photo - AP
I had the opportunity to check the Suns-Nuggets last night, and as entertaining a game it was, I realized everyone has missed the boat. While most media outlets have been pushing for Lebron, Kobe, Wade, etc. to be the Most Valuable Player of the NBA, a very strong case can be made for Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets being the most valuable player for his team. Since the big trade early in the season that sent Allen Iverson packing to Detroit, the Nuggets have become a completely different team. They are 26-12 with Billups, and sit on top of the Northwest Division. With the injury of Carmelo Anthony, Billups has shouldered more of the scoring, while making Kenyon Martin, J.R Smith, and Nene Hilario look like All-Stars at times. The city of Denver has embraced Billups return, and many have quicky forgotten the AI experiment.
Without a true top flight point guard, Where would Denver be? Probably where they were last year. Somewhere floundering at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff race. Meanwhile, the Pistons, Billups former team, are sitting dead in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt, with Atlanta and Miami jockeying for position among the 4-6 seedings.
Even if Billups is not the MVP, how could he not possibly be an All-Star?
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