2013 NBA MVP Power Rankings: Top 5 Contenders

2013 NBA MVP Power Rankings: Top 5 Contenders: It is hard to believe, but the NBA regular season is already approaching its final month. While teams are busy making their playoff push and jockeying for seeding, the top contenders for the Most Valuable Player Award are entering the stretch of the season when the league’s top individual honor is truly won and lost. Games will begin to take on a playoff-like atmosphere, and big performances in the final weeks of the season can definitely win over voters. After all, overall great numbers count for a lot when picking an MVP, but team success and big performances on big stages are major factors, as well. Throw in the fact that San Antonio Spurs’ point guard Tony Parker went down with an ankle injury, and the door is suddenly open for a few more players to sneak into the conversation. With that in mind, here is how the top contenders currently rank with the postseason on the horizon.

1.      LeBron James, Forward, Miami Heat

James is coming dangerously close to locking up the MVP Award. Individually, he is averaging 27.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists and is averaging a career-low 2.9 turnovers per game while shooting the best percentage of his career from the field and from beyond the arc. He also had a record-setting streak of consecutive games with at least 30 points and a field goal percentage of 60 percent or better. Meanwhile, James has the Heat in the middle of a franchise-best 17-game winning streak and cruising to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The icing on the cake is his ability to defend any position on the court at an elite level. James absolutely smothered Carmelo Anthony in the fourth quarter when Miami beat the Knicks recently, and there just isn’t another player that impacts that game in so many ways at such a high level.

2.      Kobe Bryant, Shooting Guard, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers wouldn’t even make the playoffs if the season ended today, but Bryant’s effort to salvage what was looking like a train wreck of a season deserves to be recognized. His numbers are plenty impressive, and he is currently averaging 27.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists to go along with a career-best 47.5 field goal percentage. More importantly, the Lakers have won seven of their last 10 games, and Bryant has scored at least 29 points in eight straight games. On a team where Steve Nash looks like a shell of his former self, Pau Gasol is hurt and Dwight Howard doesn’t seem to care, Bryant just refuses to let his team give up. If the 40-point games and game-winning shots continue to pile up, he could make a serious run at the MVP Award.

3.      Kevin Durant, Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

As he closes in on his fourth straight scoring title, there is no denying that Durant has evolved into the best scorer in the NBA. There is also no denying that he is having his best all-around statistical season and is posting career numbers in almost every category. The injury to Tony Parker could also help his MVP case if the Thunder can surpass the depleted Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference. Despite all the positives and as great as Durant is, the fact that he plays with and often defers shots to another explosive scorer in Russell Westbrook detracts from his own value just a bit. Not to mention the fact that he doesn’t come close to matching the defensive ability of the player sitting atop the rankings.

4.      Carmelo Anthony, Forward, New York Knicks

The mediocre basketball that New York has been playing lately has actually helped Anthony’s MVP push. While Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Amar’e Stoudemire have all been hurt or playing poorly, Anthony has basically carried the team offensively. Sure, his is a high-volume scorer that shoots and average percentage, but nobody else on the Knicks can get their own shot. Anthony has kept New York afloat, and while the Knicks have slipped to the No. 3 seed in the East currently, their slide would be a whole lot worse if not for Anthony. He would have to lead the Knicks on a ridiculous tear in order to have a real shot at the winning the MVP Award, but he is worthy of spot in the top five regardless.

5.      Chris Paul, Point Guard, Los Angeles Clippers

It’s funny how Chris Paul returns from injury and he Clippers start winning games again. Paul has his team in control of things in the Pacific Division and firmly entrenched as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Plain and simple, he is the ultimate floor general, while he averages just 16.3 points per game, he is capable of scoring much more and hitting clutch shots if need be. Meanwhile, he ranks second in the NBA with 9.5 assists per game and leads the league with a 4.5 assist to turnover ratio and 2.4 steals per game. Paul is efficient and in control whenever he is on the court, and the Clippers are just a better team when he is running the point.

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