When talking about MVP candidates this year the main two names that you will hear are Lebron James and Derrick Rose. There is no doubt that those two players are the front-runners for the award. Some have also mentioned Kevin Durant as another MVP candidate, but no one has really given Dwight Howard any consideration. Most analysts would discount Howard as a MVP candidate because his team is currently sitting in 4th place in the Eastern conference, while they were projected to be somewhat better.
Howard should be in consideration for the MVP because of what he has meant to his team. Howard is top ten in scoring in the league, and is shooting a great field goal percentage. He is also a top three rebounder in the league. Most importantly though, Howard is the single most important defensive player in the entire league. He is top five in the league in blocks and has a very high number of steals for a big man. He has won the Defensive Player of the Year Award the last two years. He is the only player on this Orlando Magic team that thinks defensive first. He also commands double teams from his opponents on the offensive side of the court, which leaves all of his teammates open for three pointers. His presence in the paint makes the entire Orlando Magic team better on both ends of the court, isn't that what you would want out of the MVP.
Another thing that people have thought about is the fact that the Magic made a significant trade that changed the makeup of their team. The Magic traded their starting guard Vince Carter and their starting forward Rashard Lewis, and got back in return Jason Richardson, Gilbert Arenas, and Hedo Turkoglu. So this team has even had a full season to gel together, and they are still in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. All in all, I think it is clear to see that Dwight Howard is a MVP candidate. For more information about the Orlando Magic visit their website here.
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