The Impossible Case Against Derrick Rose
For the past few months a debate has raged among columnists, players, and fans over who should be selected as the 2011 NBA MVP. Last night, that debate was put to an end.
Derrick Rose is now officially the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
For most NBA fans, though, he has been the MVP since well before the All-Star Break. Since that time, only Dwight Howard has stood between Rose and complete domination of the public opinion. And while Howard's list of supporters has been shorter than Rose's, this group (including ESPN stat wizard John Hollinger) has been no less passionate in its belief that Dwight is truly the player who adds the most value to his team.
A month ago, I felt the same way. In fact, if I was writing this post on April 3rd, I probably would have named it "The Case for Dwight Howard." But now, on May 3rd, I am left utterly unable to argue Rose's MVP selection. Why the complete reversal on my part? Easy.
Derrick Rose does more and means more for his team than any other player in the league. Plain and simple.
You're probably familiar with the stats by now, but for those who aren't, let me compare the two side by side: Rose averaged 25 ppg, 7.7 apg, and 4.1 rpg for Chicago while Howard gave the Magic 22.9 ppg, 14.1rpg, 2.4 bpg. Each player turned the ball over about 3.5 times per game. One of the most telling stats may be that of personal fouls, with Howard sending opposing players to the line almost twice as frequently, recording 3.5 fouls per game to Rose's 1.7. This small difference means that Howard gave the opposing team a chance at scoring 3.5 points more each game than Rose. This alone still does not give Rose a clear advantage in the MVP voting.
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