3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Bryant could very well wind up with the trophy, and he has been the most individually brilliant player this year. He nets 35.4 points per game, with 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists, and his dominance has not come at the expense of his team — other players, like Brian Cook, Smush Parker and Lamar Odom have improved, and the Lakers have won five or six games more than expected (though his case will be hurt by the Lakers' being just the seventh seed in the West).

It will be tough to discard memories of his 81-point game, or his 62 in three quarters, or the four other 50-point games he has posted. But Bryant's penchant for the difficult shot, and his tendency toward high-volume shooting hurts his case. He is a good shooter from the free-throw line, but he is just average from the field (.449) and from the 3-point line (.346). He could well win this award next year.

2. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Dallas won 60 games, which is better than can be expected (as far as I am concerned, you can't really expect a team to win more than 55), especially considering the team's injuries. No question, Nowitzki had his finest season, with career highs in scoring (26.6) and each shooting category (.480 from the field, .406 from the arc and .901 from the line).

In a one-on-one/mismatch offense like Dallas runs, you can't punish Nowitzki's low assist numbers. But still, it would have helped Nowitzki's cause to develop more of a passing-out-of-double-teams aspect to his game. Sound like I am nitpicking? Yup. But that's only because these candidates are so evenly matched.

1. Steve Nash, Suns
No question, some credit for the Suns' success goes to coach Mike D'Antoni's wacky system. But fact is, D'Antoni's system excels because of Nash. He is scoring 19 points per game, a career-high, and he averages 10.5 assists, which is 1.6 more than anyone else in the league. His shooting is incredible — .510 from the field, .427 from the 3-point line and .924 from the free-throw line.

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Phoenix has slumped lately, but its playoff spot is locked. In looking at this roster, without Amare Stoudemire and missing Kurt Thomas for nearly 30 games, there is no way the team could have been pegged as a 52-win bunch (tied for fourth in the NBA). Yet, here they are.

It's little wonder that Raja Bell arrived from Utah and had a career year, with 14.8 points and .442 percent 3-point shooting. Or that Boris Diaw went from Atlanta benchwarmer to a triple-double threat in Phoenix. Shawn Marion, James Jones, Leandro Barbosa, Eddie House — they all had career years. They should all tip their caps to Nash.

Last season, some argued that the Suns' improvement was, in part, because Stoudemire had become such a threat inside. But with Stoudemire out, the team needed an even heavier dose of Nash, both with his scoring and with his penetration. If teams took away his scoring, he fed teammates (Nash had 44 games of 10-plus assists). If teams took away his passing, he scored (39 games with 20-plus points). Nash only had 15 games in which he did not get 10 assists or 20 points.

Nash played better. His teammates played better. His team played far better than expected. He deserves the award.

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