Ackerstein:

If you thought New Orleans would be one of the NBA’s top
five teams this season, raise your hand.

There shouldn’t be very many of you.

The Hornets this year, with 55 wins so far, have come out of
nowhere and it’s all thanks to one man, Chris Paul.

With a playoff berth already in hand, the MVP award is the
only missing piece to Paul’s season.

Paul might not have the scoring numbers of Kobe Bryant or
LeBron James, but what he lacks in point production he makes up for in just
about every other phase of the game.

The point guard has a ridiculous stat line of 21.1
points/11.6 assists/4.0 rebounds, not to mention his 2.7 steals per game.

Take Paul away from the Hornets and the team is looking at a
top-10 pick in the draft instead of home court advantage in the Western
Conference Playoffs.

While the Lakers or the Celtics might not have put up
records like they did without Bryant or Kevin Garnett, each team still would
have been better off than New Orleans would have without Paul.

There is nobody more valuable to his team than the man who
makes the 55-win Hornets go.

If his on-the-court performance and value to his team isn’t
enough, just check out his nickname. With his CP3 moniker, Paul has got one of
the game’s coolest nicknames, which while not necessarily a factor in MVP
voting, should still count for something.

He’s got an assist-to-turnover ratio greater than four to
one, his team went from sub-.500 to the top of the conference, and his nickname
makes him sound like a futuristic robot.

?

Drop him the dime. CP3 is the MVP.

?

Mason:

Yes, Chris Paul and the Hornets have been a pleasant
surprise this season. But when I was in New Orleans over spring break and
visited the Hornets’ arena, I didn’t get the sense that they had an MVP
candidate roaming the Big Easy.

Travel to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, however, and
you’ll find this year’s NBA MVP: Mr. Kobe Bryant.

Hard to think Kobe’s never won the award before, given the
numbers he constantly puts up. And this year’s no exception: 28.4 points, 6.3 rebounds
and 5.4 dimes per contest. The numbers are right there with Paul’s, and the
Lakers currently sit a half game above New Orleans for the top spot in the
Western Conference.

You’ve also got to look at the talent surrounding both
players. The Lakers made a big midseason acquisition in picking up Pau Gasol,
and Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum have had double-double seasons as well.

Chris Paul’s got an equally strong group of guys around him.
David West is putting up better than 20 per game along with 8.9 boards, and
Peja Stojakovic has been a solid addition as well.

So with such an evenly contested MVP race, how does one
decide the winner?

You could look at health. Bynum has played just 35 games
this season for LA, and Gasol missed nine games with an ankle sprain. In their
absences, Kobe carried the team. New Orleans’ top four scorers have all played
in 75 or more games.

But perhaps the bottom line is that Kobe has made those
around him better. He’s less selfish than before — taking fewer shots than he
did the past two seasons — which has allowed his teammates to step up and
produce.

?

Hey, Kobe and MVP rhyme. Coincidence? I think not.