Kobe to win the MVP

ESPN is reporting Kobe Bryant will be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2007-2008 season. It’s his 1st MVP and the 1st for a Laker since Shaq in 2000 when he and Kobe won the 1st of three straight titles in LA.  I like this pick, I think it makes the most sense.  The consensus was the Lakers were in trouble at the beginning of the year, and Kobe not only stuck with the team but led them to the top seed in the West despite losing Andrew Bynum and playing a good chunk of the post-trade deadline games without Pau Gasol.  I said on the Young Guns last week if i had a ballot, it would have looked something like this:

1) Kobe Bryant  2) Chris Paul (verrry close #2) 3) LeBron James 4) Kevin Garnett 5) Dwight Howard

I think Kobe and Paul were almost a 1 and 1A, I gave Kobe the slight edge because his team beat out Paul’s and he probably had a bit less to work with than the younger star.  LeBron is so underrated (yes Deshawn Stevenson…UNDERrated) it isn’t even funny.  This guy is beyond legit and has less help than any of the other candidates.  The Big Ticket made a good team great, and his intensity and passion are not to be overlooked, but he’s not the MVP in my eyes, too many other more deserving candidates.  Dwight Howard quietly had a monster year, but it’s not his time to be an MVP…yet.

I was hearing the same “not his time” comments about Chris Paul months ago and I was disputing them.  Chris Paul’s ceiling is one of the best 3 point guards of all time…that’s how good he can be.  LeBron’s ceiling is best player of all time…and Kobe might BE the best this game has seen.