Why LeBron's MVP is far from guaranteed

James has been statistically dominant, but that doesn't mean he'll win MVP. Just ask MJ and Shaq.

Asking around the league, the general consensus appears to be that LeBron James is on his way to his third MVP. His credentials are certainly compelling. He owns the highest player efficiency rating by a wide margin. He has played all five defensive positions while being an elite defender at small forward. His team, despite a weak supporting cast and an absent Dwyane Wade for a big chunk of the season, will end up with one of the top records. 

We've gone over before how his numbers are off the charts this season. He currently possesses a 30.8 PER, which is a full four points higher than the next-best player, Chris Paul. But here's the thing: statistical dominance does not guarantee an MVP. Far from it. 

James' lead in PER this season is the fifth largest since 1979-80 when the 3-point line was introduced. And in the four times where someone blew out the competition on the stat sheet more so than James this season? None of them won the MVP in that dominant season. 

Who were the names of the crestfallen statistical juggernauts? Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. 

If James doesn't end up with the MVP this season despite a runaway lead in PER, we can look to four instances for a precedent: Shaq in 1998-99 and 2000-01, and Michael Jordan in 1988-89 and 1989-90. How did they post eye-popping numbers and lose the MVP? 

Let's take a case-by-case look at the scenario. 

1988-89 Michael Jordan 
MVP that season: Magic Johnson 
MJ's PER: 31.1 | Next-best: 76ers' Charles Barkley, 27.0 | Difference: +4.1 PER 
MJ's statline: 32.5 points, 8.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 2.9 steals on 53.8 percent shooting. 

Take another look at that statline. For perspective, James has tallied 32 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds just once this season. Jordan averaged that over a full season. He actually won the MVP the previous season, so he was the reigning award winner. In probably the most amazing stretch in NBA history, Jordan record 10 triple-doubles over an 11-game stretch at the end of the season. Still, it somehow wasn't enough. 

Why? The Lakers won 10 more games than the Bulls. Chicago was a team that took a step back in the win column from the previous season and the Lakers were in the final stages of their Showtime run under Pat Riley (that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final season). Johnson posted a gaudy campaign of 22.5 points, 12.8 assists and 7.9 rebounds so he wasn't exactly a statistical slouch. All said and done, the media voted 664-598 Johnson over Jordan. 

What does it mean for James? Very little. The Heat disappointed some by (probably) not winning the East this season, but the Heat chased the league's top record all season. The Bulls, however, were a six-seed in the East in 1988-89. Although it's an individual award, it seems that the standings made all the difference, despite Jordan's historic season. 

1989-90 Michael Jordan 
MVP that season: Magic Johnson (again) 
MJ's PER: 31.2 | Next-best: Jazz' Karl Malone, 27.2 | Difference: +4.0 PER 
MJ's statline: 33.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.8 steals on 52.6 percent shooting. 

Johnson wins yet again. Actually, there were a lot of things going for Jordan this season. He was just coming off the timeless Craig Ehlo shot in the 1988-89 playoffs. Phil Jackson took the helm and the Bulls improved by eight games in the win column. Still, Johnson took home the hardware. 

In fact, Jordan finished third in the MVP voting that season behind Johnson and Barkley, who actually finished with the most first-place votes that season. The 76ers won the Atlantic Division that season behind Barkley's 25.2 points and 11.5 rebounds with an astounding 60 percent conversion rate. Jordan took it out on Barkley in the playoffs as the Bulls beat the 76ers in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

This evokes a little bit of last season's MVP race since James, like Mike (I know, too easy), finished third in the voting despite being statistically being superior than everyone else. Also, Jordan shared the "hasn't won anything yet" label that has burdened James up to this point. Alas, no MVP for Jordan despite lighting the box score on fire night in and night out. Though Barkley wasn't any closer to the title than Jordan, he generated more favor from the media. In that sense, Barkley could be this season's Kevin Durant. If you find it hard to believe that Jordan wasn't a media darling yet, just read "The Jordan Rules" by Sam Smith. 

1998-99 Shaquille O'Neal 
MVP that season: Karl Malone 
Shaq's PER: 30.5 | Next-best: Jazz' Karl Malone, 25.6 | Difference: +4.9 PER 
Shaq's statline: 26.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks on 57.6 percent shooting. 

In a lockout season full of quirky stuff, this one might take the cake. Shaq led the league in points scored, shooting percentage, finished in the top ten in rebounding and crushed the competition in PER. No one could stop him. And what did it get him? One measly first-place vote for MVP and a sixth-place finish overall in total votes. With two coaching changes, a roster blowup and a disappointing 31-19 record, the voters essentially blackballed Shaq from the MVP vote amid the team's turmoil. 

Shaq may have been considered the source of the Lakers issues that season in the media's eyes, but statistically-speaking, Shaq had no equal during that season. His points per game numbers dipped from the year before but mostly due to a shaving of playing time during a hectic season. 

Once again, this was a case of team performance influencing the votes more than the individual accomplishments. Statistical dominance and the shortened season might be the only two similarities between Shaq's 1998-99 season and James' current season. For James, there are no desperate trades, no coaching swaps and no seeds dropped in the standings. 

2000-01 Shaquille O'Neal 
MVP that season: Allen Iverson 
Shaq's PER: 30.2 | Next-best: Raptors' Vince Carter, 25.0 | Difference: +5.2 PER 
Shaq's statline: 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks on 57.2 percent shooting. 

You could make an argument that this was the most statistically superior season of the modern era. Shaq was essentially the same Shaq that won the MVP in 1999-00 with 120 of the 121 first-place votes, but half of those votes vanished into thin air even after he won the championship. But when a player takes a gaudy 26 shots per game at an ugly 42 percent clip in front of a dominant defensive team, then I guess that means an MVP is in order. 

Like Derrick Rose and the Bulls last season, the Iverson-led Sixers took the league by surprise in 2000-01 and vaulted to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 56-26 record -- the exact same record of the Los Angeles Lakers. With Iverson shooting practically every time down the floor and gambling on defense, the Sixers emerged from the middle of the pack and won the East. For that, he stole the MVP from a reigning MVP and defending champion. 

The 2000-01 and 2010-11 MVP votes are almost mirror images of each other. Like James last season, Shaq finished third in the MVP vote behind a big man (Tim Duncan) and an electric high-scoring, low-efficiency guard that played for a defensive guru. Even though James and Shaq were far and away the PER leaders in both seasons, they were a distant third in the MVP vote. 

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In the end, the lesson is clear: statistics aren't everything when it comes to MVP votes. Even destroying the competition isn't enough to convince voters. And because of the nebulous "valuable" term in the award, team performance matters more than if it were a vote for most outstanding player. 

But the common thread of Jordan and Shaq's unrewarded banner seasons is that their teams didn't dominate as much as the individual did. That's true for the Heat this season to some extent, but the key difference is that no team has separated themselves from the rest of the pack in 2011-12. The Spurs, Bulls, Heat and Thunder have jockeyed for the top record all season long. With that being a virtual tie, James' historic numbers should propel him to an MVP. But if he doesn't win it with jaw-dropping numbers, know that it's happened before.

Carmelo Anthony's 39 points help Knicks outlast Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) – Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points, and the New York Knicks outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 113-112 on Sunday in a game between two playoff-bound teams still battling for postseason seeding.

The Hawks took their final lead at 112-111 on Joe Johnson's 3-pointer with 1:50 left. Anthony countered with a jumper 10 seconds later for the final margin.

Off an inbound play with three seconds remaining, Atlanta's Marvin Williams beat Amare Stoudemire off the dribble at the top of the lane. But as he went for a dunk just before the buzzer, Stoudemire blocked the shot. Williams, who led Atlanta with a season-high 29 points, wanted a foul call on Anthony or Stoudemire, both of whom appeared to make contact.

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Stoudemire started at center in place of Tyson Chandler, who was resting a sore knee.

The teams combined for 27 3-pointers on 42 attempts.

Stoudemire added 22 points and 12 rebounds in his second game after missing 13 with a sore back. Jeff Teague scored 23 for Atlanta, and Johnson had 22.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson gave Chandler the day off after New York played seven games in 11 days, and he was missed. The Knicks entered the game allowing 118.5 points in two games without Chandler and 93.8 when he plays.

Landry Fields, who moved into the starting lineup at forward Sunday, and Anthony scored 12 points each in the third quarter, and the Knicks made 7-of-8 3-pointers in the period to take a 94-93 lead. Fields finished with 18 points in a rare start.

The Hawks hold the No. 5 spot in the East and still have hopes of securing home-court advantage in a likely first-round matchup against the Celtics.

The Knicks are a half game ahead of Philadelphia for the No. 7 spot in the East.

NOTES: Knicks forward Jared Jeffries missed his third straight game with a sore right knee, and Woodson said he will not play in the last two regular-season games Wednesday against the Clippers and Thursday at Charlotte. … Knicks uber-fan Spike Lee was at the game.

Temperature Rising

MIAMI— 

With Derrick Rose and Chris Bosh sidelined, this hardly was a playoff preview.
Instead, it merely muddled the playoff picture.


On a night the Chicago Bulls could have locked up the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference with a victory, the Miami Heat instead kept that door open for themselves with a gritty, emotion-filled, tension-packed 83-72 victory Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

With LeBron James fueling the Heat with 27 points as part of his ongoing late-season MVP push, the Heat, already assured of no worse than a No. 2 East seed, could still rise to No. 1 if they win the four remaining games and Chicago loses one its final three games.

The 72 points were a season-low for the Bulls, who closed at 35.7 percent from the field, shooting 15 of 56 after opening 10 of 14 from the field.

The No. 1 seed in the East would have homecourt advantage over No. 2 in the Eastern Conference finals, should both teams advance. And these teams very much have the look of unfinished business after closing the season series 2-2.

With Dwyane Wade back for the Heat and Luol Deng back for the Bulls after each sat out Wednesday with minor ailments, there was enough in place to still give this true Heat-Bulls passion.

That passion included a double-forearm shove and second-quarter ejection for Heat forward James Jones for his above-the-shoulders hit on Bulls center Joakim Noah, and later a flagrant foul on Wade for a forearm blow against former Detroit Pistons nemesis Richard Hamilton.

Shortly after that third-quarter Wade-Hamilton incident, James decked Bulls guard John Lucas with a questionable backcourt screen, with the two each called for technical fouls.

"A physical Eastern Conference game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra termed it during his televised interview at the end of the third quarter. "It's an emotional game, a passionate game."

Wade, who has been dealing with a sore ankle, got off to an uneven start and appeared to lack full lift, but still was able to contribute 18 points.

With Bosh out and Wade somewhat off, Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, able to avoid the defensive workload against Rose, stepped up with 16 points.

Noah offered a foul-plagued double-double for the Bulls, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, with Lucas pacing Chicago off the bench with 16 points.

The Heat pushed their lead to 11 in the third quarter on a Mike Miller 3-pointer and took a 66-61 edge into the fourth.

They held on from there, even with James cramping, requiring stretching on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter.

With Bosh out, it left the Heat with their 15th starting lineup of the season, one more than during last season's 82-game schedule.

In fact, Thursday's starting lineup of Dexter Pittman, Udonis Haslem, James, Wade and Chalmers had not played a single second together prior to Thursday night.

The Heat's rotation took another jolt with 6:05 to play in the second quarter, when Jones was ejected. Jones was called for a Flagrant 2 foul, with the ejection standing after video confirmation.

It was the second such ejection of Jones' career and the third ejection for the Heat this season. Spoelstra was ejected Jan. 11 against the Los Angeles Clippers for arguing officiating and Juwan Howard was ejected for two technical fouls Feb. 14 against the Indiana Pacers.

The Heat's lack of quality depth drew requisite scorn from TNT analyst Charles Barkley at halftime.

"Their bench is so bad," he said. "Unless LeBron James goes crazy, this Heat team is not going to win the championship."

He wasn't far off, particularly with rookie point guard Norris Cole again overmatched. But Shane Battier did come on to provide quality defense.

The Heat took a 27-23 lead into the second period, with James scoring 15 first-quarter points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from the line.

The Bulls then pushed to the lead in the second quarter before the Heat went into the intermission up 42-40.

It was so back-and-forth early that neither team led by more than three points over the final 10:54 of the second quarter.

Heat survive tough battle vs. Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) -- LeBron James had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade added 28 points and nine boards, and the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks 93-85 on Sunday to clinch the Southeast Division title.

Chris Bosh finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who pulled away in the fourth quarter of a possible playoff preview. Miami is second in the Eastern Conference and New York came into the game tied for seventh, although they fell back behind Philadelphia after the loss.

Carmelo Anthony scored 42 points for the Knicks, but had only two baskets in the fourth quarter, perhaps tired after playing 43 minutes. New York had its nine-game home winning streak snapped.

Anthony had the Knicks hoping he could pull out another game against a power team after scoring a season-high 43 last Sunday in overtime against Chicago. His tip-in gave New York a two-point lead with 9 1/2 minutes left, but by the time he had his other field goal on a 3-pointer with 1:28 remaining, Miami had opened an 11-point cushion.

JR Smith scored 16 points for the Knicks, who lost all three games against the Heat.

Wade moved easily and shot 10 of 18 after missing the last game to rest his ankle. Miami has won two in a row after back-to-back losses last week against Boston and Chicago.

Miami held a few nine-point leads in the third, but the Knicks cut it to three by period's end, then got a tying 3-pointer from Steve Novak to open the fourth and Landry Fields followed with a basket to put New York ahead in the opening minute.

It was close for the next six minutes before Wade and James hit jumpers after Joel Anthony tipped in a miss, a flurry of six straight points that gave Miami an 87-80 lead. The Knicks, relying on jumpers most of the game, simply couldn't hit any, and lacked much inside presence when Tyson Chandler appeared slowed by knee pain after landing awkwardly in the third quarter.

The Heat were scheduled to play their season opener here in the original 82-game schedule that was scrapped because of the lockout. They also would have opened here in a revised 72-game season that never developed when owners and players couldn't agree to a new deal in time.

Instead, they ended up being the last Eastern Conference team to visit Madison Square Garden, an arena that has undergone renovations since their last trip here.

They could become plenty familiar with the place in the coming weeks if the teams renew what was a fierce playoff rivalry in the late 1990s.

It had a playoff look Sunday, with orange shirts being worn by fans all around the court - though not by Jay-Z and Beyonce sitting courtside.

Only the Heat looked playoff ready at the start. The Knicks missed their first three free throws and Miami led by as much as 11 in the first quarter before settling for a 29-22 advantage that would have been much bigger if not for Anthony's 14 points.

Miami stalled in the second quarter, Wade slamming the ball to the floor in frustration after one basket as the Knicks rallied behind Anthony and their reserves to lead before three before the Heat took a 46-44 edge into halftime.

The Heat had a brief scare in the third when James went down after twisting his ankle when he backpedaled into some fans after hitting a corner jumper. He stayed down for a moment but remained in the game after a timeout.

Rose has a rough night, but Bulls still beat Heat in OT

CHICAGO (AP) – C.J. Watson scored 16 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away in overtime to beat the Miami Heat 96-86 on Thursday night.

Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 19 points and Kyle Korver added 17 points for the Bulls, who outscored Miami 12-2 in overtime to boost their lead in the Eastern Conference to four games.

The Bulls were able to pull off the victory despite a horrible shooting night by Derrick Rose.

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LeBron James scored 30 points for Miami, but missed a free throw that would have made it a two-possession game late in regulation. Dwyane Wade added 21 points,Chris Bosh scored 20, but the Heat lost for the sixth time in 11 games.

Things were looking good for Miami when James nailed a 3 that made it 83-81 with 49 seconds left in regulation. But with a chance to seal the game, he missed the first of two free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining.

That kept the Bulls in it and Watson made a 3 to tie it at 84 with 2.2 seconds left. The game went into overtime when Wade missed a baseline jumper at the buzzer.

Deng started the extra period with a jumper. Taj Gibsondunked on Ronny Turiaf for a three-point play and scored on a neat spin move after Wade hit a free throw, making it 91-85, sending the Bulls to a dramatic win on a night when their superstar had perhaps his worst game as a pro.

Rose scored just two points and hit 1 of 13 shots, a brutal night for the reigning MVP. Then again, he hasn't played much lately.

He returned from a 12-game absence due to a groin injury for Sunday's overtime loss atNew York, only to sprain his right ankle. He did not play Tuesday, when the Bulls beat the Knicks at home.

But even with Rose struggling, the Bulls managed to pull this one out.

Korver, who scored 14 on Tuesday, again came up big, particularly down the stretch.

His 3-pointer and jumper put Chicago ahead 78-74 with about 3:30 left, and after Wade scored, Boozer nailed a jumper and Ronnie Brewer hit a free throw to put the Bulls' lead at 5.

Wade, however, kept Miami in it.

He scored on a drive and a jumper to make it a one-point game, and Bosh came up with a key rebound off a miss by Wade, feeding James for the 3 that made it 83-81. But things unraveled for the Heat after that.

Notes: Wade tied Alonzo Mourning's franchise record for games played at 593. … Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made a late switch and decided to have Udonis Haslem, battling stomach flu, start at center instead of Ronny Turiaf. … The Bulls and Heat meet one more time at Miami on April 19.

Dwyane Wade eyes Olympic pay

MIAMI -- Count two-time Olympian and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade among those who believe NBA players should be paid for playing with Team USA in the London Olympics.

Wade, the leading scorer on the 2008 national team that won a gold medal in China, said he agreed with Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen that players should be compensated for their time participating in the Summer Games. Allen first addressed the issue Tuesday night in an interview with FoxSports.com before the Celtics beat the Heat in Miami.

Allen, 36, is nearing the end of a playing career that included a stint with the national team that won the gold medal during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. But Wade, 30, remains in a pool of players on Team USA's current roster that will compete at this summer's Olympics.

"It's a lot of things you do for the Olympics -- a lot of jerseys you sell," Wade said after the Heat's practice on Wednesday in advance of Thursday's game against Chicago. "We play the whole summer. I do think guys should be compensated. Just like I think college players should be compensated as well. Unfortunately, it's not there. But I think it should be something, you know, there for it."

Wade said he hasn't thought about how much players should be paid for their time. But he said there is a demanding schedule that comes with a commitment to the national team. This summer, NBA players whose teams advance deep into the playoffs could have only a couple of weeks of down time before the start of Team USA's training camp in late July.

The gold medal game is scheduled for Aug. 12, about a month before many NBA players resume workouts to gear up for training camps that open in late September or early October.

"The biggest thing is now you get no rest," Wade said. "So you go to the end of the season, (Team USA) training camp is two weeks later. You're giving up a lot to do it. It's something you want to do. But it's taxing on your body. You're not playing for the dollar. But it would be nice if you would get compensated."

On Tuesday night, Allen told FoxSports.com that sharing profits from the sale of Olympic game jerseys would be acceptable.

"You talk about the patriotism that guys should want to play for, but you (need to) find a way to entice the guys," Allen was quoted as saying in the interview. "It's not the easiest thing in the world if you play deep in the playoffs and then you get two, three weeks off and then you start training again to play more basketball, where it requires you to be away from home and in another country. It's fun, but your body does need a break."

Wade supported Allen's comments.

"I totally agree," Wade said. "I think (jersey) licensing could be a way ... maybe licensing may not be fair because everybody won't get the same amount. (There) should be some way. But that's something they've got to worry about because this will be my last time around."

Heat players LeBron James and Chris Bosh are also on the Team USA roster for the Summer Games. But neither player would say if they agreed with Wade and Allen regarding player compensation.

"I love representing my country, man," James said. "I've done it since 2004 and I'm looking forward to doing it in London. As far as (pay), I don't know, man. It doesn't matter. I'm happy to be a part of the team, to be selected again."