1. Carmelo Anthony : New York Knicks
LAST WEEK: 36.3 ppg | 4.7 rpg | 1.3 apg
Anthony has come a long way since Linsanity, that stretch last year when Knicks fans were actually questioning whether he should step aside and let Jeremy Lin lead New York. Anthony is a legitimate threat to shake up the MVP race everyone thought would be a two-man competition. He's setting the table every night for the best team in the East (36.3 points on .566 shooting from the floor, .550 from deep, in the past three games).
LAST WEEK: 25.7 ppg | 5.7 rpg | 4.0 apg
Durant is putting together one of those mercurial seasons that other superstars wish they could and somehow he seems to be doing it without much national fanfare. He's scoring (27.3), rebounding (8.5) and facilitating (4.3) for the Thunder in the same way the reigning MVP does for the Miami Heat. The Thunder aren't having any trouble putting teams away, though. They've won 17 of their past 19 games and nine straight heading into tonight's game against the Kings.
3. LeBron James : Miami Heat
LAST WEEK: 27.3 ppg | 5.0 rpg | 6.0 apg
LeBron hasn't had to go through the sort of three-man MVP shuffle he's dealing with this season in quite some time. He hasn't been able to separate himself from the other contenders the way he did last season, when he was statistically head and shoulders above the rest. He's playing lights out (26.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists in his last 10 games) but the Heat have stumbled of late, playing uncharacteristic .500 ball (3-3) this month.
4. Chris Paul : Los Angeles Clippers
LAST WEEK: 17.3 ppg | 7.3 apg | 2.0 spg
Whatever was bothering Paul and the Clippers during that mini-slide last month has vanished. Paul's been on a tear and the Clippers have followed suit, winning eight straight games and scoring 100 or more points in seven of those games. Paul's new aggressive offensive approach, however, has had as much to do with the Clippers picking up the pace as anything. Paul has these Clippers looking like the contender many thought they could be.
5. Zach Randolph : Memphis Grizzlies
LAST WEEK: 17.0 ppg | 10.0 rpg | 0.7 bpg
Z-Bo has been steady even as the Grizzlies have stumbled a bit here recently, losing three of their last five games and showing a few signs of fatigue since their early season assault on the West standings. Randolph's consistency on the glass (12.8 rpg) all season is easily the most impressive aspect of his work this season. He's grabbed double-digit rebounds in all but three games this season.
6. Kobe Bryant : Los Angeles Lakers
LAST WEEK: 35.5 ppg | 4.5 rpg | 4.5 apg
If the MVP formula was strictly about statistics, Kobe would have to rank among the top two or three players on anyone's list. Tracy McGrady might have two or three MVP's, too. So enough of that foolishness. While Bryant continues to shoot and score the Lakers out of their current mess, the Lakers continue to struggle. They are 1-11 this season when he scores 30 or more points. He has to come up with another method or simply wait like Mike D'Antoni and everyone else and see if Steve Nash's return fixes some of the Lakers' outstanding issues.
7. Josh Smith : Atlanta Hawks
LAST WEEK: 20.0 ppg | 6.8 apg | 4.0 apg
The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the Hawks All-Star (whoops, he's still waiting for the powers that be to get that right) is putting together a stellar all-around season as the face of the franchise. The Hawks are 11-2 in their last 13 games behind the versatility of Smith and fellow franchise pillar Al Horford's dirty work inside and out. But Smith's ability to create scoring opportunities for others set him apart from most power forwards in the league.
8. Tim Duncan : San Antonio Spurs
LAST WEEK: 14.2 ppg | 10.8 apg | 3.2 bpg
Who you calling old? Not Timothy Theodore Duncan, who has rediscovered his youth a bit this season for the seemingly ageless warriors from San Antonio. Duncan's 22 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks against the Jazz Wednesday night marked the fourth time in his career he posted a 20/20/5 game, the most of any active player. The only other player in the league to come close to that mark is fellow graybeard Marcus Camby, whose done it three times. The fact that Duncan can still do it at 36 makes it even more remarkable.
LAST WEEK: 21.5 ppg | 4.3 rpg | 6.0 apg
Now that Curry's name comes first on every opposing team's scouting report, he'll have to redesign his attacks and make sure he sets up his teammates so he can maintain his offensive aggressiveness and keep the team winning.Curry's Warriors are legit this season, winning when he plays his best and also winning on a night when he struggles a bit as well.
LAST WEEK: 13.0 ppg | 13.3 apg | 3.0 spg
Like a dual-threat quarterback with spotty mechanics but sterling results, Rondo makes it hard to overlook the fact that he's one of the most dynamic forces in the league, regardless of position. His assist numbers (league-leading 12.9, the only player in the league in double digits) look like rebounding numbers. It's a story when he doesn't drop 10 or more dimes these days. As long as he stays healthy the Celtics should have no problem digging their way back into thick of things in the East.
The next five: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder; Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs; Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz; David Lee, Golden State Warriors; Monta Ellis/Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks.
Falling out: Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets; Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs; Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers.
Current Rankings
1. Carmelo Anthony
2. Kevin Durant
3. Lebron James --
4. Chris Paul
5. Zach Randolph
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Josh Smith NR
8. Tim Duncan NR
9. Stephen Curry
10. Rajon Rondo NR
Interesting fact : Josh Smith is on his way to becoming one of just 24 players in league history to reach 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks and just the ninth player to do so with one team, joining a list of Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Julius Erving, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett.
Link : http://www.nba.com/m...2-13/index.html
So what do you think of the Ladder? I personally think it is pretty fair to be honest.
