Is Derrick Rose really the MVP?

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it..............NBA beware!

Olajuwon scoring over Robinson

May 24th 1995, David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs was presented the NBA's MVP trophy by commissioner David Stern.  Their opponents that night were the defending NBA Champions, the Houston Rockets and they were led by the previous years MVP Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon, master of the Dream Shake.  During the 93/94 season, Olajuwon became the only player in the history of the NBA to be named MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the year.  For the 94/95 regular season, Olajuwon had averages of 27.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game and felt as if he had deserved the title of MVP yet again.  The MVP voters had other ideas and the trophy went to Robinson who had averages of 25 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.  5/24/95 was one of the most important/exciting nights in the life of David Robinson and one of the most disappointing nights in the life of Olajuwon but 48 NBA minutes later The Dream would have his revenge.  The Spurs who had the best record in the NBA that season lost to the Rockets in six games, lost every home, and saw the dismantling of David Robinson at the hands of Olajuwon, and had it not been for the drafting of Tim Duncan four years later, David Robinson would never be able to call himself champion.  In the aftermath Robinson averaged 23.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per games versus Olajuwon who averaged 35.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game against Robinson in the series...case closed!

I sense history is about to repeat itself.  If one were to go out today and ask a basketball fan who the MVP is they will tell you Derrick Rose and not because they feel that way, it's because the media has trained them to think that way.  In print and all over the network 'ESPN" all one can hear is how Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is this season's MVP.  There's three weeks left in the regular season so the award hasn't been presented to Rose yet but if you listen to the media you'd think it has.  This is not to say that Derrick Rose is a not a great player because he's that but the question I'm asking is this:  What's the true definition of MVP...Most Valuable Player?

NBA MVP Trophy

I've asked this question to a few friends and I've gotten two answers regularly, one being that the MVP is the player most valuable to his team and the other answer is the player who is deemed the best in the league.  Up until this season I would usually give my MVP praise to whomever I thought was the best player in the league for a given season based on stats, visuals, and number of game winning shots.  Shaq and Kobe having only 1 MVP while Steve Nash's having 2 is an atrocious thought to me but it is reality.  As unfair as it may be the MVP voters adjust they're voting styles yearly to prove points and pick sides when it's not necessary.  For example, the first year that Nash won the MVP trophy Shaq came in second and it was deemed as the closest MVP vote in history, that season Nash averaged 15.5 points, 11.5 assist, and shot 50.2% from the field per game while Shaquille averaged 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and shot 60% from the field per game and now comes my famous reaction....The Look!  The voters would argue that Nash won the edge over Shaquille because he was the best player on a team that no one expected to win.  Outside of regular season success Nash has never made a splash in the playoffs and to be very clear here Nash is a product of the run n gun offense that hasn't won an NBA title since the Showtime Lakers of the 80's....it's been a while people.  All Shaquille has done thus far in his career is win four NBA title, while going to six finals, became the most dominate big man of his era, and the NBA had to implement the use of zone defense to slow the Big Fella down and he's only earned one MVP.....The Look!  Last season Lebron James won the MVP when I thought and still feel as if Kobe Bryant is the best players in the league.  The argument by voters was that Lebron was the best player in the league.....last season Kobe hit 8 game winners........e.i.g.h.t.....and in the end he was holding the trophy that means the most....the Larry O'Brien trophy.  I can make the argument that Kobe could have been named the MVP 3 of the last 4 years again the definition of what makes a player MVP is a clouded one to say the least.

When I did my mid-season report,   http://nbaballanation.blogspot.com/2011/01/mid-season-report.html, I made the case that Dwyane Wade and Lebron James could be considered co-MVP's but the NBA would never allow it and I still felt that way until the last few weeks when something in me changed.  There's a team that I watch just as much as the Heat, a team that I love to hate and their superstar has taken so many bullets from me that I'm amazed that I haven't been jumped yet by crazed fans.  All the talk of Derrick Rose's greatness opened my eyes because he's a great player on a great team and he's the MVP favorite but isn't that the same reason why Lebron James isn't considered...isn't he too a great player on a great team, so is Wade, and so is Kobe thus along with Lebron, Wade, and Kobe, Rose too should be eliminated from MVP contention.  The real MVP of the 2010/11 season is.......Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.  It makes perfect sense, he's a great player who hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential and he's playing on a team that severely lacks any type top caliber talent to play alongside of Howard but Howard has them in the playoffs with home court in the first round and a potential showdown with Derrick Rose and the Bulls in the second round...again history is about to repeat itself.  For the Magic fans who are suffering, waiting for Dwight Howard to explode ferociously every night, your time may be near.  If Derrick Rose wins the MVP award and it's presented to him before a game during a playoff match-up against the Magic, I fear that Dwight may unleash his full potential upon the league just as Hakeem Olajuwon decimated David Robinson so many years ago.

There's two men in this world who's fandom good or bad is just as strong as mine and they both see the NBA for what it really is and are not blinded or persuaded by media garbage.  They are both fans of the Orlando Magic and they attend multiple games a year.  One of those men is Cortez and we've known each other for years and there's a mutual respect between us.  He wants so badly to feel the championship feeling that I felt in 2006 with my Miami Heat after chasing that ring for so long.  I needed another opinion on this and I trust his insight so I asked him:  Why all of the media hype for Derrick Rose and is he better than Kobe, Wade, James, or Howard?  As always I loved the answer he gave.

"The Media seems to be pushing Rose, in my opinion, it's so focused on it being a perimeter oriented league which there are a lot of talented wings and guards, don't get me wrong what he is doing is incredible, but its only on one side of the ball, Rose is not a superior defender at this point of his career, flashy seems to win every time. also being in a bigger Market could help. The four players you listed, no, Rose is not better, he's not even the Top PG, that belongs to Paul and Williams, he is top 3 in PG's. I am a bit surprised that Chicago came together this quickly, so the surprise element of their current record could help him with the award as well. Rose deserves to be in the discussion, and it really should be only between him and Howard......MVP means Most Valuable Player, there is no other player that dictates the defensive aspect of the game, name a primary defender on the Magic squad besides Howard, is Q-Rich the best defender on the team?  In regards to Miami, if Wade/Bosh, or James/Bosh were off the Heat, the Heat would still make the playoffs; Orlando, however, would be in the same exact situation Cleveland is in now, lottery bound.  Howard's offensive game which was a work in progress has grown and he's shown more confidence in himself. Howard in my eyes is the MVP." 

Derrick Rose

There's also this notion that one can't win an MVP award when he has great talent around him; the names of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan come to mind.  These three men won 11 NBA MVP trophies between them and they also played along side of Hall of Famers like James Worthy, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kevin Mchale, and Scottie Pippen to name a few, but not for some reason Lebron James or Dwyane Wade can't get consideration because they play together or Kobe because he plays on a loaded Lakers team.    As stated earlier Dwight Howard is my pick for MVP, I'm just highlighting points here that are odd to me, for example why is it now bad that great players decide to play together?  Why are they punished?  The media's darling and pick for MVP Derrick Rose sent Lebron this text during the off-season before Lebron's decision was made.

"I'm just hitting you up to kill all the rumors that I don't want to play with you. I'd like to play with you. I just want to win."

Dwight Howard

Is Derrick Rose's desire to play with Lebron James any different from James wanting to play with Dwyane Wade?  The last sentence of the text is the most telling, I just want to win and for his credit Rose is doing a great job with the Bulls who has one of the most complete teams in the league but Rose doesn't do anything nightly that Wade doesn't do.  There's a huge double standard here people.  Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul could all play point guard for the Bulls and their record would be the same, replace Dwight Howard with Tyson Chandler and see how far the Orlando Magic goes.  D12, DW, Dwight Howard is this seasons MVP!  Before the media crowns Rose as the MVP and the Bulls as champions check this out for a second.  When was the last time a MVP caliber point guard led his team NBA Championship?  The answer is Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons in 1990, I was 9 at that time people, it was 21 years ago.  The coronation of Rose is premature, he's a great player but he's not the MVP and he should be judged the same as the other potential candidates.

I challenge anyone to formulate an educated counter argument to my points about this years MVP race or if you agree with me please say so, there's an option for comments below or if you'd like to remain anonymous you can email me at nbaballanation@gmail.com and I WILL respond to EVERY MESSAGE as soon as I can and you can also follow me on twiiter @ballanation2010.  It will be a pleasure to interact with my fans and my detractors.  Lets do this people, don't be shy!