MVN: Most Valuable Network

NBA Outsider's Joe Boikess and Amar Panchmatia debate the issue: Who is the NBA's MVP in 2009?

Joe Boikess believes the MVP is Kobe Bryant:

The 2009 NBA Most Valuable Player race is shaping up to be another close one. The three leaders at the moment appear to be Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. History tells us that the MVP's team must be at least in the top three in their conference standings at the end of the season, meaning that it's unlikely that Wade will win it, despite his outstanding season thus far.

So that means it's likely going to come down to Kobe and LeBron. Both the Lakers and Cavaliers have taken turns holding the league's best record, and both Kobe and LeBron have helped take down the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, with huge individual performances. Both guys smoothly run the offense of their respective teams, and both are excellent defenders who are assigned to the opposing team's best player, night in and night out.

Flip a coin. Draw names from a hat. Ask your grandma to choose for you. It doesn't matter how you decide or who you pick, both guys are exceptional basketball players worthy of winning MVP honors.

But I've been forced to make a case for Kobe, so here it is.

Like LeBron, Kobe has a lot of help surrounding him this year, but he is still clearly the Lakers' go-to guy in the clutch and their unquestioned leader on the court. Despite playing the fewest minutes since the 1997-98 season, Kobe is still putting up numbers at or above his career averages. He is shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, 36.8 percent from behind the arc, and 87.1 percent from the free throw line, all career highs. His turnovers are the lowest they've been in five years. While LeBron is no slouch defensively, Kobe, now 30 years old and in his 13th season, has always been known as an elite defender throughout his career, and this season his defense has been as stifling as we've seen from him.

I honestly would have a hard time going against James, as his play has been one of the biggest reasons why the Cavs have gone from simply a good team capable of making a nice run to a team with serious championship aspirations.

But Kobe has been doing this for the last 10 years. He could have been named MVP in any of those seasons, yet he was constantly overlooked until last year when he won his first. Why not give it to him again this year when his team and individual statistics are as strong as ever?

This debate will inevitably continue throughout the rest of the season, but hopefully we'll have a clearer picture after Monday, when LeBron's Cavs visit Kobe's Lakers for the first time this year. Get your popcorn ready...

Amar Panchmatia argues in favor of LeBron James:

"We want to continue to protect our home court and we want to continue to get better. Tonight I think we got better," said LeBron James after his Cavaliers disposed of Boston, 98-83, last Friday night. "We don't want to take a step back because we got a big picture and a big goal. You don't want to waste a game. We got really better tonight."

More like "after LeBron beat Boston by himself." Because the 6'8", 274-pound freak of nature terrorized the defending world champions through 48 minutes of hell for the Celtic Green.

Sure, this was just one game. But James' 38 points were just three less than Boston's "Big 3" -- combined. For the season, James is putting together one of the best all-around statistical seasons combined with remarkable team success. The sixth-year forward is putting up 27.3 points, 6.7 boards, and 6.7 assists while leading the Cavs -- yes, the Cavs -- to a league-best 30-6 mark.

Some of his detractors -- especially when comparing him to Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant -- will point out the fact that Bryant is the superior defender. But that isn't the case anymore. James has put himself in the running for All-Defensive Team and even Defensive Player of the Year honors with his remarkable job on defense this season.

LeBron's 2.0 steals per game ranks fifth in the league, and he has evolved as one of the best -- if not the best -- weakside defenders in the entire NBA. Time after time, perimeter players -- and even giants like Yao Ming -- who look to attack the basket with seemingly easy layups see the orange leather get pinned against the glass as James unsuspectingly denies what should be an easy two points.

He's up to 1.3 blocks per game through 36 games, a jaw-dropping number for a supposed "perimeter player." Cavs head coach Mike Brown, a defensive strategist, consistently puts James on the opponents' best perimeter player during defensive assignments.

And we're talking about a Cavs team that is an elite defensive club in every sense. Cleveland is tops in the league in points allowed as the only team allowing under 90 points per game on average. They are third in turnovers forced and also the best in opponents' field goal percentage.

Pretty gaudy numbers. And although you know all about his comprehensive offensive repertoire, what is arguably the league's best defense begins and ends with LeBron James.