With one week away from the All-Star Weekend, we’ve reached the half point mark of this tightened NBA season. It’s been a wild ride for us NBA fans, seeing a lot of blowouts and a bunch of OT games in the first 30-plus games. A couple of surprises have caught our attention – the Sixers, Boston’s struggles and of course, Jeremy Lin. Not mentioning the stellar play of some superstars who have helped their team become relevant like a peanut to an elephant. (See what I did there?)
Here are my 5 MVP candidates for the first half of the season, in no particular order.
Lebron James
As much as I didn’t want to include him on this list, I can’t deny the fact that the dude has been playing some of his best basketball this year. Miami is the number one team in the league (having lost only twice this month), thanks to the self-proclaimed douche King. Lebron has averaged 27-9-5 in the last four games, all wins for the Heat. He added some post-up moves to his arsenal in the offseason, resulting into shooting a career-best 53.8 percent from the field. His stats are better, but can that translate to a championship in June?
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard looks like he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder. The three-time DPOY is second in the NBA with double-doubles and, along with Ryan Anderson, has been keeping the Magic in contention. Thanks to Howard’s 20-15 and 2 swats a game, the Florida squad has won its last four. Question is, will D12 be in an Orlando uniform after the trading deadline?
Kevin Durant
The Thunder has been at the top of the West for quite some time now. And it’s no secret that Kevin Durant has something to do with it. This season, Durantula is averaging career-highs in field-goal percentage, rebounding, assists, and blocks. OKC wouldn’t be as good as they are now if it weren’t for KD. He’s unguardable and arguably the best scorer in the NBA. Factor in the number of times he’s come through in the clutch for the Thunder.
Tony Parker
You must be wondering why I put Tony Parker here. But if you take a look at the Spurs’ 10-game winning streak, you’ll agree with me. I’m sure CP3 has put up better numbers for the Clippers, but I just gotta hand it to Parker. He’s become the Spurs’ number one offensive option with Manu sidelined and Tim Duncan declining. During their hot streak, Parker averaged 25.3 points, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor, and has San Antonio creeping up the standings. The Spurs haven’t lost a game since Jan. 29. Still wondering why I included him on the list?
Kobe Bryant
An MVP discussion without Kobe Bryant is like Donald Trump with no money. With an 18-12 record, the Lakers have relied more on Kobe this season to make up for their weak bench production. The Black Mamba is putting up 28.9 points, 5.9 boards, and 5.0 dimes a game. He’s third in the league in minutes played (38.2) and makes you wonder if his 33-year old body can sustain the level of play until the end of the season. He continues to break Lakers franchise records and you can’t deny his “obsession” of winning a sixth ring. For a dude who’s won everything and is still hungry for more, that’s gotta be scary right? Kobe System shit right there.
