Consider Duncan in MVP race

Just before or during the second round of the playoffs, the NBA will announce who is this season’s MVP. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, the league’s scoring champion, is expected to be named over Miami’s LeBron James for what he has done for the Thunder and for what he has accomplished on an individual basis.

Aside from Durant and James, others in contention for the honor include Indiana’s Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Outside of those five stars, no one else seems to be in the running – which is grossly unfair to San Antonio’s Tim Duncan. This isn’t a plug for Duncan to win the MVP. But this is to put on record that he deserves to be a candidate for consideration. Durant deserves the award but let it not be said that Duncan wasn’t at least considered.

Duncan, by the way, celebrates his 38th birthday today but that’s not why this is a call for recognition of the Big Fundamental. He’s been named MVP twice in 2002 and 2003. Duncan was on San Antonio teams that took the NBA title in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. The Spurs were in the finals last year and came within a free throw shy of clinching the crown in Game 6 over the Heat. This regular season, San Antonio finished No. 1 with a 62-20 record and will enjoy the homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. In last year’s finals, the Heat came back from a 2-3 series deficit to take Games 6 and 7 at home.

What’s remarkable is Duncan continues to post significant numbers in his 17th season. He averaged 15.1 points, a team-high 9.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 29.2 minutes in 74 games this campaign. Duncan shot 49% from the field and 73.1% from the line, his highest in 11 of the last 12 seasons. His average playing time was higher than in 2010-11 and 2011-12. In the Spurs’ 90-85 win over Dallas in Game 1 of their first round playoff series a few days ago, Duncan compiled 27 points and seven rebounds in 38:40 minutes. In contrast, one-time MVP Dirk Nowitzki had 11 points and eight rebounds and starting center Sam Dalembert, two points and eight boards. Duncan’s output dropped to 11 points in Game 2 which the Mavericks won, 113-92, at San Antonio last Wednesday (yesterday morning, Manila time).

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Gregg Popovich got due recognition for the Spurs’ feat this season and was named Coach of the Year. Second to San Antonio in the standings was Oklahoma City at 59-23. Miami was tied for fifth overall with Houston at 54-28. Duncan’s leadership was evident in the Spurs’ surge. The record wasn’t only a tribute to Pop’s ability to get everyone on the same page but also a testament to Duncan’s role as the inspiration on the floor. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Tiago Splitter wouldn’t be in the situation they’re in if not for Duncan. Surely, that has to merit some attention in considering candidates for MVP.

Still, Durant, 25, won’t be denied his trophy. He’s never been named MVP and he’s due. This season, he averaged a career-high 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and a career-high 5.5 assists, hitting 50.3% from the field and 87.3% from the stripe. Durant has now won four NBA scoring titles.

Durant’s closest rival James, 29, has claimed four of the last five MVP trophies, the exception being Derrick Rose in 2010-11. The 6-8 King James is a one-time scoring champion and has played on two title squads with Miami. Durant is still ringless. As an Olympian, James has collected a bronze in 2004 and two golds in 2008 and 2012. Durant brought home golds from the 2010 World Championships and the London Olympics.

This season, James averaged 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 77 outings, shooting a career-high 56.7% from the field. The downside is the Heat wasn’t as dominant as last year and finished second to Indiana in the Eastern Conference standings.

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Sam Amick of USA Today said there can be no other MVP than Durant “from his superior scoring to his vastly improved all-around game to the part he played in the Thunder’s defense which is fifth-best in the NBA.” He added, “Durant has evolved in each of his previous six seasons but the Swiss Army knife element of his game had never been anywhere near as good as this.” With his numbers this season, Durant became only the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan in the elite cast.

Amick said both Durant and James must be cited as “tone-setters, men whose minds are far more focused on matters like team chemistry and the pursuit of a championship than they are on dominating the highlight reel on any given night.” Amick went on, “they both handled hardship while carrying their teams for long stretches with James’ sidekick Dwyane Wade sitting for nearly a third of the season with various ailments and Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook missing eight weeks because of his latest knee surgery.” Now that both Wade and Westbrook are back on active duty, don’t expect James or Durant to slow down even a little bit.

A fifth MVP will break King James’ tie with Wilt Chamberlain and move him into second place overall with Bill Russell and Jordan. Abdul-Jabbar has the most MVP awards with six. Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson own three apiece. Steve Nash, Bob Pettit, Karl Malone and Duncan were named twice each. Among the notable one-time awardees are Julius Erving, Oscar Robertson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. Curiously, Jerry West and John Havlicek never won an MVP. It’s particularly strange in West’s case because the NBA logo is his silhouette.

The MVP award was initially awarded in 1955-56 and is named after the league’s pioneer commissioner Maurice Podoloff who served from 1946 to 1963. Up to 1979-80, the MVP was chosen in a poll of players. Since 1980-81, a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the US and Canada voted for the MVP. Each voter submits a list of five names prioritized from first to fifth. A first place player earns 10 points, a second placer seven, a third placer five, a fourth placer three and a fifth placer one. Since 2010, one ballot is allocated for the fans through on-line voting. No MVP has been a unanimous choice but James came closest with 120 of 121 votes in 2012-13.