NBA Basketball Futures – The NBA MVP
There is a long list of players who are listed under consideration for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, as it is presented by BetUS Sportsbook. It’s probably more players than are necessary for the purposes of true analysis, and some could most likely be eliminated out of hand, but I thought I might present my own short comments about each of these eligible players, and reduce them to a top ten list that hopefully a profitable winner will come from.
BetUS Sportsbook NBA Odds To Win NBA MVP award
Al Jefferson +5000 — He’s good, but not great. And the T-Wolves won’t be nearly good enough to earn him any consideration.
Allen Iverson +2500 — I can’t see this happening. In fact, Denver may be looking to move him by mid-season.
Amare Stoudemire +1600 — He’s got a chance, if Phoenix excels, and he’s more of the star with Shaq a part-timer and Shawn Marion gone.
Brandon Roy +4000 — Not quite yet. He’s not the scoring machine like an Iverson, nor is he the complete playmaker like Chris Paul.
Baron Davis +2500 — The new-look Clippers will have to make a quantum leap, without Elton Brand, to make this possible.
Carmelo Anthony +2500 — He’ll score, for sure, but he has to be more of a complete player, on a bigger winner, to be on the short list.
Carlos Boozer +2500 — He’s essential to Utah’s chances, but the Jazz are stuck in this mold where they are always contenders, but not quite champions, or even finalists.
Chauncey Billups +5000 — Detroit will be in the race, but Billups is too much of an ensemble piece to stick out MVP-style.
Chris Bosh +2500 — He’s a good darkhorse, because you know he’ll put up numbers, he’ll get support from Jermaine O’Neal up front and Jose Calderon will have the ball in his hands at the point on a full-time basis.
Chris Paul +350 — Obviously he’s one of the front-runners, ready to take his game – and his team – to a new level.
David West +3500 — A tremendous power forward, but he’s going to come out second to Paul if the Hornets really fly.
Deron Williams +1800 — The Jazz will have to be dominant in their division for him to get to the front of the line, but if that happens, he will have a Chris Paul-like effect.
Dirk Nowitzki +1800 — He’s not a defender, so he had better put up monster offensive numbers to have a chance with this middle-of-the-pack playoff team (Dallas).
Dwight Howard +700 — A great player who is under-appreciated, considering he’s got no help at all in the paint.
Dwyane Wade +1000 — I can’t see Miami taking the giant steps that would vault Wade into major contention.
Elton Brand +5000 — I don’t see this as possible unless Brand transforms the Sixers into one of the top teams in the NBA. But if that starts to materialize, 50/1 won’t look like a bad play.
Jason Richardson +4000 — Just not a complete enough player to merit consideration.
Joe Johnson +3000 — He’s a tremendous all-around player, but as the Hawks grow into a contender, he will have to blend in more and more.
Josh Howard +5000 — A great complimentary player, in my opinion. But that doesn’t make for an MVP.
Kevin Durant +5000 — His Thunder won’t be able to create enough lightning, or you know, something like that.
Kevin Garnett +1000 — I thought he was easily the MVP last year. And he may get some “make-up” votes for that oversight if he can get the Celtics back to the top of the Eastern Conference standings again, especially if Boston overcomes some hardships to do it.
Kevin Martin +5000 — He is on this list because the Kings will be looking to him for almost all their scoring punch. But those kinds of guys don’t win the MVP unless their team wins much more than expected. Go ask Gilbert Arenas.
Kobe Bryant +350 — He’s got to be on the short list because he won it last year. But what new level can he go to that will get him a repeat?
LeBron James +250 — He’s a logical heir to Kobe Bryant. I think, however, that the Cavs, with some new people, have to make the leap to conference champions to justify this.
Michael Redd +5000 — Redd, a top scorer, will have to make an incredible transformation – and transform his so-so Milwaukee team – to even be in the conversation. I’m not betting on it.
Paul Pierce +2000 — He’ll never be as important to the Celtics as Kevin Garnett.
Richard Hamilton +4000 — The numbers won’t be there.
Shaquille ONeal +5000 — Not happening.
Steve Nash +1600 — Without Mike D’Antoni, has his come and gone?
Tim Duncan +1200 — Duncan is a former MVP, obviously, and he’s going to be the running again. He may be at the age, though, where he’s giving way more to his teammates.
Tony Parker +2500 — Is he a better player than Chris Paul or Deron Williams? And can he prove it?
Tracy McGrady +1200 — He’s going to have the kind of numbers that will put him into the argument if Houston does well. But is he ONLY about the numbers?
Vince Carter +4500 — I wonder whether New Jersey will even want him by mid-season.
Yao Ming +2500 — This is the guy who I think will get the MVP attention if the Rockets vault to the top of the West, because he will be the anchor of the defense that gets them there. He can also score at will if he wants to. I’d be looking for him to block more shots. And of course, he’ll have to stay healthy.
If you were interested in what my “top ten” would be, according to value in the odds, this is what it would probably look like:
KEVIN GARNETT (+1000 in BetUS odds)
DWIGHT HOWARD (+700 in BetUS odds)
YAO MING (+2500 in BetUS odds)
CHRIS BOSH (+2500 in BetUS odds)
CHRIS PAUL (+350 in BetUS odds)
LeBRON JAMES (+250 in BetUS odds)
DERON WILLIAMS (+1800 in BetUS odds)
AMARE STOUDAMIRE (+1600 in BetUS odds)
KOBE BRYANT (+350 in BetUS odds)
ELTON BRAND (+5000 in BetUS odds)
