Madness Creeps into the NBA

This guy needs to stop whining. 

"I mean, I just listen and read. I think it's over. Derrick Rose has it. I haven't really read or heard a media guy who is going another way at this point. I'd be shocked if he doesn't win it," Stan Van Gundy in this ESPN Article.

Anyone who watches a Magic game knows two things Stan Van Gundy is absolutely exhausting to watch and Dwight Howard is good, not great.

This season is a testament to Dwight Howard's skills. Before the Magic's major trade where they dumped Carter, Lewis and Gortat for Richardson, Turkuglu, and Arenas the team was 16-9. That's 7 games above .500 in a division where big men are no where to be found.

The MVP is a player that all opponents focus on, game plan for, and know if their team loses it's most likely because the prospective MVP was the player who beat them. Dwight Howard may be a force defensively but his offense is sad and everyone who goes up against the Magic knows they aren't taking too big a risk letting him get the ball. His jump shot is non existant, he has roughly 2 post moves (shoulder in and push), and he if gets to the line it's a coin flip he'll cash in. The reason Orlando is constantly looking for better shooters is because its superstar can't shoot, which means he can't carry the team.

But the Magic's problem is much worse than offense.

If Dwight Howard is to be considered the MVP he should have had his team with a 3 year solid starting line up rolling. Nope, 3 major players gone midseason.

Okay, well since he's the "best big man in the league" they should be clowning big men league wide right? Nope, at this point in the season the Magic have 26 loses, here's the teams to which they've lost:

Utah - 2x

Toronto

San Antonio

Milwaukee

Portland - 2x

Denver

Phili

Atlanta - 2x

Dallas

New Orleans - 2x

OkC

Boston - 2x

Detroit

Chicago -2x

Memphis

Miami -3x

Sacramento

Golden State

Lakers


What do you notice there? Title contenders with bonafide big men, most of whom are in the playoffs. Plus if you look at that record what else do you notice? Out of the five serious contenders for the 10-11 MVP crown (Rose, Howard, James, Duncan, Howard) he's lost 9 games so far. The Magic's record against teams with elite talent is 6-9. Yep, sounds like the Magic's MVP is really pulling through for them there...


Sure reporters will espouse the greatness of Howard on TV and occasionally in print so he wont stone wall them, but he can't be a true MVP candidate because he doesn't have the basketball skills a team can rely on, and he doesn't ever truly dominate the part of the floor he's famous for "owning." So I think the media talking about the Bulls (currently 1st in the east, the 2nd team in the league to 50 wins, no quality SG, with bigs battling injuries all season) young superstar as the MVP is warranted.