NBA MVP race 2012-13: Kevin Durant rises to No. 1 in latest rankings

RANK	PLAYER	RUNDOWN	LAST
1		KEVIN DURANT, F, OKLAHOMA CITY: Check out his point totals from the last 5 games : 41, 33, 33, 40, 26. Yes, the Thunder tripled their loss total by losing two of those games, to Minnesota and Miami, but those loses were not as egregious as the ones that knocked LBJ out of the top spot this week. Cool Durant stat: His most FG attempts in a game this season is 28. Kobe’s season-high is 41. LeBron’s is 26. KD also currently qualifies for the 50-40-90 club, which has 5 members: Dirk, Nash, Reggie Miller, Larry Bird and Mark Price.	2
2		CHRIS PAUL, G, LA CLIPPERS: As noted by Dan Malone in our Saturday blog (which touched on the unhappiness of a guy from down the hallway, Antawn Jamison), if you are not watching the Clippers on a regular basis, why? CP had 29 and 6 in latest win, No. 16 in a row, at Utah — which ain’t an easy place to win. His assist-to-turnover ratio in December is 4.79. Steals, assists and FT percentage all up from last season, when he got my vote. And that was in large part for changing the culture. Now, he’s leading a powerhouse.	4
3		LeBRON JAMES, F, MIAMI: C’mon guys, losing on the road to Pistons and Bucks? We know y’all have mailed it in and will be mailing it in until April, but a .500 record on the road is not helping the MVP candidacy of a superstud who is putting up career-high numbers in FG pct (.548), 3-point pct (.433), rebounds (8.5) and fewest turnovers (2.82). Do the Heat realize, and do the Knicks realize, that the Hawks could win the Eastern Conference?	1
4		DAVID LEE, F, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: The Warriors played 16 games this month. Lee scored 20 or more in 14 of them, taking 20 or more shots in only two of them. Cut down on the turnovers and block a shot every once in a blue moon, would ya D-Lee? Stephen Curry has more blocks (6) than you (4) this month. Another goal for January after 12-4 December: Catch Z-Bo in the double-doubles race. Your 19 is second to his 21.	5
5		CARMELO ANTHONY, F, NEW YORK: What have you done for me lately? Yes, he failed to reach 30 points in only two of the nine games he played in December, but he has missed games here and there due to injuries. When Jan. 1 arrives it will mark 16 days since the last time the Knicks had a two-game winning streak. ‘Melo averaged 21 shots per game in NY’s first 30. With Stoudemire back, how much does that drop?	3
6		TONY PARKER, G, SAN ANTONIO: No reason for him to move up or down this week. Solid 31 and 10 in win over the Rockets, which was Spurs’ fourth in a row. You know they’re going to stretch this one to double figures again, right? TP is 2nd among guards in FG percentage (.508), trailing only Dwyane Wade’s .514. Note to TP: If you bust up Deron Williams on New Years’s Eve, you may cost P.J. Carlesimo a job. If D-Will busts you up, Carlesimo could become a latter day Lawrence Frank/Jeff Van Gundy.	6
7		KOBE BRYANT, G, LA LAKERS: His 27 points in win against Portland snapped a streak of 10 straight 30-point games. It was just the second time in December he failed to reach 30. Stat you may have missed: When Kobe took 41 shots in comeback win against Golden State, he went to the foul line only once – and missed. His scoring average is now above 30. Last time a guy finished a season averaging more than 30 points? Three years ago when Durant dropped 30.1. Bryant has averaged 30 or more three times in his 17-year career.	7
8		JAMES HARDEN, G, HOUSTON: Welcome back, James. Yes, we have taken notice of the team’s above .500, above-the-Lakers record,. And yes, we have noticed the consistency you have been showing as the featured scorer on a team with no clear-cut No. 2 option – a luxury Kobe has in L.A., Bron has in Miami, KD in OKC, Parker in San Antonio. Do we expect your team to stay where it is? No. Do we expect more stinkers like the 6-for-17 effort you had in the 30-point loss to your old team Friday night? Yes. But for now, you deserve to be back on this list. But truth be told, Omer Asik is as much of a reason why Daryl Morey is in the Executive of the Year discussion.	–
9		RUSSELL WESTBROOK, G, OKLAHOMA CITY: Officially drives everyone crazy when they watch, yet is mesmerizing at all times, too, because of what he brings on the defensive end. In all fairness, Westbrook is being asked to do much more playmaking than in the past, both because Harden is gone and because Scott Brooks has lost all faith in backup Eric Maynor. But a note to his critics. Yes, Westbrook has 100 turnovers. You know who else does? Kevin Durant.	9
10		STEPHEN CURRY, G, GOLDEN STATE: Keep taping those ankles tight, kid, and welcome to the rankings. If you guys keep this up, you know what’s going to happen, right? Curry and Lee will split the individual accolade awards, and Mark Jackson will reap the benefits with the Coach of the Year award. Question to ponder? How is it that Klay Thompson (215) has taken more 3-point shots than Curry (207). It’s especially weird considering those two and Ryan Anderson (235) are in the 200-plus club. And Curry, at .444, is ranked 5th in the NBA in 3-point accuracy.	–