Le Basketbawl

Bill Gates says that Life Isn’t Fair and I’m afraid that is true. We have been asked by BallHype to provide our 2008-2009 NBA MVP as well as three consolation selections. I personally believe that there are five candidates that deserve to be mentioned; however I am a team player and I play by the rules. Unfortunately that makes my job just a little bit tougher! Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This!

Different NBA observers have different parameters as to what constitutes an MVP. To me it is literally the Most Valuable Player; not the best player in the league, the one who means most to their team. A few years ago I was offended when the Major League Baseball Writers Association awarded the American League MVP to Alex Rodriguez when he played for the last place Texas Rangers! With or without A-Rod the Rangers would have been in last place. His personal stats were amazing, by far the best in the league; but where was the value? So to me personal numbers come in second to what you mean to your team.

And so with the explanation out of the way let us then proceed to the three runners up and our MVP Choice:

4) Chris Paul-New Orleans Hornets: CP-3 is the point guard of his generation; if he stays on course not only will he end up in the Basketball Hall of Fame he will become legendary. He will be talked about with the likes of Bob Cousy, Tiny Archibald and Isiah Thomas the greatest of all time. Paul is averaging a double-double for the season 22.9 points and 10.9 assists per game. However the Hornets have not come close to scaling the heights they hit last year and with that CP-3 falls to number four..

3) Dwyane Wade-Miami Heat: Yes Pat Riley made the acquisition of the trading season picking up Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon for the Playoff drive. But the reason that “Riles” made the move was due to one man D-Wade. Wade has been the reason that the Heat went from a Lottery team last year to a legitimate contender this year. The Heat will most likely lose in the second round of the Post Season but it will be D-Wade that gets them that far.

2) Dwight Howard-Orlando Magic: In the “Golden Age of the Point Guard” Superman is a reminder of when Behemoths ruled the Association. D-Howard has no legitimate competition in the pivot position and he has yet to peak! Realistically the Magic should have dropped out of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference when they lost Jameer Nelson for the year. Somebody forgot to tell Howard that!

MVP SELECTION:

LeBron James-Cleveland Cavaliers: I was extremely fortunate to be at the right place at the right time for 3 NBA seasons. Those happened to be the first three years that LBJ was in the Association; I covered him as a Radio Reporter as Sports Director for Metro Networks in Cleveland. I was also fortunate enough to cover him for the two games played at the Q Arena as the “Chosen One” played in the 2007 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. LeBron was amazing his first campaign in the NBA and he continues to grow in leaps and bounds each season. Without LeBron James the Cleveland Cavaliers are the team heading to Seattle to take the place of the Sonics. With him the Cavaliers may win their first NBA Finals in June.

Every NBA fans has their favorite Superstar player. Whether it is “The Chosen One“,” Black Mamba“, “CP-3“, “Superman” or “D-Wade” they all have their fan bases. But what about non-superstars, guys who do not have  the name recognition of the aforementioned group, but that always bring something to the floor? Guys like Louis Williams in Philadelphia, Sasha Vujacic with the Lakers or Leon Powe from the Celtics. Players who are pluggers who give maximum effort when ever they are on the hardwood.

My good buddy Don from With Malice would like to find out who do you enjoy watching on a nightly basis from the rank and file players of the Association. And he is sponsoring a contest to give you incentive to join in. You can be eligible two win a prize package filled with goodies from VOLTAGE the new energy drink from the makers of Mountain Dew. All You have to do is click this link and tell Don who is your favorite NBA non-super star and why you like their game! What could be simpler? Check it out at With Malice!

We are very pleased and honored that Le Basketbawl was asked by our friends at BallHype to participate in The Blogger’s Choice: NBA Playoffs 09 — Round 1 Predictions. They were revealed on Friday, as we attempt to predict what will happen in the first round of the upcoming NBA Playoffs. Here are the choices made by Le Basketbawl:

Eastern Conference

First Round

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers (8) Chicago Bulls Winner: Cleveland

(2) Boston Celtics (7) Philadelphia 76ers Winner: Boston

(3) Orlando (6) Detroit Winner : Orlando

(4) Atlanta Hawks (5) Miami Heat Winner: Miami

Best Match-ups : Cleveland should have the easiest series as their front court should dominate the Bulls even with Chicago now having Brad Miller in the pivot. The key to this series though should be the back courts as Rose and Gordon have keyed this team’s revival. They will be the first Playoff victims of Williams and West. Boston will show that they are ready for the second season as the dominate the Sixers. It will be a first round Bye-Bye for the once mighty Pistons against the Magic big men. D-Wade, Jermaine O’Neal, and Jamario Moon will get by the Hawks in the only first round upset in the East.

Western Conference

First Round

(1) L.A. Lakers (8) Utah Jazz Winners: Lakers

(2) San Antonio Spurs (7) Dallas Mavericks Winner: Spurs

(3) Portland Trail Blazers (6) Houston Rockets Winner: Portland

(4) New Orleans Hornets (5) Denver Nuggets Winner: Hornets

Best Match-ups: The Western Conference will find lots of changes from the alignment currently in the Playoff hunt. The Lakers will find little resistance from the over-matched Jazz. Dirk Nowitzki will not be near enough to get past an aging but still potent San Antonio squad. Portland will taste first round success as they go against a Rockets team that will be without T-Mac. Chauncey Billups has been the key to the Nuggets revival, but the best pure point in the Association CP-3 will lead the Hornets to victory.

Check out all the selections at The Blogger’s Choice: NBA Playoffs 09 — Round 1 Predictions

There were legitimate choices last season in the Association for NBA MVP. Although I backed Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James for the honor, cases could easily be made for the two men who finished in front of him in the final vote count. Last season’s NBA MVP  Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and runner up New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul both were extraordinary all year long. However I still would have given the award to the “Chosen One“  for this reason; the Cavaliers do not make the Post Season without him on their team.

Although the self proclaimed “Black Mamba” and CP-3 have both again this year been magical on the hardwood, neither player deserves the award in my opinion. The toughest words for any man to write are “I was wrong.“  If they happen to be media members who cover sports as their career, degree of difficulty writing those words increase one thousand fold! When Kobe Bryant rejected to have surgery on his ailing digit before the season, I predicted he would end up missing time in December or January to have the procedure. You proved me wrong Black Mamba, you are tougher than I gave you credit for! However I do not believe that Kobe is the reason the Lakers are having an even better season than they did last year.

It has taken me quite a while to come to terms with the following conclusion because on the surface it defies logic. My good bud Don from With Malice  is on record with disagreeing with this, and he is THE authority on the Lakers. However after much soul searching I have come to the conclusion that Los Angeles is a better tema without Andrew Bynum than with him. Bynum is not the problem, it is Pau Gasol. Gasol is far more effective in the pivot with Lamar Odom at power forward than with Gasol at the four spot.

Chris Paul has shown this year that he is a once in a generation pure point guard, who averages a double-double almost every night. A player who you build a winning team around, and that is what the New Orleans Hornets have done. Most likely they will not win their Division this season, but CP-3 and company will be at the top of the mix for a long time to come.

There are two other names that have to be brought up in any legitimate talk of this year’s MVP of the Association. The first is the most dominant player in the pivot in 2009 Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Superman is a throw-back  a classic pure center cut from the same stone that Wilt, Moses, Russ, and Kareem were made from. A man among boys in the modern NBA.

However the true difference maker for the Magic this season will not play another game before the next campaign. Orlando’s true difference maker this year was Jameer Nelson, before the point guard was lost due to injury he had showed that he had matured into what the Magic needed to quarterback their team.

The list would not be complete without the player who has taken the Association by storm over the last month or so Miami Heat All-Star guard Dwyane Wade. D-Wade has taken the Heat on his back all year long, and now has them in the thick of the playoff hunt. Jermaine O’Neal has been a god-send, to the heart and soul of the Miami Heat Machine Wade who knows how best to utilize his skill set. Along with fellow former Raptor Jamario Moon the Heat have brought back NBA fever to Miami. Wade has suddenly become the hot choice for Association MVP. 

However Wade reminds me very much of what Tracy McGrady did last year during the Houston Rockets winning streak. For a while T-Mac was the best player last year in the Association, but it was a comet like arc; he burned hot and bright but far too briefly to get serious consideration for the award. Wade is in a very similar situation this season.

It is no secret that I have openly campaigned for the Cavaliers All-Star to be given this season’s MVP. Last month I wrote the following “Could we all just declare right now before February comes to a close, that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James can be named this season’s MVP? I am not advocating pushing up the start of the NBA Playoffs, or suspending the playoff chase. However, as well as Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and D-Wade have played this season “The Chosen One” has already clinched the award in this longtime NBA observers opinion.”

Last week I took it a step further after James collected his third straight triple-double  “The USA is facing a myriad of problems as we near the end of the first quarter of 2009. Our economy is in a shambles; people are facing unemployment as well as possible eviction from their homes. Wall Street is looking for a way to bounce back from some of the most desolate numbers in decades. We are in the midst of wars; we are looking for answers in health care, energy, and education.

Our leaders have plenty on their plates at the present time. Normally I am adamantly against Congressional involvement in Professional Sports; however if for some insane reason Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James is not awarded this season’s NBA MVP I am calling for a Congressional Investigation!  

The “Chosen One” had his third straight triple-double Thursday night as Cleveland continued their best season in franchise history with a 119-111 victory over the injury depleted Phoenix Suns. It was the first win in the city of Phoenix for a Cavaliers team since March 10, 1999. Cleveland now has also set their team high for road victories as they got win number 23 on opponent’s home floors.”

James has led his team to unprecedented heights, and he is not through yet! He has taken the Cavaliers and brought them to the next level this season. For that in this reporter’s opinion there is only one answer; LeBron James is the 2009 NBA regular season MVP.

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