 2.0 ast, .448 FG%, .372 3P%, .824 FT%
Minnesota's season is pretty much over, with the team nearly eliminated from playoff contention already, and Love's season may be done as well due to a concussion he suffered against Denver on Wednesday. Even though the Timberwolves will not make the playoffs, Love has had a great season, joining only Shaq and Hakeem in the past 25 years as players who have averaged at least 26 points and 13 rebounds for a full season.
9. Chris Paul - LAC - 19.3 pts, 3.5 reb, 8.9 ast, 2.5 stl, .479 FG%, .368 3P%, .856 FT%
The biggest difference in the LA Clippers this year is Chris Paul, who came to the team right before the season began and led them to a winning season, a rarity for one of the worst franchises in history. Paul showed what makes him so great last Saturday against Sacramento, when he scored 19 points, handed out 15 assists, and came up with 7 steals while making all 6 of his free throws in the victory over the Kings.
10. Andrew Bynum - LAL - 18.6 pts, 12.1 reb, 1.4 ast, 2.0 blk, .564 FG%, .680 FT%
Bynum looked like he was headed out of the MVP rankings after spraining his ankle and sitting out a game and a half, but he has come back strong, grabbing 30 rebounds against San Antonio on Wednesday, the most any player has earned in any game this season, and the Lakers were able to cool off the surging Spurs. The following game, against a Nuggets team that is right on the edge of missing the playoffs, Bynum stepped up with 30 points and the Lakers won their third in a row.
Dropping Out
Dwight Howard - ORL
Honorable Mention
Josh Smith - ATL
Carlos Boozer - CHI
Dwight Howard - ORL
Tony Parker - SAS
James Harden - OKC
Chris Bosh - MIA
Paul Pierce - BOS
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