http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=416179
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MVP race is wide open
Informal poll shows Phoenix's Nash leads vote
Posted: April 15, 2006
The race for this season's Most Valuable Player award is shaping up to be a wide-open derby with several deserving candidates.
A case could be made for any number of players including Cleveland's LeBron James, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Phoenix's Steve Nash, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, and Detroit's Chauncey Billups?
Who will garner the gold?
According to an informal poll of 22 reporters - 12 from the East and 10 from the West - who cover the league on a regular basis, Nash will edge out James.
The poll is far from definitive as a total of 127 members of the media across the country will vote in the league's official poll, but in past years the informal poll has given a pretty clear indication on how the official voting will go.
It's a race that everyone has an opinion on.
"I think the MVP should be the best player in the league," Billups told reporters in Detroit. "And I think Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league. That's the way I always looked at the MVP award . . .
"People vote however they want to vote. The way I always looked at it, it was the best player in the league. It proves that they're not looking at it like that, because I'm on the mention list. I'm not the best player in the league. I know that. But I'm on a great team, and I'm the catalyst, and I'm having a great season."
What would Bryant do if he had a vote?
"I'd vote for myself," he said.
Cleveland coach Mike Brown was an assistant in San Antonio when Tim Duncan won the MVP and knows an MVP season when he sees one.
"LeBron is definitely (first or second)," Brown said. "Maybe third. Most importantly, we're winning. Take him away from our team and I don't know if we're in the same position."
On a 5-4-3-2-1 point basis, the informal poll showed Nash with 82 points and nine first-place votes while James had 78 points and five first-place votes. Nowitzki edged Billups for third place, with Bryant fifth.
The All-NBA first team was comprised of Bryant, Nash, Nowitzki, James, and Detroit center Ben Wallace. There were no unanimous selections on the first team. Making up the second team were Billups, Miami's Dwyane Wade, the Clippers' Elton Brand, Phoenix's Shawn Marion, and Miami's Shaquille O'Neal. The third team consisted of Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, New Jersey's Jason Kidd, Denver's Carmelo Anthony, San Antonio's Duncan, and Houston's Yao Ming.
In other categories, the Hornets' Chris Paul was a unanimous choice for rookie of the year, with Toronto's Charlie Villanueva second, Charlotte's Raymond Felton third, and Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut fourth. That foursome, along with New York's Channing Frye made up the all-rookie team.
Avery Johnson of Dallas was a solid choice for coach of the year with Flip Saunders of Detroit and Mike D'Antoni of Phoenix tying for second.
Also, Phoenix's Boris Diaw was the choice for most improved player with the Hornets' David West a distant second and New Jersey's Nenad Krstic third; Detroit's Wallace edged San Antonio's Bruce Bowen for defensive player; and Memphis' Mike Miller won comfortably over the Hornets' Speedy Claxon for the sixth-man award.
The league's official awards are announced during the playoffs.
6 von 6 awards richtig, war wohl ne gute Stichprobe :thumb:
In mancher Tourenwagen-Klasse werden sie sogar mit zusätzlichem Gewicht belastet.
