Over the weekend, I asked 21 NBA writers from 19 cities and two websites for their first, second and third MVP picks for this season, and the result was...
Too close to call.
The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, named by all 21, had 10 first-place votes, eight seconds and three thirds.
New Orleans' Chris Paul, named by all 21, had 8-9-4.
Boston's Kevin Garnett was a distant third, named on 15 ballots with 2-3-10.
Only four players were named, the last being LeBron James of Cleveland, who made six ballots and got 1-1-4.
This is like polling for the Pennsylvania primary, interesting but almost as far out. The primary is April 22. The MVP race will go right down to the league's deadline for submitting ballots, after the NBA regular season ends April 16.
Two voters who had Bryant first and Paul second joked about changing their mind hourly. Both said they'll go with Paul if his Hornets finish No. 1 in the Western Conference.
This is only a test of general sentiment. With more and more newspapers withdrawing from the process (as The Times has), only six writers in this poll have actual votes.
(For what it's worth, three of those had Paul first and three had Bryant first.)
What this does suggest is it's a two-man race.
Garnett galvanized the Celtics, who weren't even a consensus pick to win the East. However, his candidacy is undercut by missing nine games but even more by playing alongside two stars, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
I'm surprised to see James run this well. As good as he is, he's not generally considered the game's best player -- that would be Bryant -- and his Cavaliers are fourth in the East, 19 1/2 games out of first.
"If it stopped the way it is, I think Chris Paul has been outstanding and his team has been the top of the charts," said two-time MVP Steve Nash.
"It's the team, your impact on your team and what you do overall. Let's face it, he has been unbelievable. His scoring, his assisting, he's a leader in steals. He shoots a good percentage. He put his team on his back in the fourth quarter. That's what it's about. He doesn't have the players around him that Kobe has."
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