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There is no denying the tight race that sits atop the National Basketball Association when discussing the MVP – Most Valuable Player.  The improvement that Chris Paul has made after an injury-laden season, the shear amazing abilities of Kobe Bryant and the turnaround that Kevin Garnett has meant to Boston are all solid cases.  However, if you remove any of the three aforementioned from their teams, do you think that their colleagues would put up a loss to the Seattle Supersonics?  No fourth quarter comeback this time.

Yes, the game was the second of a back-to-back stint.  And yes, the game was on the road.  But this is the (previously) 10-win Supersonics.  Tim Duncan misses a few games earlier in the year and the Spurs play some of the best ball of the season.  He’s a solid player, but most valuable? 

You’re never selling me on that point.

The most important news will now turn to how long LeBron James will miss time with this wonky ankle.  Finishing the game – and putting up 17 points in the fourth quarter – against the Portland Trailblazers was incredible, if not heroic.  But if playing on that ankle, forcing it to swell up that much more overnight, will force him to miss extensive time?  I’m not so sure that was worth it. 

But this is the mentality you have with James.  I was at the game against Dallas two seasons ago when he was dropped on his head and you could hear it in “Loudville.”  Trent Green’s head-to-turf injury looked like nothing compared to the sound we heard, but that did not stop this kid from playing out the rest of the game.  This is what he does, and Cleveland fans will have to change their ways before LeBron would even consider changing his.

Mike Brown reminded reporters that this team went 9-3 without LeBron over the past two seasons.  But coupling this injury with those to Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic, I’m not so sure that this is the same “team” that put up a .750 clip.  What I do know is that we wasted a pretty good night by Larry Hughes, and this will be his time that he needs to step up the most.  Earn that money, Larry.  Show us what you can do. 

Hughes’ former teammate in Gilbert Arenas recently said that [Larry] struggles in an offense that runs through a small forward and doesn’t run the ball?  Well, now is his chance.

And for those of you wondering… Yes, that picture above is Donyell Marshall attempting to check in to the game.  Without his jersey.  Warm-ups feel a bit different from street clothes to begin with, so there is a solid chance that ‘Yell was out of his element from the get-go.  I guess you just forget certain aspects of the game when you do not play within a two-month span.  Live and learn, Donyell.  Live and learn.