It's still early, but it's never too early to name the best players in the league, whether it is picking MVP candidates or potential All-Stars. There are several players this season who have been making a case to be included in an All-Star Game for the first time, and I've got a couple of them as starters based on their early-season numbers. Here are my current MVP rankings, with players grouped by similar level of performance, followed by my first All-Star picks of the season.
TW. (LW) Player - Team - Stats
1. (1) LeBron James - MIA - 25.2 pts, 9.2 reb, 6.9 ast, 1.3 stl, .531 FG%, .439 3P%
2. (2) Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.0 pts, 8.6 reb, 4.4 ast, 1.5 blk, 1.5 stl, .515 FG%, .457 3P%, .901 FT%
3. (6) Carmelo Anthony - NYK - 26.4 pts, 6.7 reb, 2.1 ast, .435 3P%, .810 FT%
4. (3) Russell Westbrook - OKC - 21.5 pts, 4.7 reb, 8.7 ast, 2.1 stl, .364 3P%
5. (7) Zach Randolph - MEM - 17.5 pts, 12.9 reb, 1.4 ast, .490 FG%
6. (5) Marc Gasol - MEM - 15.6 pts, 7.4 reb, 4.4 ast, 1.4 blk, .503 FG%, .901 FT%
7. (8) Kobe Bryant - LAL - 28.4 pts, 5.2 reb, 5.0 ast, 1.7 stl, .488 FG%, .394 3P%, .871 FT%
8. (4) Chris Bosh - MIA - 18.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 1.5 ast, 1.4 blk, .542 FG%, .871 FT%
9. (9) Rudy Gay - MEM - 19.1 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.5 ast, 1.1 blk, 1.4 stl, .382 3P%, .773 FT%
10. (10) Tim Duncan - SAS - 18.5 pts, 10.2 reb, 2.6 ast, 2.4 blk, .530 FG%, .783 FT%
Honorable Mention - Joakim Noah - CHI
Kevin Durant is on pace to join a very exclusive club this season, the 50-40-90 club, which has only 7 current members: Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Kerr, Reggie Miller, and Jose Calderon. If he were to win this season's MVP as well, he would become the third player in history to accomplish both in one season, joining Nash and Nowitzki in 2006 and 2007. I'm sure he'd like to add a third accomplishment that the other weren't able to at the time: Finals MVP.
Carmelo Anthony sat on the sidelines as his New York Knicks blew out the Heat in Miami, sitting out to allow his injured finger to heal, but he is the biggest reason that the Knicks are currently the best team in the East and the team most likely to prevent Miami from winning their second straight championship. In the two games he did play, he still managed to average 28.5 points, and he was a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line.
All-Star Teams
Each player's number of All-Star selections is in parentheses.
East
F LeBron James - MIA (9th game, 9th start)
F Carmelo Anthony - NYK (6th game, 5th start)
F Anderson Varejao - CLE (1st game, 1st start)
G Dwyane Wade - MIA (9th game, 8th start)
G Kyrie Irving - CLE (1st game, 1st start)
F Joakim Noah - CHI (1st game)
F Al Horford - ATL (3rd game)
F Chris Bosh - MIA (8th game)
G Kyle Lowry - TOR (1st game)
G Jrue Holiday - PHI (1st game)
F David West - IND (3rd game)
G Rajon Rondo - BOS (4th game)
Honorable Mention: Evan Turner - PHI, Luol Deng - CHI
West
F Kevin Durant - OKC (4th game, 3rd start)
F Kevin Love - MIN (3rd game, 1st start)
F Tim Duncan - SAS (14th game, 13th start)
G Kobe Bryant - LAL (15th game, 14th start)
G Russell Westbrook - OKC (3rd game, 1st start)
F David Lee - GSW (2nd game)
F Zach Randolph - MEM (2nd game)
F LaMarcus Aldridge - POR (2nd game)
G James Harden - HOU (1st game)
G Chris Paul - LAC (6th game)
F Al Jefferson - UTA (1st game)
C Dwight Howard - LAL (7th game)
Honorable Mention: Stephen Curry - GSW, Blake Griffin - LAC
Non-returning All-Stars
Blake Griffin
Andrew Bynum
Dirk Nowitzki
Marc Gasol
Tony Parker
Steve Nash
Derrick Rose
Deron Williams
Andre Iguodala
Paul Pierce
Roy Hibbert
Luol Deng
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Phoenix at LA Clippers - Clippers by 18
Golden State at Washington - Warriors by 5
San Antonio at Charlotte - Spurs by 15
Philadelphia at Boston - Celtics by 7
New Orleans at Miami - Heat by 10
Detroit at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 1
New York at Chicago - Knicks by 5
Atlanta at Memphis - Grizzlies by 10
Dallas at Houston - Rockets by 7
Sacramento at Portland - Trail Blazers by 5
College Basketball
Central Connecticut State at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 29
Temple vs. (2) Duke - Blue Devils by 12
Arkansas at (3) Michigan - Wolverines by 22
Monmouth at (4) Syracuse - Orange by 35
UMKC at (5) Louisville - Cardinals by 31
Long Beach State at (7) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 24
(8) Arizona at Clemson - Wildcats by 3
Colorado at (9) Kansas - Jayhawks by 8
(13) Illinois at (10) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 13
Maryland-Eastern Shore at (11) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 41
Tennessee State at (12) Missouri - Tigers by 17
(14) Minnesota at USC - Golden Gophers by 12
Towson at (15) Georgetown - Hoyas by 17
Valparaiso at (18) New Mexico - Lobos by 9
Loyola-Illinois at (19) Michigan State - Spartans by 24
East Tennessee State at (20) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 33
Brown at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 22
Missouri State at (23) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 32
North Colorado at (24) Wichita State - Shockers by 27
Cleveland State at (25) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 17
Ole Miss at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 6
North Florida at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 24
Wisconsin at Marquette - Badgers by 5
Panhandle State at Wyoming - Cowboys
Prediction Results
NBA: 7-5 (.583) 189-92 overall (.673)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 39-28 overall (.582)
College Basketball: 2-0 (1.000) 227-51 overall (.817)
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