I know the NBA season is not over yet; in fact, it’s barely past the halfway point, but I’ve already got my MVP for the season picked out and crowned. It is not based on statistics though, which gives everyone who reads this article a lot of room for argument to fight with me. That’s OK though, because I am sticking to my guns.Consider this: When was the last team to win an NBA championship without a big man? Still thinking? Me too, because as far back as you go in recent history, teams do not win championships without a big man getting boards and making blocks. Big men disrupt the flow of the game by preventing the other team’s leading scorer from driving for easy points every possession.
The San Antonio Spurs have been considered a dynasty as of late, and the reason is Tim Duncan. He controls the game down low and allows the Spurs playmaker, Manu Ginobli, to do his job even better. He is the reason the Spurs have been winning championships and consistently getting to the NBA finals.
Think back a few years ago to when the Lakers were the team to beat. Why is that? Kobe Bryant you say? I say you’re wrong.
I say that Shaq is the real reason the Lakers were able to win three NBA championships. Want to know why? Who has won championships since they split up? Shaq has with the Miami Heat because he is the big man teams need to win titles.
Kobe may be the best individual talent in the NBA-I can’t deny that claim at all. I would not even argue with those who crown Lebron James as the best in the NBA, either. Steve Nash and Paul Pierce can join the argument as well. Yet regardless of all those claims, none of these men can win a championship without a big man.
The Lakers had Kareem, the 76ers had Dr. J., and Kobe and Dwayne Wade both had Shaq. The argument could be made that Michael Jordan did not really have a big man, left with Bill Cartwright and Luc Longley. But Jordan was arguably the greatest player ever to play the game, so I am going to make an exception for him. Without a big man, you cannot win.
That is why my pick for the NBA MVP goes to Dwight Howard. Not only does he do all of the things I have talked about a big man being able to do, he can fly! Did anyone see the All-Star slam-dunk contest?
He literally flew, with a cape and everything. I will not guarantee that the Orlando Magic will win the NBA championships, but I should say that I would be surprised if he does not win the MVP this year, and perhaps many more years to come.