SALT LAKE CITY — The MVP of the NBA is CP3.
Chris Paul, the New Orleans Hornets’ all-star general, deserves to win the NBA’s crown jewel, not just because he elevated his game to elite status, but because he elevated the games of his teammates, too.
The point guard makes everyone around him better. Shooting guards. Power forwards. Play-by-play announcers. And with Paul in charge, the Hornets will likely finish first in the Western Conference, which has arguably never been stronger.
Look, I know you can make a strong case for numerous other MVP candidates. Kobe Bryant, a legendary luminary, has never won the MVP. To think that he won’t win it this year makes a fan ask — if not this year, then when? Or, what’s a guy got to do to win this thing?
Kevin Garnett changed the culture of the team with the best record in basketball.
And LeBron James might be a better player than Paul, Bryant and Garnett.
But the way Paul makes his team better is different than any of those other guys.
The Hornets’ No. 3 is averaging 21.1 points per game (19th in the NBA), 11.6 assists (first) and 2.69 steals (first). A player hasn’t averaged 20 points and 10 assists in 15 years. Though his steals will likely finish below 3.0, for part of the season Paul flirted with 20-10-3. No player has ever finished with those season averages. Eleven times this season Paul has had 20 points and 15 assists in the same game, more than all other players combined.
Paul wins games for his team in dynamic ways. In a game at Cleveland, James gave his team a one-point lead with 7.7 seconds left, but an unflappable Paul drove into the lane, collected himself in mid-air and found David West for a buzzer-beating, game- winning shot. Paul had 21 assists in a November win at the Lakers. He hit a game-winner at New Jersey. He tallied a triple-double against the Warriors and missed another, by one rebound, in a win against the Nuggets.
But you don’t even need to look at Paul’s stats to realize his value to the Hornets. Look at West’s instead. And Tyson Chandler’s.
West was a forgotten player by 2005-06, an oft-injured softie big man. It was West’s third season in the league, but it was Paul’s first. The duo clicked. Paul’s vacuum-like dribble penetration, followed by a quick pass to a suddenly open West on the perimeter, gave West that extra-split second to make a shot. And the two became a feared pick-and-roll tandem, giving opponents whiplash to this day.
The season before Paul arrived, West averaged 6.2 points per game. The following season? He averaged 17.1. This season, his third season as Paul’s teammate, West is averaging 20.2 points, and the two were all-star teammates.
As for Chandler, he was a perennial wait-’til-next-year player with Chicago. That’s a nice way of saying “bust.” Chandler was a gobbling rebounder for the Bulls, but he was actually told by his coach to stay out of the offensive mix. Chandler, who is very emotional, for better or worse, was a big man with little confidence. His numbers were paltry.
But Chandler joined the Hornets for the 2006-07 season, and Paul helped incorporate him into the offense. The center became a vicious pick-setter, rewarded for his efforts with alley-oops and beautiful lobs from the point guard.
Chandler now sweats confidence. In his last season with Chicago, 2005-06, he averaged 5.3 points and 9.0 rebounds. This season, he is averaging 11.8 points and 11.7 rebounds, which is third-most in the league, including 4.1 offensive rebounds, which is first. And Chandler is second in the NBA with a 62.3 field-goal percentage.
The Hornets are promoting Paul as the MVP — Most Valuable Person. He is energy in post-Katrina New Orleans, the ultimate assist man, giving hope and time to the community. Paul’s service projects and charity work are revered and revitalizing. But in regards to the NBA’s MVP award, the fact that Paul’s such a good guy is, to use a New Orleans word, lagniappe (noun. LAN-yap. For good measure; bonus).
What matters when the ballots are filled out is, who is most valuable to his team and teammates? Even if the Hornets were a marginal playoff team, you could argue that the answer is Paul, much less the fact that New Orleans is the top team in the top conference.
14er wins award.
Billy Thomas, a guard for the Colorado 14ers in the NBA’s Development League, won the 2007-08 Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award, voted on by the D-League coaches. The award honors the player who best represents the ideals of character and conduct on and off the court.
“It’s a credit to Billy and his sense of community and respect for the game,” 14ers coach Joe Wolf said.
A D-League all-star, Thomas entered the weekend with a 16.4 scoring average for Colorado.
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
Rafer Alston, G, Rockets
Fearing the need for bifocals, someone looking at Alston’s career statistics might need to do a double-take. Last season, Alston averaged 13.3 points and 5.4 assists. Entering this weekend, Alston is averaging 13.3 points and 5.4 assists. Moreover, his rebound average was 3.4 last season and is 3.5 this season.
The fact that Alston is having an eerily symmetrical season is a good thing for the Rockets. He has been a welcomed jolt to their offensive system, a dribbling machine who, at 31, is still mastering his passing. Denver coach George Karl gushes about Alston’s role in the Rockets’ offense. Then again, in the most recent Rockets-Nuggets matchup, Alston scored 16 points with eight assists in Houston’s victory (the two teams meet tonight at the Pepsi Center). And in March, during the Rockets’ surge toward the top of the Western Conference, he averaged 16.8 points per game.
On Wednesday, he returned to the lineup after missing three games because of a strained left hamstring. He is expected to play tonight in a pivotal game for both teams.
Benjamin Hochman covers the NBA. Reach him at 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
