Top Candidates for NBA MVP Halfway Through the Season

As of January 20th, most of the NBA's teams have played around 41 games this season, meaning that we have reached the midway point of the 2012-2013 regular season.  This is a fitting time to reflect on the top candidates for one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports, the NBA Most Valuable Player award.

Kevin Durant (ESPN.com)

The top candidate to win the Maurice Podoloff trophy for league MVP is Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Durant's Thunder have a league best record of 32-8, and six of the past ten MVP winners have come from the team with the league's best record.  Durant has led the league in scoring the past three seasons, and currently ranks second in the league with a 29.3 points per game average.  Durant is having one of the most efficient seasons in the history of the league and one of the greatest shooting seasons of all time.  He is on pace to become just the 8th player to ever convert on greater than 50% of his field goal attempts, 40% of his three point attempts, and 90% of his free throw attempts.  Even more ridiculous, Durant is able to maintain this efficiency despite ranking third in the league in both field goal attempts and free throw attempts.  Durant is the single most unstoppable scorer in the NBA today, which he demonstrated in putting up 52 points, including the game winner in overtime, on the Dallas Mavericks on January 18th.  He possesses limitless shooting range, an extremely diverse arsenal of offensive moves, and the athleticism to get out in transition.  What has elevated Durant's game and that of his team are the improvements he has made as a passer, rebounder and defender.  Durant is averaging a career high 4.2 assists per game and has proven time and again that he will find the open man and create plays for his teammates.  The most noticeable improvement Durant has made is on the defensive side of the ball.  When he is on the court, opposing small forwards have a player efficiency rating of just 8.0, well below the average of 15.  Durant uses his length to disturb his opponents and is averaging nearly 3 combined steals and blocks.  

Chris Paul (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Durant's main challenger for league MVP is Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers.  Paul's Clippers have a record of 31-9, the league's second best mark, and have had a 17 game win streak this season.  Since arriving in Los Angeles in 1984, the Clippers have been a perennial laughingstock, lying in the shadow of tinseltown's more glamorous team, the Los Angeles Lakers.  Paul's trade to the Clippers in the summer of 2011 instantly turned them into Lob City, the NBA's most entertaining, high-flying act.  With Paul running the point, and athletic specimens Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan in the front court, the Clippers became a highlight reel of endless alley-oops, and overtook their rival Lakers as the main attraction at the Staples Center.  Paul ranks second in the league with 9.7 assists per game and scores just under 17 points per game.  Paul possesses an uncanny understanding of the game of basketball, and is arguably the best in the world at creating open shots and opportunities for his teammates.  His court vision, ability to make any pass, and unselfishness make him the archetype for how a point guard should play.  One of Paul's most unique attributes is the way in which he takes care of the ball.  Paul averages only 2.1 turnovers per game, and averages an absurd 4.53 assists per turnover, demonstrating how much he maximizes each possession.  Paul is among the most unguardable players, and can put up a shot whenever he pleases, converting on a high percentage of them.  His handle of the basketball is second to none, and his ability to lull a defender to sleep before blowing by him with a change of pace move is truly breathtaking.  On the defensive end, Paul is an absolute terror, despite being listed at only 6 feet tall.  Paul currently leads the league in steals with an average of 2.62 per game.  If he keeps it up, this will be the 5th season in which he leads the league in the category.  Paul's ability to read the opposing offense, anticipate where the ball is going, and instinctually play the passing lanes, make him a truly disruptive force and among the league's best perimeter defenders.  Paul is known as the greatest leader in the sport of basketball, and it is this intangible quality that has elevated the Clippers to true title contenders.

I expect that either Durant or Paul will be crowned league MVP based on whichever team finishes with the better record.

Lebron James (John W. McDonough/SI)

The third most worthy candidate for league MVP is Lebron James of the Miami Heat.  James is already a three time MVP award winner, and is unquestionably the league's best player.  His blend of size, strength, speed and athleticism along with an incredible basketball IQ make him the most talented player in the history of the sport.  James is coming off a season in which he won his first NBA championship by defeating Durant's Thunder in the NBA finals.  James ranks 4th in the league in scoring, averaging 26.3 points per game, and has had only 1 game with under 20 points this season.  This is the 9th consecutive season in which James has averaged at least 26 points per game, and he recently became the youngest player in the history of the league to reach 20,000 career points.  Amazingly, he has made 55% of his field goal attempts, and 40% of his three point shot attempts.  James is the league's best defender, and has the unprecedented ability to defend players at all 5 positions.  James is hands down the best passing forward in the league, averages 7 assists per game, and his court vision rivals that of the league's top point guards.  James' Miami Heat currently has a record of 26-12, the best in the Eastern Conference, yet has won only 6 of its past 12 games.  The Heat have appeared to be disinterested in several games this season, which is understandable given that they are the defending NBA champions and are on pace to have home court advantage in the playoffs through the Eastern Conference finals.  Despite James' brilliance, the fact that he has already won three league MVP awards, and the fact that his team lies several games behind the Thunder and Clippers, place the the world's top basketball player at number three on my rankings.

Carmelo Anthony
(Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks sits at number 4 on my NBA MVP rankings.  Anthony's emergence from one dimensional scorer to dominant force on both ends of the court, has made the Knicks the top challenger to the Heat in the Eastern Conference.  Melo's Knicks are second in the East with a record of 25-13, and have already beaten the Heat twice by 20 points this season.  Anthony has long been considered one of the world's most explosive scorers and has averaged nearly 25 points per game for his career.  This season Carmelo has taken it up a notch, averaging a career high 29.2 points per game.  He is shooting lights out from three point range, converting on 42% of his 6.6 attempts per game.  Anthony's major improvements this season have been in his willingness to pass the ball, and his effort on the defensive end.  Rather than forcing up tough shots in isolation as he may have in the past, Anthony has instead shown trust in his teammates by swinging the ball to the open man.  Anthony's defensive intensity, inspired by teammate Tyson Chandler, the reigning defensive player of the year award winner, has finally made him the well rounded player that most expected he would become when he entered the league in 2003.  

Russell Westbrook (Getty Images)

At number 5 on my list is Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Westbrook is arguably the most athletic point guard of all time, and is impossible to contain.  He ranks 7th in the league in scoring with an average of 22.7 points per game, ranks 5th in assists with 8.3 per game, is among the league's best rebounding guards with an average of 5.3 boards per game, and finally ranks 3rd in the league in steals by averaging 2 per game.  As mentioned earlier, his Thunder have the best record in the league.  The one thing that prevents Westbrook from being ranked higher on this list is that his teammate Kevin Durant is widely considered to be the second best player in the league.  

Kobe Bryant
(Howard Smith/USA Today Sports)

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is ranked 6th on the MVP rankings.  Bryant is leading the league in scoring this season at the age of 34.  His 29.7 points per game average places him on this list despite the disappointing performance his team has put on thus far this season.  The Lakers, expected to contend for a title after adding all-stars Dwight Howard and Steve Nash over the offseason, are 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 17-22.  They are currently 3 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot and have not been over 0.500 since November 20th.  If the Lakers demonstrate considerable improvement over the second half of the season, Bryant will climb up my rankings, but as of right now this is as high as I am willing to place the Black Mamba.

Redskins win the NFC East by defeating their archival Cowboys

The rivalry between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys has long been considered the most heated in the National Football League.  A week 17 game to settle the NFC East division and a playoff spot stands out as one of the most significant games in the history of the rivalry.  Electrifying rookies Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris led a Redskins attack that had led the team to 6 consecutive victories.  On the opposite end of the field stood Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who led the Cowboys to 5 wins in their last 7 games to set up the pivotal division title game.

Alfred Morris had a record breaking night (USA today)

 The Redskins had not won their division since 1999, while the Cowboys had lost a similar winner takes the division game in week 17 of the prior season.

At the end of the night, Romo had thrown 3 interceptions, including one to linebacker Rob Jackson with just over 3 minutes remaining in the game and the Cowboys trailing by only 3 points.  Romo's mistake-laden performance, and 1-6 record in elimination games may cement his legacy as a quarterback with prolific statistics who is unable to win when it matters.

Morris had a record setting performance as he rushed for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, and in the process, broke Clinton Portis' franchise record for single season rushing yards.  Morris, a 6th round pick out of Florida Atlantic who was not even expected to make the team coming into training camp, finished the season with 13 touchdowns and 1,613 rushing yards ranking him second in the league in rushing yardage behind only Adrian Peterson.  Morris proved to be a perfect fit for Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme.  He has been nearly impossible to take down, leading the league in broken tackles and ranking third in yards after contact.  His bruising running style is a perfect weapon for the Redskins zone read option.

Morris' homerun celebration (Rob Carr/Getty)

Griffin III had a relatively quiet night throwing for only 100 yards, but also had 63 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.  He broke the all time single season rushing record for a rookie quarterback.  Griffin III finished the season with a passer rating of 102.4, breaking the single season rookie record in the category and ranking him third in the league in the category behind only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning. 
The Redskins will host a Wild Card playoff game next Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Cousins and the Redskins defeat the Browns to move into first place in the NFC East

Kirk Cousins was magnificent in his
first ever NFL start (AP/Tony Dejak)

With rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins making his first career start, the Washington Redskins downed the Cleveland Browns 38-21.  Washington won its fifth consecutive game, its largest win streak since 2005, to pull into first place in the NFC East.  The team has not won the division since 1999, and has qualified for the playoffs only twice since the turn of the millennium.

Cousins, Washington's 4th round draft pick out of Michigan State, was spectacular starting in relief of the injured Robert Griffin III, throwing for 329 yards, 2 touchdowns and completing over 70 percent of his passes.  After a rough start, the Redskins established an offensive rhythm thanks in large part to excellent play calling by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.  Shanahan abandoned the pistol formation and zone read option which had been staples of the team's offense in the games that Griffin has started this season.  Instead, Shanahan adapted to Cousins, a more traditional quarterback, by using more of a pro style offense.  With the Browns determined to stop the run, Cousins was particularly effective on play action bootlegs, on which he threw 2 touchdowns to second year receiver Leonard Hankerson, including a 54 yard bomb in the first quarter to open the floodgates.

Leonard Hankerson caught two touchdowns
(AP/Rick Osentoski)

The Redskins defense came up huge yet again, limiting the Browns to under 300 yards of total offense and forcing 2 turnovers.  London Fletcher came up with his 4th interception of the season, and Rob Jackson intercepted his 3rd pass of the year.

The Redskins now control their own postseason destiny, and with wins against the Eagles and Cowboys will earn the right to host a playoff game.

Redskins defeat Ravens in battle of the beltway

Kirk Cousins made several key plays down the stretch (AFP)

The Washington Redskins pulled off a thrilling 31-28 come from behind victory against the Baltimore Ravens.  Ravens running back Ray Rice scored a 7 yard rushing touchdown to put the Ravens ahead by 8 with under 5 minutes remaining in the game.  Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft out of Baylor University, and the NFL's offensive rookie of the year favorite, suffered a right knee injury on a 13 yard scramble after being slammed into by the 340 pound Haloti Ngata, a pro bowl defensive tackle for the Ravens.  Following a 3rd down pass interference that gave the Redskins a first down, Griffin was able to return to the game, albeit in a hobbled form.  Griffin was able to drive the Redskins all the way to the Ravens 16 yard line, but was visibly in pain, lacked his spectacular mobility and appeared unable to plant his foot in the ground.  Rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Redskins 4th round pick out of Michigan State, completed his next two passes, including a beautifully thrown 11 yard touchdown to wide receiver Pierre Garçon in the right corner of the end zone, over the outstretched arms of the defense.  With the Redskins trailing by two with 29 seconds remaining in the game, Cousins took off on a designed run up the middle of the defense for the two point conversion to force overtime.

Kai Forbath has yet to miss a field goal this season
(Washington Times)

On the Ravens first possession of the overtime period, the Redskins defense stepped up and forced a three and out.  On the subsequent punt return, rookie Richard Crawford, a 7th round pick out of SMU, returned the ball 64 yards to the Ravens 24 yard line.  Field goal kicker Kai Forbath remained perfect on the season by drilling a 34 yard kick through the uprights to seal the heart stopping comeback.

The victory was yet another demonstration of the incredible productivity that the Redskins have received out of their draft picks from this past draft.  Griffin III has had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, ranking among the league leaders in passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and touchdowns.  The remarkably clutch play of Cousins, who entered the game without a moments notice to complete the Redskins comeback, justifies a draft pick that was derided by most analysts, who claimed the team should have instead used its 3rd round pick to add depth to its offensive line.   Rookie running back Alfred Morris had 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in the game.  The 6th round pick out of Florida Atlantic University who is now astonishingly ranked 3rd in the league in rushing yards, was not even expected to make the team prior to training camp.  Crawford, filling in for the inactive Brandon Banks, provided a spark in the return game that has been missing all season.

The Redskins offensive line of left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Kory Lichtensteiger, center Will Montgomery, right guard Chris Chester and right tackle Tyler Polumbus has been the unheralded key to the team's success this season.  The offensive line has done a sensational job implementing head coach Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme and creating holes for the league's first ranked rushing attack.  After a rough start to the season, the line has improved substantially in pass protection by allowing routes to develop downfield and providing Griffin III with ample time to find open targets.  In the first quarter, Griffin III was given nearly 5 seconds in the pocket to find wide receiver Josh Morgan who ran a drag route across the entire field.  Williams, the 4th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, has developed into one of the league's best left tackles and has become the linchpin of the offensive line.

While Cousins was excellent in relief of Griffin III, the Redskins need their dynamic budding superstar to make a speedy recovery.  The Redskins option offense is predicated on the threat of Griffin running the football.

Redskins defeat Giants on Monday Night Football

The Washington Redskins won a must win game against the New York Giants in front of a national audience on ESPN's Monday Night Football in order to keep their once improbable playoff hopes alive.  By defeating the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants in consecutive division games, the Redskins resuscitated what once appeared to be a yet another disappointing season for the team.

Robert Griffin III continued his magnificent rookie season
(Geoff Burke/US Presswire)

Quarterback Robert Griffin III did not put up the gaudy stats that Redskins fans have become accustomed to, but he made plays when it counted against an elite defensive front, and yet again did not turn the ball over.  In the first quarter Griffin III fumbled the ball after a run of 12 yards, but miraculously while lying on his back Griffin III was able to push the ball up into the hands of receiver Josh Morgan.  Morgan scampered into the end zone untouched for the first touchdown of the game

Washington's oft maligned defense held the Giants potentially explosive offense in check.  The secondary yielded only one big gain in the passing game, after giving up a 77 yard game winning touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz in the first meeting between the two teams in October.  Most importantly, the defense held the Giants offense to field goals instead of touchdowns.  The Giants were forced to take 4 field goals, as opposed to scoring only 1 touchdown, a crucial factor in the game.

For the majority of the game the Redskins operated out of the pistol formation, a modified version of the shotgun in which the quarterback stands 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage rather than the customary 8 yards.  Thanks in part to the formation, which allows the runner to hit his holes quicker than he would in the shotgun, the Redskins running game flourished.  The team finished with an astounding 207 rushing yards on 6.7 yards per carry.  Griffin III finished with 72 rushing yards including one run of 46 yards on which he showed of his highly touted athleticism.

Alfred Morris was a workhorse for the Redskins
(NYGiants.com)

Running back Alfred Morris, the Redskins 6th round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, broke the Redskins rookie rushing record and had a career high 124 rushing yards in the game.  Morris displayed the mental fortitude necessary to be a star in the NFL by overcoming a red zone fumble and continuing to produce big run after big run.  Morris showed off his hard nosed difficult to tackle running style by picking up 8 first downs for the Redskins.  Morris is ranked 3rd in the NFL with 1106 rushing yards on the season, and has really opened up the play action passing game, a staple of the Redskins highly productive offense.The threat of Morris running the ball helped the Redskins offense convert 9 of 11 play-action passes, as opposed to 4 of 10 on regular drop-back passes.

In the beginning of the 4th quarter, Griffin III and Morris marched the Skins down the field all the way to the Giants 8 yard line.  The Redskins then ran a play action fake out of the pistol formation.  The fake to Morris made the Giants Tampa-2 defense hesitate for long enough to allow Griffin III to roll to his right and hit receiver Pierre Garçon in the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Redskins a 17-16 lead.  Garçon has been extremely productive when healthy, and has made a tremendous impact in providing Griffin III with a sure handed target who has the ability to make very difficult catches.

After the Redskins defense did its part in shutting down the Giants late in the 4th quarter, the Redskins received the ball with 3:51 left in the game.  Over the years, Eli Manning and the Giants have had numerous come from behind victories with limited time left on the clock.  Morris and Griffin III took matters into their own hands and moved the chains to prevent the Giants from having an opportunity to win the game.  Morris' 6 yard run on third and three with under 2 minutes left ensured the Redskins victory and kept them alive in the NFC playoff hunt.

Redskins defeat the Cowboys and Eagles to keep their playoff hopes alive

The Washington Redskins had a disappointing 3-6 record entering their bye week after losing three straight heartbreakers to the Giants, Steelers and Panthers.  By the time the Redskins welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles to town, it appeared that the team had given up hope on reaching the postseason.  Head coach Mike Shanahan seemingly threw in the towel when he told the media following the loss to the Panthers, "when you lose a game like that, now you're playing to see who, obviously, is going to be on your football team for years to come.  Now we get a chance to evaluate players and see where we're at."

Santana Moss
(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The struggling Eagles squad was just the remedy for what ailed the Redskins.  The Redskins cruised past the Eagles 31-6, the largest margin of victory in Shanahan's tenure in Washington.  Philadelphia leads the NFC in turnovers, and also has the fewest takeaways in the conference.  Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick was out with a concussion, and his replacement, rookie Nick Foles threw two interceptions and no touchdowns.  The team was able to muster only 257 yards of total offense against a Washington defense that had struggled for most of the season.
Rookie sensation Robert Griffin III ignited the Redskins offense, throwing a career high 4 touchdowns, and completing all but one of his throws for an unbelievable completion percentage of 93.7%.  Griffin III set the NFL rookie record for passer rating with a perfect rating of 158.3.  Griffin III displayed his cannon of an arm with a 49 yard bomb to Aldrick Robinson and a 61 yard heave to Santana Moss on which the receiver made an incredible play by ripping the ball away from two defenders to seal the victory.

Robert Griffin III against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving
(Jose Yau/Associated Press/The Waco Tribune-Herald)

Only 5 days later, the Redskins traveled to Dallas to take on the hated Cowboys on a huge Thanksgiving day stage.  With the entire nation watching, Griffin III announced to the world that he is a worthy MVP candidate by leading the Redskins to a 28-3 half-time lead.  Griffin III finished the game with 4 touchdown passes, 311 passing yards, a 132.6 passer rating and once again completing over 70 percent of his passes.  Included among those touchdowns were a 68 yarder to Aldrick Robinson and a 59 yarder to Pierre Garçon, who had to adjust to a pass thrown behind him and outran the defense all the way to the end zone.  Garçon, who had missed significant time with a foot injury, made his impact felt with 5 receptions for 93 yards, the first time he was able to truly contribute since week 1.  Rookie running back Alfred Morris, a 6th round pick who is incredibly ranked 5th in the NFL in rushing yards, opened up the play action for the Redskins by picking up 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In the second half the Cowboys came roaring back, pulling to within a touchdown of the Redskins.  Led by quarterback Tony Romo, who passed for 441 yards in the game along with 3 second half touchdowns, momentum appeared to be on Dallas' side.  Following receiver Dez Bryant's second touchdown of the game, which made the score 35-28, the Redskins were desperate for points.  Griffin III calmly drove the offense down the field to set up a field goal by Kai Forbath, who has yet to miss this season, with under 3 minutes left in the game.  The Cowboys made a field goal with 18 seconds remaining in the game to draw to within 38-31.  On the ensuing on side kick attempt, Redskins cornerback Deangelo Hall, who already had an interception in the game, returned the kick all the way to the 2 yard line before sliding to allow the Redskins to end the game in victory formation.

Robert Griffin III carrying the American flag
(Brian Murphy/Extremeskins.com)

The two consecutive victories against bitter division rivals has revived the Redskins playoff hopes, and gives the team a realistic chance to either win the NFC East division or sneak into the postseason as a wildcard.  Next week's Monday Night Football game against the Giants will be a crucial matchup to watch.

Redskins snap 8 game home losing streak against the Vikings

Robert Griffin III rushed for 138 yards, a Skins QB record
(Jonathan Newton/Washington Post)

The Washington Redskins snapped an 8 game home losing streak by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 38-26 to improve their record to 3-3.  Robert Griffin III bounced back from a concussion suffered last week in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, by putting on yet another dazzling offensive performance, and energizing the Redskins entire fan base.  Griffin completed 17 of his 22 pass attempts to maintain the highest completion percentage in the league, rushed for 138 yards, a Redskins quarterback record, and accounted for three touchdowns.

After a sluggish first quarter in which the the Redskins were dominated by the Vikings, the team trailed 9-0.  Fortunately, Washington's ailing defense was able to prevent the Vikings from reaching the end zone despite multiple trips to the red zone for Minnesota.  Holding Minnesota to three first quarter field goals proved to be a deciding factor in the game.

The Redskins responded by scoring 24 unanswered points, including a 50 yard field goal by the team's newly signed kicker Kai Forbath in his NFL debut.  Griffin III and the Redskins have scored touchdowns on all 12 of their goal to go situations this season.  The team's red zone efficiency, induced by the threat of Griffin's elite running ability, was on full display as Griffin passed to fullback Darrell Young for a 6 yard touchdown, took the ball in himself for a 7 yard rushing touchdown, and handed the ball off to running back Alfred Morris for a goal line touchdown.

RG3 leaps into the crowd after a 76 yard rushing TD
(Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

Washington's defense came up with 3 huge turnovers, including a pick 6 by free safety Madieu Williams, and a fumble recovery by linebacker Lorenzo Alexander that gave the Redskins possession of the ball at the Vikings 6 yard line.

The Vikings scored two 4th quarter touchdowns  to cut the Redskins 19 point lead down to 5.  With just under three minutes remaining in the game, the Redskins faced a crucial 3rd and 6 which they had to convert in order to prevent the Vikings from completing a demoralizing comeback.  Griffin III dropped back to pass, broke a tackle, scrambled to his left and used his world class speed to outrun the defense for a breathtaking 76 yard rushing touchdown, the longest by an NFL quarterback in over 16 years.

RG3 has been nothing short of a godsend for a Redskins franchise that had lacked a quality starting quarterback for over two decades.  With Griffin III under center, the Redskins have been among the most exhilarating teams to watch this NFL season.