The NBA's Most Valuable Player award this season will be a close race between four players, and any one of them would be a deserving candidate.
Chris Paul has New Orleans on the verge of winning the Western Conference, which would be amazing. Kobe Bryant has turned the Lakers back into legitimate contenders. Cleveland's LeBron James is having one of the best statistical seasons of all time. And Kevin Garnett has led the resurgence in Boston.
All four have been major contributors in Fantasy leagues this year, but Paul has helped Fantasy owners the most. He has earned the title of 2007-08 Fantasy Basketball MVP.
The voting here has Paul taking the award with James second and Bryant third. The reason Paul gets the nod is you knew James and Bryant were going to be special, and they were drafted No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the majority of leagues on CBSSports.com.
Paul was drafted in the second round of most leagues as the No. 7 overall guard. But he finished as the No. 1 guard in standard scoring leagues and the No. 2 overall producer behind James.
Paul's stats this year were impressive with 21.5 points, 11.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals. His assists and steals lead the NBA.
It's been a magical season for Paul, and he should be rewarded for his performance. With the way he played, he probably helped reward many Fantasy owners as well.
All-Fantasy First Team
Forward: LeBron James, Cleveland
Stats: 30.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 1
The scoop: James lived up to his No. 1 draft status by leading the NBA in scoring and contributing in every other statistical category. He will be the No. 1 overall selection for many years to come.
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| Dwight Howard was the top Fantasy center this season and should only improve. (Getty Images) |
Stats: 25.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks
Average Draft Position: No. 11
The scoop: The Suns trading for Shaquille O'Neal allowed Stoudemire to move to forward and gain eligibility at this spot and make the first team. Had he still been just a center, Stoudemire would have been a second-team selection.
Center: Dwight Howard, Orlando
Stats: 20.8 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks
Average Draft Position: No. 6
The scoop: Howard leads the league in rebounds and was the most dominant center in Fantasy. Look for his scoring to continue to improve next season, which will only enhance his Fantasy value.
Guard: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Stats: 28.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 2
The scoop: Bryant didn't let the injury to his pinkie stop him this season from being one of the best Fantasy producers in all scoring formats. He also adjusted well to Andrew Bynum's knee injury and the trade for Pau Gasol.
Guard: Chris Paul, New Orleans
Stats: 21.5 points, 11.5 assists, 2.7 steals
Average Draft Position: No. 17
The scoop: Paul could become the first player to lead the league in assists and steals since John Stockton did it with 13.7 assists and 2.98 steals in the 1991-92 season. Paul will definitely be a first-round selection in all scoring formats next season.
All-Fantasy Second Team
Forward: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Stats: 23.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 4
The scoop: Nowitzki just edged out Carmelo Anthony for the final forward spot on the second team. Nowitzki was slightly better than Anthony in standard scoring leagues and helped Fantasy owners in the playoffs by returning soon from his ankle injury.
Forward: Carlos Boozer, Utah
Stats: 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 18
The scoop: Boozer formed a lethal tandem with point guard Deron Williams and is reminding Jazz fans of Karl Malone and John Stockton. Boozer isn't at Malone's level yet, but his play the past two seasons has helped plenty of Fantasy owners.
Center: Al Jefferson, Minnesota
Stats: 20.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks
Average Draft Position: No. 36
The scoop: Jefferson was the centerpiece of the Kevin Garnett trade, and the move has paid off for Fantasy owners. Jefferson emerged as a solid option at forward and center and has improved his draft stock heading into next season based on his play this year.
Guard: Allen Iverson, Denver
Stats: 26.3 points, 7.2 assists, 1.9 steals
Average Draft Position: No. 18
The scoop: Iverson has thrived in his first full season with the Nuggets. His scoring remains at a high level, and he worked well playing alongside Carmelo Anthony. The best thing about Iverson is his body held up, avoiding any major injury.
Guard: Baron Davis, Golden State
Stats: 21.9 points, 7.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds
Average Draft Position: No. 26
The scoop: Davis played well in his free-agent season and finally stayed healthy for a full year. This is the first season since 2001 that Davis will play more than 67 games. Hopefully this is a sign that Davis will not be an injury risk the rest of his career.
Fantasy Rookie of the Year
Kevin Durant, G, Seattle
The scoop: Durant was easily the best Fantasy rookie this year with No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden (knee) out for the season. Durant benefited from playing with a bad team in Seattle, which allowed him to dominate the offense and work on his game. Hopefully being the focal point will make him a dominant Fantasy option for several years to come.
All-Rookie Team
Forward: Al Thornton, Los Angeles Clippers
Stats: 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 131
The scoop: Thornton might have been the best rookie in the second half of the season. His scoring average increased to 17.4 points in February and 15.7 points in March. Look for Thornton to have a tremendous season next year if the Clippers lose either Elton Brand or Corey Maggette via free agency.
Forward: Luis Scola, Houston
Stats: 9.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 143
The scoop: Scola worked his way into the starting lineup midway through the season and became the Rockets' low-post threat when Yao Ming (foot) got hurt. Scola was a good source of points and rebounds all season long for Fantasy owners.
Center: Al Horford, Atlanta
Stats: 10.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 112
The scoop: Horford was one of the most consistent rookies all season, and his dual eligibility at forward and center enhances his Fantasy value. Look for Horford to continue to improve as his post game develops next season.
Guard: Kevin Durant, Seattle
Stats: 20.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 53
The scoop: Durant is eligible at forward and guard, which enhances his Fantasy value. But Durant he needs to do a better job of rebounding. Look for Durant to keep improving next year and become a dominant force in all Fantasy leagues.
Guard: Jamario Moon, Toronto
Stats: 8.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Average Draft Position: Not drafted
The scoop: Moon emerged out of nowhere to be a solid addition off the waiver wire. He was a good source of rebounds, and his offense improved as the season went on. Moon will be drafted in most leagues next year, and his ownership on CBSSports.com went from nothing in the first two weeks to as high as 70 percent.
Fantasy Most Improved Player
Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando, Forward
Stats: 19.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Average Draft Position: No. 117
The scoop: Turkoglu has typically been drafted as a reserve Fantasy option, but this year he improved his play enough to be a starter in the majority of leagues. Turkoglu set career highs in points, rebounds and assists and thrived as a starter for the Magic. Turkoglu has improved his stock to where he is now a second- or third-round draft choice heading into next season.
Fantasy Coach of Year
Jake Payton, CBSSports.com
Comment: For those of you who didn't follow along with our 30-Deep Fantasy league this year, let me explain what happened. The league was billed as CBSSports.com vs. The World and featured 15 owners from CBSSports.com and 15 owners from other Fantasy sites. Our starting lineups were the same as an NBA lineup (small forward, power forward, shooting guard, point guard and center), which made it challenging with 30 owners. Well, Payton was the winner of the inaugural league and earned the title of Fantasy Coach of the Year. Payton, who is leaving CBSSports.com, where he worked as a senior software engineer for Fantasy sports for eight years, is off to greener pastures, and we wish him good luck and continued Fantasy success.
Have a burning question regarding Fantasy Basketball? We invite you to send your questions, comments and scouting reports on players to: dmfantasyhoops@cbs.com. Please include your full name, city and state.
