Not Much Separates MVP Candidates

Excluding the lockout shortened season in 1999, only one league MVP has won fewer than 57 games since the 1985-86 season -- Jordan in 1988. That season, the Bulls finished second to Detroit in the Central Division with a 50-32 record and Jordan averaged 35 points per game. No player has averaged that many points in a season since -- but Bryant is well within range, averaging 34.9 points this season.

Kobe Bryant

Bryant has carried a young, mostly inexperienced team that many didn't believe would qualify for the postseason to the seventh-best record in the Western Conference. This has been a season of redemption of sorts for Bryant. He has made up with O'Neal and he is poised to lead the Lakers into the postseason for the first time since O'Neal relocated to Miami, a move blamed largely on Bryant. But aside from his 81-point game -- which will live on as the most memorable moment this season, whether or not Bryant wins the MVP trophy -- USA Basketball is hoping that Bryant will bring the nation back to elite status around the world and has decided to build its team around his immense talents. Bryant has been regarded as a one-man team this season, becoming the first player since Jordan in 1990, to score more than 2,500 points in one season. His scoring barrages have even been encouraged, at times, by Coach Phil Jackson. But his MVP campaign is hampered because his production comes often at the expense of his teammates -- and the Lakers are on track to win just 43 games. The most they can win is 46. Without Bryant, though, the Lakers would've been lucky to win 23.

Dirk Nowitzki

The Mavericks are one of just three teams that could finish with at least 60 wins, often the benchmark for the MVP award, so Nowitzki has an outside shot. While there is no argument that Dirk is the best player on a talent-laden team, it's hard to really consider him the MVP, because he doesn't impact the game much aside from scoring. His rebounding, assists, steals and blocks are also down from last season.

Chauncey Billups

The Pistons have had the best record all season, but through no fault of Billups, he is a member of the best starting five in basketball. They had the same starting lineup for the first 73 games this season -- not only is that crazy, it's unprecedented. Although Billups has been the engine behind the best machine in hoops, where would Detroit be without Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince? They've all been essential to Detroit's success, which makes it difficult to single out Billups. It's not as if teams enter games with intentions to shut down Billups exclusively. If they do focus on Billups, any one of the Pistons' starters could easily take over the game.

Dwyane Wade

Since Jordan retired the second time in 1998, the Eastern Conference has produced only one most valuable player -- Iverson in 2001. Given the depth of the Western Conference, there certainly has been a West Coast bias in MVP voting that could negatively impact Billups, Wade and James.

Wade and James have been awesome in their third seasons, staging a classic showdown last week during a nationally televised game. Both players have their respective teams in position to make noise in the postseason, a first for James and a first for Wade in the role of team leader.

With O'Neal in the midst of a decline, Wade has carried the Heat to a Southeast Division title and the second-best record in the East, averaging career-highs in scoring (27.7), rebounding (5.8) and steals (1.87). He has arguably been the best all-around player in the league this season and the Heat is on pace to win 54 games this season -- the same as Nash's Suns. But Wade hasn't been able to lead the Heat to victories against the league's elite: Miami is 2-12 against division leaders this season.

LeBron James

At age 21, James has led the Cavaliers into the playoffs for the first time in eight years and has them in position to claim homecourt advantage in the first round -- despite missing Larry Hughes for 45 games with a broken right finger. James will become the fourth player in history to average 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a season, joining a small fraternity that includes Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. He ranks second in the league in player efficiency, behind Garnett, and first in the "Roland Ratings" at 82games.com, which is the equivalent of the hockey plus-minus ratio and compares how well a team plays when someone is on the floor and how poorly it plays when he's off it.

James still, justifiably, receives criticism for failing to take shots in the clutch -- but he has put his team ahead for good in the fourth quarter nine times and assisted on several game-winning baskets. Some could also argue that Cleveland doesn't have enough wins to justify James winning the award, but his campaign is almost identical to Jordan's campaign in 1988 -- Cleveland is on pace to win 50 games and finish second to Detroit.

The Winner?

So who should win the MVP? Reluctantly, it's Nash, by a nose. For now. The race still isn't over.