http://www.nba.com/features/player_rankings_070109.html Week 10 Posted Jan 9 2007 2:25PM January 9, 2007 -- The transformation was pretty much complete. The Rockets were Yao Ming's team. And whether you want to believe it or not, Tracy McGrady was cool with it. Who could argue with the results? Yao was clearly the new "most dominant" big man on the planet and Houston was winning. So, despite being one of the most gifted offensive players in the league, McGrady took a back seat. Temporarily. On Dec. 23, Yao injured his knee. With the Houston center expected to be sidelined up to eight weeks, the Rockets turned to McGrady to carry more of the offensive load. So far it has been no Yao, no problem as McGrady has been up to the challenge and then some. With the exception of Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, T-Mac is playing as well as anyone in the NBA. McGrady, who missed seven games with back spasms before returning to the lineup on Dec. 26, has never played better. The Rockets were 2-5 in the stretch without McGrady. McGrady has scored 30 or more points in six straight games, averaging 35 an outing over his last five. And it's not like he has been scoring his points in blowouts, dropping in 25 in the second half of Houston's 84-77 win over Chicago on Monday. While most experts thought the Rockets would struggle without Yao, who was averaging 25.9 points per game, they are 6-2 with the center out of the lineup. And McGrady is the No. 1 reason why Houston, with a 22-13 record, has been able to keep pace in the Southwest Division. The formula for the Rockets is simple: If McGrady is on, a win is to follow. In the 47 career games he has scored 30 or more, Houston has won 38. Here are the player rankings for the season through Jan. 8. Race to the MVP - Overall Player Rankings 1. Steve Nash, Phoenix PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 19.9 3.2 11.0 0.8 0.1 .524 .888 2. Gilbert Arenas, Washington PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 30.6 4.6 6.4 2.0 0.1 .442 .829 3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 23.9 9.5 3.1 0.7 0.7 .495 .906 4. Carlos Boozer, Utah PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 21.5 11.8 3.1 0.9 0.4 .548 .714 5. Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 28.4 5.3 5.5 1.2 0.4 .473 .849 6. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 22.4 12.4 4.3 1.2 1.8 .481 .816 7. LeBron James, Cleveland PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 26.4 6.8 6.1 1.6 0.8 .478 .701 8. Tim Duncan, San Antonio PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 20.1 10.1 3.3 0.8 1.9 .552 .629 9. Dwyane Wade, Miami PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 27.7 4.4 7.7 1.9 1.2 .481 .816 10. Dwight Howard, Orlando PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% FT% 17.0 12.5 1.7 0.9 1.9 .570 .663 Close But No Cigar (season averages) 11. Zach Randolph (POR): 24.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.9 APG 12. Shawn Marion (PHX): 19.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG 13. Tracy McGrady (HOU): 22.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.8 APG 14. Jermaine O'Neal (IND): 19.3 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.2 BPG 15. Baron Davis (GSW): 21.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 8.4 APG 16. Caron Butler (WAS): 21.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.8 APG 17. Josh Howard (DAL): 19.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG 18. Yao Ming (HOU): 25.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.2 BPG 19. Allen Iverson (DEN): 29.3 PPG, 7.4 APG, 2.2 SPG 20. Chris Bosh (TOR): 20.9 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 2.2 APG ---------------------------------------------------------- The author of this article updates his rankings weekly. Yao was at number 3 before he got hurt. McGrady is playing awesome. See my sig and vote for him for an All Star spot.
Yeah I just saw this on NBA.com. Great to see, T-Mac coming on the MVP radar in the NBA. I hope he finds out about the recognition he's getting right now for dropping 30 straight in the past 6 games. Should motivate him to keep going and get the MVP award he deserves. He want's to be a team player this season, no better recognition for that than an MVP award. T-Mac already showed us he's not about the scoring title when Yao was still in this season, however now when the Rockets need him the most, he has come back from injury and stepped up like a true superstar. No one is doubting his desire to win as a team instead of as an individual, and the only way for this to happen right now is if he continues to drop 30 or so a night.
when will the media lose thier hard on for this guy? the team sucks and they still treat him like MJ. anyway, it's fair that yao dropped off the list, he's out for a long time. out of sight out of mind. tmac is rising nicely, i suspect that if we can win 3 of the next 7, then win the last 3 easy games of the month (all at home too), we will see tmac in the top 5.
When you just think Wade is #9 it sounds ridiculous but check out who's in front. I think the list is pretty good with only slight changes needed.
How seriously is Carmelo's injury? I know he is out but he must be out for the rest of the season to not even crack the top 20 while Zach friggin' Randolph is at number 11.
wow, thought you were gonna bash on dwade being 9, instead caron over yao. haha. hey charles barkley said he'd pick caron over yao, and look what he did: he kissed an ass.
I'm sure the media will also manage to snub yao for first team nba. they'll prolly give it to Okur or something.
I can't believe Steve Nash is going to win a third straight MVP (you all know its coming). Only Bird and Russell have ever done that. Just crazy.
He's on a 15 game suspension. He was involved in a huge brawl at MSG where like 5 players got suspended. Where have you been?
i hate that announcers of today sum up the MVP award by saying that... "A MVP is someone who makes his team better..." I HATE IT!!!! I think this is a lousy lousy lousy lousy criteria.... If this is taken literally by those who decide the award, then all we will see for the next decade is... "and the award goes to Steve Nash of Phoenix!".... and i can't take it... when they look at the stats, and look to who makes their team best, they look to assists and medium range points. it just so happens Nash is the best PG.. BUT NOT THE BEST PLAYER. They need to shape that up. It is despicable.
it is good someone else sees this as a problem also, because i thought i was just being a nash hater. i really can not stand this team or what this teams stands for it is always nash though just look at when he was with the mavericks they couldn't make it to the big dance soon as he leaves they make it. yao makes this team better in all aspects i understand that he isn't playing right now but there is no way he should not get the mvp this year as long as he comes back and play the way that he did before his leg was broke. hell you can even push mcgrady to the top of the list because of what he is doing for the team since yao has been out. if he continues to play at this level and the team continues to win he should be consider for the honors
what a joke if that happens. nothing against nash but a three time mvp who plays absolutely terrible defense isn't right.
Yeah, if he played for the Mavericks or for the Rox, he wouldn't be MVP because Dirk and Yao would be the focal point. Furthermore, his lack of defense in halfcourt would be exposed like Michael Jackson around kids. But because he plays with that helter skelter team, he's the perfect player to make that system work. Any other team and he would be a very good player. With the Suns he's a superstar. He can't do what Jason Kidd does, but Jason can do the same thing if he was surrounded by Marion, Stoudemire and the rest of the circus. Bottomline is, Mavericks are playing better without him and his Suns aren't going anywhere in the playoffs. MVP is a regular season award and he deserves it. Nobody does more for their team. It still baffles me how a guy with no athletic ability does so much.
yeah it'd be hard to argue that nash isn't more valuable to his team than any other star but for all the reasons you mentioned i don't think he deserves the biggest individual honor in the nba for a third straight time. as much as it's been about the actual "most valuable" player, it's been about simply the best player. nash is not the best player in the nba.
