Garnett for NBA MVP?
I say “yes” - but I’m biased obviously. Attached is a column that discusses Garnett’s candidacy:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-080327&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1
Kobe will win cuz MVP is “best individual numbers” for most voters. That’s fine - but I’ve been privileged to experience first-hand how valuable Garnett is to these Celtics. It is not fully represented in individual numbers, but indeed that’s a hallmark to his greatness.
As Pierce points out in the column, Garnett changed the entire organizational culture upon his arrival - most notably (but not limited to), on the defensive side of the court (where the Celtics lead the NBA in every significant defensive category). But the number that sticks out to me is this: The Celtics ended up with 24 wins total last season - and with games still remaining, they already have 24 wins this season… just against the (superior) Western Conference. They are 56-15 overall, and 24-5 against the Western Conference. *That* is because of Kevin Garnett far more than anything else - and that is representative of the value he’s brought to his team this year.
You can have Kobe (and I’d love to see Garnett and Kobe face off in the Finals, “to settle it on the court”, if you will)… but I’ll take Garnett every day of the week.