2007, January 21: ESPN.com Daily Dime - LeBron Looks Like The MVP Leader

January 21, 2008 -- Teams will be hitting the midpoint of the 82-game season this week. Let's see who's shaping up as the leading MVP candidates. 1. LeBron James, Cavaliers forward -- Everyone in the East knows it's going to be hard to top a Cavaliers team with an always-improving LeBron in a seven-game series. He's developing his killer instinct, which is not good for the rest of the NBA. The recent win over the Spurs was a good psychological boost. James is averaging a league-leading 29.7 points per game, along with 7.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists. That's big-time production, approaching Oscar Robertson territory. His team's getting healthy too, and coach Mike Brown's two-year extension gives the team stability. 2. Kevin Garnett, Celtics forward -- Takes a team like the Celtics that had been playing non-existent defense and helps put them to the top of the league in limiting opponents' field-goal percentage (41.5) while seeing his team earn the top point differential (plus-11.5). A lot of that is attributable to Garnett's ability to play multiple positions, and help where he's needed most. His arrival in the East has dramatically shifted the power. Whether the Celtics get more help at point guard or not, he's getting it done regardless, now at 19.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. 3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers guard -- Surprise, surprise. Kobe Bean has never won an MVP, and this year won't be any different, even though he's generally recognized as the game's best player at both ends of the floor. He's found a way to nurture and develop his teammates while still managing to score 27.7 points per game, second in the NBA. His production figures to pick up with the loss of Andrew Bynum for at least seven more weeks. What guy would you choose to take over Bryant? Nobody, in my opinion. That's the truth about a guy who can score 35 or 40 and it's not headline news. And don't forget that no matter what happens in the months and years ahead, Kobe's no-trade deal means he would trade the Lakers, and not the other way around. 4. Dwight Howard, Magic center -- Still only 22, a refreshingly traditional big man who averages a league-leading 15.2 rebounds per game. As tremendous a young man as he is a player. Without Howard, the Magic would be a perennial lottery team. As is stands now, he's established himself alongside Tim Duncan and Amare Stoudemire as the game's most powerful and effective big men. Being the leader of a young team will bring growing pains, but ultimately we will see Howard putting the Magic in position to compete for an East championship every year. 5. Jason Kidd, Nets guard -- Yes, the Nets have been up and down this season, including Sunday's 116-92 loss in Phoenix for a fifth straight defeat, but his ability to produce triple-doubles has us talking about him in terms of Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson on a nightly basis. He's at 11.4 points, 10.7 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game, the kind of numbers most any point guard would take. Right now, he's the face of the franchise. There had been talk of trading him and beginning to rebuild, but I don't see the Nets going down that path and being non-competitive when they move to Brooklyn. Others considered: Blazers guard Brandon Roy showed he had a hot hand before the season began, pulling the No. 1 pick in the lottery draw. The Blazers have a built-in excuse to say "wait till next year" but he's been a great young leader. Hornets guard Chris Paul (21.5 ppg, 10.5 apg) has stepped up his game; now it's not a matter if New Orleans can win a playoff series, it's a question of whether they can find their way through the second round. Spurs forward Tim Duncan's greatness is something we just take for granted. Along with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, he makes up the best big 3 in the NBA. ESPN analyst Jalen Rose is a regular contributor to the Daily Dime. For more about Jalen, visit his Web site: JalenRose.com. By Jalen Rose - ESPN.com