MVP Race: Who Takes Home the Hardware?

[AngryBanana]

We're getting to the end of the season, and that means awards. The biggest award handed out — determined by the computer — is the Most Valuable Player award. This award has been dominated by one person for years: Magic Johnson. Now that he's on a stacked roster, and while still playing at an elite level, he's probably not the runaway favorite this year and faces more competition than any previous season.

There are several players who could make a strong case this year, and I'm going to highlight the top five candidates. I'll be ranking them using my player ranking system (the AB Rating), which takes several categories into account and averages them out per 36 minutes to give the most equal value comparison across players. Playing games still matters in this system — sorry to Kevin McHale and the Kings. For each player's detail section, stats are listed followed by their league ranking in that category in parentheses.

Karl Malone

Team: Phoenix Suns

Games Played: 64

PPG: 32.1 (1) | REB: 10.1 (11) | FG%: .567 (6) | Mins: 38.1 (10)

AB Rating: 57,247

Karl Malone is truly playing like an MVP when you consider how much his team relies on him. Yes, John Stockton is on the roster — and is probably worthy of First Team All-League honors himself with his impressive play — but Stockton's numbers wouldn't be what they are without Malone. In his best game of the year, Malone powered the Suns past the Lakers on January 8, 1990, posting 31 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. He was relentless at the basket, going 15-for-16 from the foul line while adding 4 assists and 2 steals. His +33 plus/minus was his highest of the season and led all players, earning him Player of the Game honors in a decisive regular-season win against a struggling Lakers squad.

How close is Malone to reclaiming his OPMalone status in this league? And will Dr. K become the first person to have two different MVPs win the award while on his team? Time will tell, but I feel confident in Malone's chances. The only real knock is the team's overall record — at 39-25, they sit fourth in the standings and seventh in the Powerrr rankings. Will voters expect the MVP to be on a division-winning team to earn the award?

Magic Johnson

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Games Played: 66

PPG: 23.6 (14) | REB: 8.9 (23) | FG%: .554 (12) | FT%: .850 (16)

AB Rating: 54,058

The case for Magic is almost the inverse of Malone's. He's on a stacked roster that sits near the top of the league in the standings. Magic doesn't dominate any single statistical category, but that has always been his calling card — he's an overall force on both offense and defense who makes every game winnable and elevates everyone around him. He has slowed down a bit in recent years, and the team did experiment with playing him at small forward this year, though I doubt that experiment has a long shelf life.

As for his best game, Magic put on a clinic against the defensive-minded Rockets on March 14, 1990, recording a 31-point triple-double in just 30 minutes. He was nearly unstoppable offensively, shooting 13-for-16 from the field, and chipped in 3 steals with a remarkable +37 plus/minus, controlling every aspect of the game as he led the Spurs to a commanding victory, earning Player of the Game honors. The challenge down the stretch is that the team may look to limit his minutes to protect their star from injury as the season winds down.

Charles Barkley

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Games Played: 66

PPG: 26.8 (7) | REB: 10.6 (8) | FG%: .590 (2)

AB Rating: 53,622

Oh man. Barkley is another guy who deserves serious consideration for how completely he's transformed the direction of a franchise. JNR acquired him in the offseason from the Bucks, and while the trade may have raised some eyebrows after Training Camp, Barkley has proven — much like his real-life counterpart — that he doesn't need to be a gym rat to play lights-out basketball. Alongside David "The Admiral" Robinson and Tim Hardaway, Barkley will anchor this team for several seasons to come, and I love what the Timberwolves are building. And yes, I'll admit I have a personal soft spot for a strong big man combo, which nudges him up in my purely opinion-based rankings that aren't reflected in these numbers.

In his best game, Barkley turned in an efficient and impactful performance on January 21, 1990, leading the Timberwolves to a convincing victory over the Mavericks. He scored 27 points on 8-for-11 shooting, knocked down 11 of 16 free throws, and added 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and a block in just 32 minutes. He committed only a single foul and posted an outstanding +42 plus/minus, fueling one of the most dominant team performances of the season. His all-around contribution was instrumental in the win.

Hakeem Olajuwon

Team: Boston Celtics

Games Played: 65

PPG: 26.2 (9) | REB: 10.7 (6) | BLK: 3.8 (2) | FG%: .538 (19)

AB Rating: 52,502

I won't spend too much time on my own player — it feels like the right thing to stay humble here. Hakeem is the pulse of the Celtics and provides the spark on both ends of the floor. I'm hoping he earns DPOY this season after chasing Ewing for it last year. He also offers a blend of both Magic and Malone in that his team is talented with a strong record, while he's also excelling near the top of several individual categories.

For his best game of the season by plus/minus, Hakeem dominated both ends of the floor on December 21, 1989, leading the Celtics to a decisive win over the Jazz. He recorded a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds — including 5 offensive boards — while shooting 10-for-17 from the field and adding 5 assists and 4 blocks in just 29 minutes. He committed only one turnover and finished with a game-high +42 plus/minus, earning Player of the Game honors in one of his most complete performances of the season.

Buck Williams

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Games Played: 63

PPG: 29.1 (5) | REB: 10.8 (4) | FG%: .596 (1)

AB Rating: 51,998

Yeah, wow. This guy is an offensive juggernaut. Wig picked him up in free agency after the Knicks moved on, and the importance of that signing couldn't be clearer. Williams is still an athletic freak at 30, and Wig is proving that the old-league fear around 30-year-old players doesn't apply in the PBSL. He is a monster on the offensive end, which frees up the rest of the roster to focus elsewhere on the court — though it's worth noting that Worthy is still averaging 20 PPG and is no slouch himself.

Some people probably raised an eyebrow at giving a max deal to a player Williams' age who relies heavily on athleticism, but he and Wig are both laughing their way to a potential second seed and would be a serious problem for any playoff opponent if the team stays healthy. For his best game, Williams turned in a dominant interior performance on February 7, 1990, leading the Trail Blazers to a convincing win over the Jazz. The veteran power forward posted a double-double with 29 points and 16 rebounds — including 5 offensive boards — while shooting 13-for-21 from the field, adding a block, and committing just 2 fouls in 32 minutes. His relentless work in the paint helped Portland control the game from wire to wire, capped off by an outstanding +47 plus/minus.

[Mike Lowry]

This is an impressive answer for a Town Hall question.

[AngryBanana]

This is an impressive answer for a Town Hall question.

HAHA. I had already started before I saw your Town Hall question... Great Minds I guess?