Name your top 5 candidates for MVP?

• With 1 being most likely and 5 being the least likely for top 5 MVP's of this NBA Season. Here's mine: 1. Kevin Durant - This guy has had THE year. Durant is an absolute assassin. Without a doubt the best season of his career leading the best team in the Western Conference and just recently(today) beating the top team in the NBA by a substantial point differential. This guy deserves the 2011-2012 MVP title. 2. LeBron James - Once again, LeBron has proven himself to be one of the most single dominant players all season. He's getting a little dingy coming closer to the offseason but it is still no doubt that King James has proven himself to be one of the best of players in the NBA. Now, if he can just win a ring(hahahaha :P) 3. Kobe Bryant - What a year the Black Mamba has had. Despite the reputation of being a ballhog, you can't deny the fact that playing for 18 years and still being the top-scorer in the NBA today is an impressive feat. He has kept the Lakers as the third best team in the West while(once again restating) he is still leading the league in individual points. He is still one of the greatest of all time and I will be pretty happy if he wins the award this season. 4. Kevin Love - Kevin Love is the guy that made the Timberwolves one of my favorite teams. Statistically, there isn’t a more incredible player in the league right now this side of LeBron James. How many box scores do we have to read and say, “Wow!” before we consider this young man one of the best players in the league? In just the month of March, Love has only failed to score 20 points only once, and he’s scored 30 or more 8 times. That includes that 51-point game, as well as a 42-point and 40-point performance, as well. Not to mention his rebound numbers are impressive as well. Kevin Love is definitely a dark horse in the MVP-run, but there can be no argument that he deserves a spot on the top 5 MVP candidates. 5. Tony Parker - The San Antonio Spurs have the second-best record in the Western Conference despite missing Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan for most of the season. Somebody deserves some kind of credit for that, and who better than Parker? He’s carried a top-two team in his conference all season long by scoring the crud out of the ball. In fact, his 19.4 ppg is the second highest average of his career, and his 8.0 apg is easily the best he’s ever done in that category. The guy’s having a career year, keeping his team great despite tons of changes outside of his control. He absolutely deserves to be on this list. I'd like to make some honorable mentions: Derrick Rose - I just want to explain why Derrick Rose will not be on my list or on most basketball fan's lists. I'm a born and raised Chicago Bulls fan. But simply put, he has missed too much time this season and even then, the Bulls have one a large number of games without him while he mends his lingering injuries. The two things that won him the award last year have proven to be the opposite this season, and that’s why it won’t be surprising if Rose gets zero votes for MVP. There are just too many other guys worthy of it. Russell Westbrook - Although Russell Westbrook has rised to the top 5 of the official NBA MVP Ladder, I think that in this race, there is too many well-deserved players to earn this title. Trust me, Westbrook is HIGHLY talented and has been just as good as Kevin Durant, averaging 29.0 points, 6.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals and just 3.0 turnovers while shooting 50 percent. I don't hate the guy, I just have this much love for the top 5 candidates I have now. Do you like my list? Post your list as well, and Honorable Mentions if you want!

• Answer:

  1. Lebron James 2. Kevin Durant 3. Kevin Love 4. Kobe Bryant 5. Chris Paul