At the beginning of the season, LeBron James was the standout choice to win the NBA most valuable player award, but Derrick Rose did not want to be overlooked. "Why can't I be MVP of the league?'' he asked reporters. Rose is now in a heated battle for the MVP award with James.
Derrick Rose is a more deserving MVP than LeBron James. He is averaging 24.6 points, 8.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, which is slightly worse than James, who averages 26.3 points, 7.1 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. Even though Rose has lower stats, his value to the Chicago Bulls cannot be measured simply by statistics.
With about a quarter of the season remaining, the MVP race appears to highlight Rose and James as frontrunners. Each player has a great deal of talent and seem to be putting together remarkable seasons. However, Rose is far more important to the Bulls than James is to the Miami Heat.
The 22-year-old Rose is a dynamic point guard with incredible court vision. He is a solid shooter and an amazing ball handler. Most importantly, he is a vibrant leader and a fierce competitor that knows how to generate a productive offense on the basketball court. He has made the Bulls relevant again with a chance to win the Eastern Conference.
Derrick Rose is often the target of many defenses because with the ball in his hands, he controls his team’s destiny more than almost any other point guard in the NBA besides Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo.
"I think anyone who's watched and seen the things he's done from the start of the season until now, I can't imagine anyone doing more," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told the Daily Herald about Rose.
James has been the popular pick for the MVP for most of the season, and rightfully so. He has found himself on one of the most publicized teams in the NBA this season because of the plethora of talent that the Heat brings to the court. He has won the MVP award the past two seasons, so he cannot be overlooked.
However, James has been almost detrimental to his team at times. The Heat, predicted to be the best team in the NBA at the beginning of the season, have shown that they are flawed. With a record of 43-20, they have lost four straight games. LeBron has missed crucial game winning shots in the final seconds of four of their past five losses. To win the MVP award, a player must be able to lead his team and carry the pressure. In the past two seasons, James has shown that he can be a go-to guy in the closing minutes of a game. He used to take the game into his hands and earn wins for his previous team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. James has shown that he is not that guy this season.
LeBron is still an amazing basketball player, but Rose has proven that he can take games into his hands and carry the Bulls to victory.
The MVP is awarded to the player who is “most valuable” to his team. Without Rose, the Bulls would be lacking consistency and a strong leader on the court. Without LeBron, the Heat could turn to fellow all-stars Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh. Rose was the only all-star this season for Chicago, while Miami sent three to Los Angeles. Rose is vital to the success of the Bulls, making him the best fit to win the MVP award this season.
In LeBron’s defense, Rose lacks defensive skills compared to other elite players, and his statistics are not as efficient as LeBron. However, Rose has proven that he is an effective leader after the key injuries of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer forced Rose to manage the offense. Rose is the main reason that the Bulls are in second place of the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics.
Although James is one of the most adaptable players in the league, he often relies on his teammates to pick up his slack when he is not performing. Rose does not have this luxury, he cannot take a break. His high level of energy and effort on the court are unmatched by LeBron this season. With such a supporting cast, LeBron knew entering this season that an MVP award would be hard to achieve.
"When we (James, Wade, Bosh) decided to come together our Most Valuable Player chances kind of went out the window," James told AOL news.
In head-to-head competition this season, the Bulls have beaten the Heat three times. On Sunday, Rose had 27 points and 5 assists while LeBron scored 26 with 6 assists. This win marks the fourth time in the past six games that the Heat have lost a game that they were leading by double-digits. It’s as simple as this; MVPs don’t give up substantial leads in important games. Both teams were vying for second place in the Eastern Conference, and the Bulls proved themselves to be the better team and Rose proved he was the better player.
The Heat, led by LeBron, is 1-9 against the top five teams in the league. Their lack of production against quality opponents is one main reason that LeBron is not deserving of the MVP award. The Bulls are 6-5 against the top five teams in the league with Rose at the point. The ability to perform in pressure situations this season is what separates LeBron James and Derrick Rose.
The performance by Rose this season has shown that he is deserving of the MVP award over LeBron, who has not been the player who is most valuable to his team this season.
