It is only two weeks into the NBA season, meaning that it’s definitely way too early to be discussing potential MVP candidates. Right?

Of course it isn’t. In fact, no one would blame you for pondering who has a chance at taking home the league’s most prestigious individual award in the upcoming season as soon as the winner of the current one is handed that unmatched piece of hardware.

That is just the nature of the ever – and sometimes overly – analytical fan; they have no problem moving onto the next one before the dust of what’s just occurred has even any resemblance of a chance to settle.

There are always the obvious choices, which include the likes of Kobe Bryant, who has one MVP to his name as he begins his 17th season; Kevin Durant, who is still seeking his first despite winning the last three regular season scoring titles; and LeBron James, who is the reigning MVP, has won three out of the last four, and even added a Finals MVP trophy to his collection in June when he silenced all his critics with one of the more dazzling championship performances ever witnessed.

Then there are also the likes of Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony - you get the point.

These are the types of players that everyone expects to be in that conversation towards the end of the season. They are the superstars that at times make the game look easier than opening a door.

But there is someone else out there who has a very solid chance of not only finding himself right in the middle of the discussion, but also of going home with the award if he does.

His name is James Harden.

Essentially a household name after last year, a year in which he won the Kia Sixth Man of the Year award, Harden was traded before the season opener to the Houston Rockets after three seasons complementing Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City as both an early backup and deadly threat late in games with the Thunder.

Harden, only 23, has shown gradual improvement with each passing season, and proved during 2011-2012 while averaging 16.8 points per game that he could be flat-out unstoppable whenever he desires to be.

He did have monumental struggles in The Finals against James’ Miami Heat, but it’s easy to remember that that was the same exact case with James himself in the previous Finals. And as we can easily remember once again, James was just fine the next time around.

While Harden may not be James, A.K.A. the best basketball player on the face of the Earth, that doesn’t mean that he does not possess the skill necessary to be the league’s Most Valuable Player. In Houston he is finally part of a team where his experience, combined with an abundance of youth around him ill allow him to be the go-to guy every time out, as opposed to being a third option if Durant or Westbrook are being hugged like boxers that are pummeling their opponents.

The Rockets also expressed this same superstar faith in Harden, immediately locking him up and making him the franchise player with the max five year, $80 million contract that he was eligible coming out of his original rookie deal.

He did not give anyone a chance to question whether or not he was worth those kinds of figures, dropping 37 points in his Rockets debut and setting a new career high with a 45 point encore two nights later. Obviously he won’t average those types of numbers throughout the season, but anywhere between the 25 and 28 point per game mark, along with leading a young Rockets squad to their first postseason appearance since the 2008-2009 campaign, could be enough for Harden to be awarded the honor of MVP.

Having a point guard with the vision and keen passing ability of the also newly acquired Jeremy Lin will add some more edge to Harden’s game as well. Westbrook, as was a huge topic of discussion throughout last year’s Finals, was not and is not the prototypical point guard whose first option is to set up his teammates. Lin has made it clear that he’s the night to Westbrook’s day in that regard.

Keep an eye on James Harden. The sun may only still be rising on the 2012-2013 season, but the MVP discussion is just too fun to wait around for.

Image Courtesy : James Harden

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“My Life as an NBA Rookie,” a special that gives audiences an inside look at some of today’s biggest NBA stars in their first year in the league, premieres Monday, October 29 (7:00-7:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD as part of “Nothing But Net Marathon,” a sports-themed marathon featuring episodes of “Kickin’ It,” “Lab Rats” and “Crash & Bernstein” beginning at 5:00 p.m., ET/PT.

Hosted by Billy Unger, star of Disney XD’s “Lab Rats,” the special features exclusive footage of New Orleans Hornets’ power forward Anthony Davis practicing with the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s National Team; takes fans behind the scenes at the NBA Draft Combine and NBA Draft; looks at how players mentally and physically prepare for training camp and opening night; and reveals entertaining rookie duties.

“My Life as an NBA Rookie” includes Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James of the Miami Heat, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, among others.

About Disney XD

Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms and includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the US, Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via basic cable and satellite affiliates.

Image Courtesy of  Keith Allison

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The U.S. basketball team had fun playing on Tuesdays night against Tunisia, who was destroyed by the Americans mightiness. The U.S. tried to have fun with this game and did not give it their all. If this happened we would probably be talking about the biggest win difference in the Olympics Games.

Things did not start well for Krzyzewski’s men though. They started in a sleepy mood, so the coach decided to change the 5 initial players when the first quarter was about to end. Until that moment the Africans dreamed during the first eight minutes of the game, when they were winning 15-12. But with the five new players on the pitch (Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala and Kevin Love,) the score moved to 15-26 in just three minutes. Tunisians were back to reality. Especially in the second half.

The second half started with a still close 33-46, and with the U.S. alternates at the pitch. They were the ones that killed Tunisia. Westbrook, Harden and Iguodala opened the scoring gap, ending any chance for Tunisia by the end of the third quarter (47-85).

Last quarter (63-110) was a mere formality for the enjoyment of the viewer and the United States, which keeps on making its way to gold.

It was a game to give the most important men of the team some rest and relaxation. Kobe Bryant just played 8 minutes, while Lebron James and Kevin Durant played 18 and 22 respectively.

Carmelo Anthony led the American scorers with 16 points, while Kevin Durant had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. However, the man of the match was Tunisian Makram Ben Romdhane who scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds.

Nineteen year old Davis, who will debut in the NBA during next season after he was picked in the draft by the New Orleans Hornets, scored 12 points in 12 minutes, and showed his happiness in the after match declarations: “It was real fun just playing with these guys.”

Coach Krzyzewski was also appreciative with his men’s performances: “It’s not going to be a perfect thing, you know?” he said. “But, overall, tonight was good. I mean, come on, it was 110-63.”

Image Courtesy of  Oleksiy Naumov / Shutterstock.com

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There are rare occasions in sport when two or three world class players come together as a team and provide that side with the means to dominate its’ respective league. In basketball, you need look no further than the current NBA champions, the Miami Heat. The coming together of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh delighted, frightened and intrigued NBA fans the world over, and could potentially become one of the best sides to have ever graced the NBA. Go back a few years and the trio of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman (or Horace Grant if you want to go a little further back) created a dynasty that the current Chicago Bulls side are desperately trying to escape the shadow of, let alone replicate just. Similar occurrences have happened in soccer, with the recent domination of Barcelona in world soccer, spearheaded by the breathtaking Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi. It would foolish to presume these players do it all by themselves, and highly disrespectful to the likes of Mario Chalmers, Steve Kerr and Carles Puyol, but the stars are the cornerstones of any dynasty, with supporting pieces coming and going over the years.

While the spotlight falls on James and the Heat at the moment, there is a significant question hovering over the young Oklahoma City Thunder side. Could they become one of these great teams who can win championships year after year and forge their own legend within the world of sport?

Well at a quick glance, it certainly looks as if they do. Do they have the talent? Check. Are they young enough to achieve their ambitions? Check. Do they have insightful leaders on and off the court? Check. Lastly, do they have a passionate fan base who will stick by their team? Check (If there is such a thing as a ‘double check,’ then it applies here).

In Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook you have two All-Stars, superstars of the game who will only continue to improve and could go on to dominate their respective positions for years to come. Behind them you have James Harden and Serge Ibaka. Both players certainly have the potential to become All-Stars, and with both players aged just 22, it would be foolhardy to bet against that possibility. Throw into the mix the physical presence of Kendrick Perkins, the perimeter defense of Thabo Sefolosha, and if the rumors are to be believed, the leadership of Derrick Fisher for at least one more season.

Ibaka and Harden’s youth has been mentioned, but Durant and Westbrook are also just 23, leaving Perkins and Sefolosha as the elderly statesmen amongst the starters at 27 and 28 respectively, but far from nearing the ends of their careers. This youth, whilst arguably playing against them in this months’ NBA finals, offers huge hope to Thunder fans, who will believe that they can go from strength to strength as they players develop as a group. Given how good Durant, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka are at this young age, the ceiling for these players, particularly Durant and Westbrook, is colossal.

Pressure will be heaped upon young Head Coach Scott Brooks over the next few years to extract results from such a talented squad. To his credit though, Brooks has orchestrated improved performances in each of his four years at the Thunder. After failing to make the playoffs in his first season, he guided them to a first round exit in his second year, before falling at the conference finals last year. If he continues this trend of improvement, Oklahoma City will be on target for a much coveted NBA Championship next season. He should also be praised for his management of such a young team, a task often fraught with difficulties, which has, publicly at least, been free of controversy or major problems.

Whilst there seems to be no end of positives for the Thunder over the coming seasons, there are important questions which need to be answered if they are to achieve their goals of creating a ‘dynasty.’ Firstly, will they be able to keep hold of Harden once his contract runs out? Whilst Harden has made it known he is happy to come off the bench and contribute in that way, allowing the Thunder to start Sefolosha, who adds to their defense, will he be happy in that role in a year or twos time? Another issue is whether or not they can keep hold of Ibaka. The young power forward has made a name for himself as one of the best blockers in the league, an attribute which could well earn him some admiring glances from other franchises, franchises who may have the cap space to make him a very nice offer.

If Harden can be sufficed with a bench role for the long term, or Brooks can devise a way for him to start, and Ibaka can be secured to a long term contract in the same way Durant, Webstbrook and Perkins have, then there is no reason to suggest that this Thunder side will not be able to live up to their near limitless potential. The rise of this team from relative obscurity to genuine NBA contenders has been startling and makes their achievement of making the finals this year even more impressive. With this group of players having at least 10 years left at the highest level, we could be enjoying the Durant vs. James dual for some time now, a rivalry which has all the potential of Bird vs. Johnson.

Image Courtesy of  OKC Thunder

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Entering the 2012 NBA Finals, Heat forward LeBron James put it upon himself to make sure that the third time would in fact be a charm.

He would not leave anything to chance, shy away from the moment or give anyone another year’s worth of ammunition to continue calling him a crownless king. Averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists in five games against the ferociously athletic and ambitious Oklahoma City Thunder – led by the star-power of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden – the Finals MVP’s breakout performance was exactly what we had long been craving from the world’s best player on its biggest stage.

After last year’s colossal meltdown against the Dallas Mavericks in which he essentially disappeared in the games’ most critical moments – which undoubtedly played an enormous role in the Heat dropping the final three games after establishing a 2-1 series lead with a late win on the road in Game 3 – James refused to crush the fragile hearts of the Miami faithful for a second straight season.

But the seemingly infinite scrutiny that he would have endured might have been an even bigger motivating factor when all was said and done.

In this era of social media and endless reporting via internet, television and radio, many have made the case that James is not only the most criticized and hated professional athlete on the globe today, but that he in fact holds that title amongst all of those that came before him as well.

Reasons for that overload of negative attention differ depending on the skeptic. Reporters, analysts and writers comprehend that someone of his overwhelming size and talent level should surely still be able to shine when the lights are at their brightest, as opposed to crumble under the pressure as he did in his 2011 and 2007 Finals appearances. Although a number of fans share the same sentiment, many others instead enjoy watching him fail due to all of the factors that “The Decision” was composed of along with the understanding that he truly is the greatest player in the game.

A lot of fans appreciate having the opportunity to witness greatness and history as it is taking place, yet there are also those who can’t help but despise it when their beloved team isn’t the beneficiary of it.

With all that being said, it was additionally clear that James felt no desire in returning to that dark place he found himself in following last year’s Game 6 Finals defeat in Miami. He heard the chatter about how he didn’t have that killer instinct that it takes to win a championship. He heard the analysts chastise him for having an inadequate post-game despite being 6’9, 250 pounds – making him an incomplete player.

At that moment where it was essentially the world against James, he had two options. He could either uphold the villainous persona that he openly embraced after announcing his decision to take his “talents to South Beach,” or he could learn from his recent anguish and finally snatch that ring that he had been desperately pursuing for nearly the past decade of his life.

Thankfully for his sake, he chose the latter.

James spent the offseason working on developing an array of moves for the low-block with Hall of Famer and two-time champion, former Houston Rockets center Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon. He certainly put those moves to work this postseason, as they made him practically unstoppable for prolonged stretches.

They wouldn’t be enough, however. Something needed to click in James’s DNA in a way it had never done before. The only thing that virtually stood between him and the Larry O’Brien trophy was his inability to focus and play at his optimal level when his team absolutely needed him to.

He admittedly looked himself in the mirror and said “You need to be better.”

With the Heat staring elimination dead in the eye entering Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston, James appeared to have an epiphany about his true abilities. He put his teammates on his back and had a game for the ages, dropping 45 points and ripping down 15 rebounds in a rout of the Celtics.

A solid 31 points by James in Game 7 propelled Miami to its second consecutive NBA Finals appearance. This was apparently a new LeBron James.

Oklahoma City won Game 1, but a huge shot by James with a minute and a half remaining in Game 2 helped the Heat tie the series. He did not freeze up in any of the fourth quarters as we had grown accustomed to seeing. Before his leg cramps in Game 4 forced him to sit out the final few minutes, they did not prevent him from hitting big shots down the stretch.

When it came time to close the deal, James took Game 5 by the throat and recorded his first triple-double of the playoffs – 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists – en route to a blowout victory for the Heat and their second world championship since 2006.

After this excruciatingly long road, LeBron James is finally an NBA champion, and with all of the questions thoroughly answered, the best could be yet to come.

Image Courtesy of  Keith Allison

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A host of NBA stars converged upon Oklahoma City Sunday night for the US Tracking Fleet Basketball Invitational hosted by hometown hero Kevin Durant. They did not disappoint, putting on quite a show for the energetic crowd.

With a final score of 176-171, players like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and several others made sure the fans stayed entertained until the final whistle.a

Surprisingly, the high-scorer was Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley, who finished with a Maravich-esque 56 points on 25-of-35 shooting from the field. Behind him, not-so-surprisingly, was Melo, who poured in a cool 43. King James finished with 40, and Westbrook added 34, but it would be the host himself, Kevin Durant, who put on the biggest show of all.

KD finished with a triple double, putting up 42 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists, leaving the crowd enraptured throughout the scintillating performance. Other players invited to the affair included LaMarcus Aldridge, Johnny Flynn, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Green (once a Thunder player before his 2010-11 mid-season trade to Boston), Rudy Gay, Amar’e Stoudemire and John Wall.

Of course, Melo, Stoudemire, and Paul were all on the Blue Team, giving Big Apple fans a taste of what it could be like to have their own Big Three (Paul will be a free agent after the 2012-13 season). The exhibition match ran like a Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks game—strictly offense with a small smattering of defense sprinkled in.

Players joked and dilly-dallied around for the first three quarters, but buckled down in the closing minutes when victory and subsequent bragging rights were on the line. After being sent into overtime, it would be James and Durant that would pull the White team away for the win.

With the players exhibiting so much energy in what was a glorified All-Star game, it’s clear that they’re ready to get back to business and play NBA basketball. But if the lockout drags on, we’ll be sure to see more invitationals in the near future.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/nba

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Derrick Rose at 22 years of age became the NBA’s youngest to win the Most Valuable Player Award with his dominant 2011 season. Though he showed off his skills in a way that we had never seen out of him before, much of the talk around the league is that he was undeserving of the award this year, and in fact is a bit overrated as a player.

I believe that overrated is quite a strong word. It should merely be reserved for a class of players that has one or two strong seasons but then never quite seems to live up to that potential again throughout the rest of their career. I have no doubt that Derrick Rose does not belong in this class.

Although I hate to begin an argument with statistics (because they surely do not tell the entire story of a players overall game) I will use them as a launching point.

Rose is obviously first and foremost, a scorer. Whether or not each individual fan wants their point guard to be “score-first” they will have to deal with it from the young Bulls superstar, because his reputation has become one of the toughest guards to defend across the entire league. In 2011 alone he upped his scoring from 20.8 to 25 points-per-game.

Not only is he getting to the rim more but he also increased his free throw percentage from an average 76.6% to 85.8%, making it even tougher to defend him in the paint since no coach wants to give away free points.

The biggest transition in his game came with his touch from the outside. Much of this “overrated” talk came from Rose’s struggles shooting the ball in the playoffs. Whereas that may be true, anyone who has watched basketball for a significant amount of time knows that young players are bound to struggle come playoff time when the experience just isn’t there. All of the great players went through lulls where the ball just wouldn’t go through the hoop, and rose is no different. It should be said however that this is no reason to discredit his dominant regular season (especially since the MVP award is NOT based on the postseason).

Despite his struggles, throughout the regular season, Rose increased his 3-point shooting from a terrible 26.7% to a respectable 33.2%, and can be expected to increase again next season. The percentages do not tell the whole story however, since last season he was only able to net 16 shots from behind the arc, and in 2011 hit 128.

Rose’s blocks, steals, assists, and rebounds all increased by a fairly significant margin as well over his MVP year, and yet still he is doubted.

Let’s get to what I believe is the real root of the problem here: the Chicago Bulls as a team.

Do not get me wrong, personally I enjoyed watching the Bulls play this season and do believe they are on pace to compete for years to come in the eastern conference (if only they can get a shooting guard who isn’t named Keith Bogans into the starting lineup). The fact is, nobody expected them to be the top seed in the east this year whatsoever.

This is where my word change comes into play. Overachieved is the best word for both Rose and the Bulls. Rose was forced to take over many games in the regular season and in the playoffs due to the teams struggles without him. It seemed like they just haven’t gelled all the way yet, and are a good off-season away from being a serious title contender.

I also hate to use injuries as an excuse, because we have all seen what the Dallas Mavericks have done without one of their premier players Caron Butler, however the Bulls were bitten hard by the injury bug all year long, causing them only to be able to play with their real starting lineup for a handful of games coming into the postseason.

My real gripe with many fans though can be seen in comparing Rose to one of the other young budding superstars in the league, Kevin Durant. Like Rose and the Bulls, Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder made it to the conference finals and were dominated by an older, more experienced team. My problem is that everyone seems to give Durant a pass just because he’s young and hasn’t been there before.

Every respected voice across the basketball community believes that the Thunder will soon be the kings of the Western Conference, and just need some time to get there. So why the free pass for Durant and not Rose? In fact, Durant is not only a year older than Rose, but has mostly the same team as he did last year, while Rose was forced to create chemistry between he and the Bulls new high-powered forward Carlos Boozer this season, along with a slew of other new names and a new coach, or should I say NBA Coach of the Year, Tom Thibodeau.

Some may say that they want to see more out of their league MVP, and I get that some people will always be unhappy no matter who is chosen. All I want to say to fans out there is, give the kid time, and watch out, because both Rose and the Bulls will be back and hungry in the 2012 season, and don’t be surprised if you see some more hardware on Rose’s mantle before it’s all said and done.

Oleksiy Naumov / Shutterstock.com

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As NBA teams finish their final jockeying for seeding position, the ongoing race for league MVP has reached its crescendo. Several players have put forth worthy efforts this season, but only a handful will be legitimate contenders come voting time. Here is a breakdown of the likely candidates:

1. Derrick Rose: This point guard for the Bulls is averaging 25.1 points in just his third year as a pro. He has the Bulls in the East’s top spot, and the team has already clinched their conference. Rose has done it all this year, scoring, passing, and putting the Bulls on his back. He averages just under eight assists per game, and he has kept the Bulls on top even though big men Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah have missed a combined 57 games. The Bulls have really caught fire as of late. Rose won Player of the Month, after leading the Bulls to a 13-3 record. Some statisticians have been critical of Rose, citing his low shooting percentage, and measuring his stats against past MVP winners. According to their numbers, he would be the worst MVP winner of all time. But that hasn’t stopped big names like Michael Jordan to give Rose his endorsement.

2. Dwight Howard: Averaging 23.2 points, Howard has taken his game to another level this season. Howard has been the league’s Defensive Player of the Year twice, and leads the league in double-doubles. He is clearly the league’s best player down low, and with his improved scoring he has become even more dangerous. He is second in the league in rebounding, third in field goal percentage, and fifth in blocks. Howard has the Magic poised for the playoffs sitting as the four seed in the East. Howard has been the only constant on this suddenly revamped team, giving them a shot to go deeper into the playoffs. At the age of 25, Howard is soaring past all-time greats in all sorts of categories. This season he became the youngest player to reach 7,000 career rebounds, the fifth youngest player to reach 10,000 career points, and he had a season high eight blocks in a game against the Timberwolves. To add to these numbers he has recorded 64 double-doubles earning himself the endorsement and a legitimate shot at the MVP.

3. Dirk Nowitzki: After Rose and Howard there is some controversy as to who comes next. It seems a lock that one of the top two will win the MVP but there is not a huge disparity in numbers or significance between some of the other candidates. Nowitzki is seeking his second MVP and has had another solid year leading the Mavericks to the three seed in the West. He averages around 23 points, and seven boards, while shooting over 52 percent from the field. Nowitzki has also shot over 41 percent from behind the three-point line. Nowitzki is invaluable to his team, and without him the Mavericks would find it difficult to even make the playoffs in the competitive West.

4. Amare Stoudemire: Stoudemire has the Knicks back in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. For most of the season, Stoudemire did it himself, only surrounded by good role players to stay competitive in the East. The Knicks added Carmelo Anthony late in the year, cementing the team’s spot in the playoffs. Stoudemire is averaging more than 25 points, over eight boards, and is shooting just over 50 percent from the field. His numbers have vaulted him into the MVP race, but putting the Knicks, one of the most storied NBA franchises, back on the map makes him that much more of a candidate.

5. LeBron James: The reigning NBA MVP winner has continued to put up numbers even after being surrounded by two other stars. Averaging more than 26 points, 7.5 rebounds, and almost seven assists, he is still the favorite of many experts even if he has thrown his own support behind leading candidate Rose. James has also shot well, shooting just over 50 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point land. With All-stars, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on his team, his numbers have not dipped significantly, but having this many stars on one team has taken a hit on his MVP candidacy.

6. Kobe Bryant: Kobe will always be in the discussion for MVP, and as the No. 2 seed in the West, the Lakers are poised to win another championship. This is one area where Bryant trails LeBron James, and he would love to even the score at two each, but it will be difficult for him to win this year. He averages just more than 25 points, more than 5 boards and just under 5 assists, but is shooting only 45 percent from the field for the season. The Lakers have a legitimate shot at a three-peat, but Kobe’s chances as the MVP winner leading them there are slim.

7. Kevin Durant: Leading the Thunder to the four seed in the West, Durant is averaging more than 27 points, and nearly seven boards. His teammate, Russell Westbrook is also having a fantastic year, detracting somewhat from Durant’s candidacy. Other knocks on Durant have been his struggles on defense, and against the top teams in the West. The Thunder are 0-2 vs. the Lakers, 0-3 vs. San Antonio, 1-2 vs. Dallas, 1-1 vs. Bulls, 1-1 vs. Boston, and 1-1 vs. Miami. To be the best in the NBA you have to beat the best, and Durant simply hasn’t proven he can do that yet.

League MVP voters are instructed to make their decision before the start of the postseason. The likelihood of this plan is doubtful, so the bottom line is that the team’s performance in the playoffs may ultimately determine the outcome. At this point, though, the MVP trophy looks headed to Chicago.

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