NBA Playoffs: MVP Talk

It is truly a shame that the MVP voting for the NBA occurs before the playoffs begin.

Whether or not certain voters would be persuaded or dissuaded from voting for a certain candidate based on how far his respective team advances, delaying the vote would give ample time and opportunity to accurately gauge the ability and influence of most of the prime players.

Take this year, for instance. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kobe Bryant were the viable candidates for the MVP Award, and guess what, they are all in the playoffs.

What they do from this point on, while mattering to their team's hopes for NBA Finals glory, don't mean anything as far as the MVP Award goes.

Honestly, when was the last time there was a viable candidate for MVP that didn't make the postseason?

And even if there was, or were, why would postponing the vote until after the season necessarily mean that those players making the playoffs would get some sort of edge, or secondhand benefit from the postseason success of their team? Would voters really be so blind to the meaning of the award and be swayed by other factors? Do we not trust them to be evenhanded (if not completely fair and objective?)

Regardless of the voting setup or the voting for this season's official MVP, I thought it was time to take a look at the NBA playoffs through some MVP-tinted glasses.

Is Steve Nash really the MVP? After watching the first four games of the Suns/Lakers series, isn't it plain to see that Nash isn't even the Most Valuable Player in the first round?

Whether or not Nash is struggling because Phil Jackson has devised a defense that stifles the Canadian point guard, or whether the Lakers are controlling the tempo to the point that the up-and-down Suns' offense never has had a chance to really get going, Nash and his Phoenix teammates are looking at the chance of being eliminated by a team that had to make a mad dash to even make the playoffs.

And then there is Kobe.

A player that I love to hate. "Love to hate" doesn't even describe it. But, much to my dismay, Kobe has found a way to get his teammates involved on a consistent basis. More than that, his teammates are coming through in a way they didn't in the regular season. Luke Walton, Smush Parker, Lamar Odom, and the bunch are active on the offensive end, cutting through the paint with hands up waiting for a pass from Kobe.

Kobe and the Lakers have found a way to win (and win against the Suns) that does not necessarily require Kobe scoring 40 points. Sure, he's going to have those nights, but it is apparent that the team is not relying on in it anymore.

What is important for Kobe to do, and what he has done thus far, is to be the veteran with the killer instinct. He showed it last night against the Suns, sending the game into overtime with a lay-up, and then sending the Lakers home with a victory with a buzzer-beating jumper.

Yes, it is the Suns vs. the Lakers, but it is also a matchup of two MVP candidates, and if the measure of that award is both how a player makes his team better and how he excels individually, then the verdict is clear.

One is looking Jordan-esque with a 3-1 lead, and the other looks like he'll get an early start on figuring out where he is going to watch the World Cup.

The Eastern Conference is a bit more muddled.

The Bucks took one game from Detroit last night in convincing and dominating fashion last night behind a stand-out performance by Michael Redd.

Even before the postseason began, I was never even slightly convinced that Chauncey Billups should win the MVP this year. On a team like the Pistons where there were four all-stars from the starting lineup, and there are no real superstars, I always thought it odd that one of them would be considered for the MVP. All-star, sure. MVP, no.

If you made anyone the MVP from the Pistons, it would almost have to be the entire team. From the coaching to the five starters, the Pistons play at a level and with a sense of team that isn't really found anywhere else. The system works, and not to downplay Billups' role, but you could probably plug another player in his role and the Pistons still win 50-60 games.

The same cannot be said for LeBron James and the Cavs. Take LeBron out of the picture and this team barely has a chance to make the playoffs. James carried the team on his throne through the entire regular season, oftentimes in spite of the coaching and his teammates.

After four games, the Wizards and Cavs stand even at 2-2 in the first round. WIth almost no exception, King James was the sole reason for the Cavs' second win. In a game that saw the Wizards lead almost 95% of the time, it was LeBron that finally got the Cavs over the hump and into the win column. His driving layup (with a no-call foul to boot) with five seconds left was the clincher in a game that saw him become the youngest player ever to record 40 points in his first game on the road in the playoffs.

The problem with LeBron is that, for whatever reason, he seems to be the only guy on the floor at some times. Every play runs through him, and oftentimes you can find the other four players standing idly by and watching him take on the entire other team.

Whether it's the coaching, the lack of talent in some of his teammates, or something inside of him, LeBron just doesn't seem to have the supporting cast (supporting as in how the Lakers are playing right now) that will allow the team to get much further in the playoffs.

One thing is clear though, LeBron is the reason Cleveland is here, and LeBron is the reason Cleveland has a chance to win this series.

The fact that the Cleveland/Washington series is knotted up at two games apiece isn't nearly as surprising as the fact that the Heat and Bulls are in the exact same position.

Who would have thought that Chicago would have any chance against Miami? I thought they might win one game at most, but never did I think that they would take two.

WIth an aging Shaq, Dwyane Wade is the heart, soul, and driving force behind the Heat now. As evidenced by game two of this series, it is he who has the ball in his hands in the fourth quarter and the game on the line.

However, in game four, Wade had only 20 points. Sure, he had 10 assists, but he also had 5 turnovers. Shaq had limited playing time, and Jason Williams had only 2 points.

The Heat seem to have lost their swagger and the only person that can get it back is Wade. If we were talking about one game I would say that an outstanding performance by Shaq would put them over the edge. However, they need two more wins to escape this series, and the youthfulness and talent of Wade is the only thing that is going to get them there.

At the end of the regular season I had a final list for the MVP Award:

1. LeBron James
2. Steve Nash
3. Dwyane Wade
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Kirk Nowitzki
6. Chauncey Billups

As of Sunday night, I have an entirely new list:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Dwyane Wade
4. Steve Nash
5.. Dirk Nowitzki
6. Chauncey Billups

One through four changed entirely based upon the first week of the playoffs. Every player had a chance to make his case.

If the playoffs are a special breed of basketball, one alive with adrenaline and emotion, and if the playoffs are the stage where we find out what a player is made of, then Kobe has shown us that he is prepared to take the Lakers back to the Finals in the near future.

Players are defined by what they do in the postseason, so why not allow our definition of the MVP include that, too?