by Ryan Zinn

Created on: March 10, 2010   Last Updated: June 23, 2010

Conversations begin to flair up and tensions rise as the first half of the NBA season draws to a close; debates break out among fans and fanatics who are anticipating the MVP.  All-Star Weekend is filled with anticipation, predictions, and presumptions.  People begin to throw out comments about their predictions; rumors start, followed by much anxiety and excitement.  Will King James defend his crown, or will another arise to dethrone the King?

Last years MVP, LeBron James, is of course among the top contenders for this year as well; which does not come as a big surprise. LeBron averages thirty points per game, which is a 2-point improvement from last year.  In past years, LeBron has owned the court through his decisive game-winning shots and his un-guardable offense, however, this year he has been working on racking up the assists along with his phenomenal scoring.  On average, LeBron dishes out eight and a half assists; which causes his teammates to perform at the best of their ability.  Each year, players look to enhance some aspect of their game, and LeBron has done just that.  His assists are up, along with his rebounds, and of course, his scoring too; which makes him a very tough candidate to beat for this years MVP award.

Another player who is discussed every year when it comes to the MVP award is Kobe Bryant; which again, is no surprise.  Kobe averages close to twenty-eight points per game, which is very impressive.  Although, when it comes to assists, Kobe is not one of the best, averaging just under five per game.  Even if his assists are not high, when the game is on the line, Kobe will knock it down and walk away with the victory.

Now that the two already-known candidates have been discussed, who else is a contender for this years MVP?  Some would say Dwight Howard, others would say Steve Nash.  Both would make sense because Dwight grabs just over thirteen rebounds a game, and Nash dishes out just over eleven assists per game.  However, I think the third contender is Kevin Durant.  No, his assists are not very high, but he went over twenty-five straight games scoring at least twenty five points.  Now that is pretty amazing.  I also think that he will continue to be big for the Thunder and find a way to get them into the playoffs and maybe, just maybe, get past the first round. 

These three players—LeBron, Kobe, and Durant—are the top candidates for 2010’s MVP award, not just because of one aspect of their game, but because their all-around game is beyond compare.  

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