Red-hot Carmelo gets fast start in Race to the MVP

Had the initial Race to the MVP column been written a week ago, after only a handful of games, the list would have been infiltrated by the likes of Channing Frye, who hit six three-pointers en route to 22 points in one of the Phoenix Suns' early victories, and Al Horford, who had 24 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks in the Atlanta Hawks' season-opening victory over the Indiana Pacers.

No offense to Mssrs. Frye and Horford, but as it is, time (and subsequently more games) tends to even things out, players ease into their natural roles and, as always, the best talent begins to stand out as it usually does.

Nevertheless, it does not necessarily mean there are no neck-whipping surprises when it comes to the year's first Race. That's right, this is not a sycophantic respite for LeBron-Kobe worship. No, we enjoy the occasional fried okra thrown in with our T-Bone, just to mix up the flavor.

Oh, we realize that at some point in the season, The Race is likely to fawn all over the two best players in the league, bowing to their theatrical excellence like so many whimsical worshippers before us. Hell, it's likely to happen over the course of the final 10 weeks of the regular season -- at which point we'll conveniently forget this column was ever written.

Which makes this first entry in The Race so refreshing, so downright uplifting. After all, how can The Race even acknowledge the reigning MVP while he is wasting away on a middling sub-.500 club struggling to find an identity? How can the reigning MVP be considered a frontrunner when he fumbles the potential game-winning shot against Chicago out of bounds -- after expertly channeling the Patrick Ewing four-step drive to the basket, no less?

There are so many other candidates out there, and The Race for one believes that the MVP should come from a winning team, and of being among teams that possess the best records in the league.

Sure, I have a soft spot for Cortez Kennedy being named the 1992 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on a 2-14 Seattle Seahawks team.

But this ain't the NFL. This is hardcore.

The Race likes undefeated. The Race likes one-loss teams. The Race doesn't want to hear excuses about 330-pound centers clogging up the middle. We've heard that one before. There are too many other compelling stories. Beginning in Denver, where even an early blizzard has not been able to cool off Carmelo Anthony.

1. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets (5-0)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
5	35.4	32.0	6.0	3.4	1.6	0.4	.464	.467	.850

Last Week's Rank - N/A
So let's see, through his first five games, 'Melo has already eclipsed the 40-point barrier twice, going for 41 in a victory at Portland and 42 a few nights later against Memphis. He is averaging 32 points a game, shooting almost 47 percent from 3-point range and is averaging only two turnovers a game despite playing more than 35 minutes per. He was named the Western Conference Player of the Week and, following his impressive postseason performance last year, appears to be the pre-eminent player in line behind Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. And right now, he has a better record.

2. Paul Pierce, Celtics (6-0)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
6	33.8	19.7	6.0	3.3	1.3	0.2	.534	.538	.897

Last Week's Rank - N/A
Granted, Pierce's numbers are not gaudy. He is averaging 19.7 points and 6.0 rebounds a game. But we have two arguments there. Steve Nash's stats were not obscene when he won those MVP awards in Phoenix. And Pierce routinely has to share the ball with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, which inherently means his numbers will be deflated, while Kobe's are always going to be up because the makeup of his team is altogether different. But shouldn't the best player on the best team get some consideration for national recognition beyond just the numbers? We think so.

3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers (4-1)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
5	41.6	33.2	6.8	3.2	3.2	0.4	.444	.231	.836

Last Week's Rank - N/A
How long will Bryant be on the outside looking in at the top spots in this race? Seemingly not for long. The championship last season seems not to have quenched his thirst for a repeat, but only whetted his appetite. He currently is leading the league in scoring, with 33.2 points a game. He's getting 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He is winning games at the end, as he did in Houston the other night. And, perhaps most important, he is getting along with Ron Artest –- or at least tolerating him.

4. Dwyane Wade, Heat (4-1)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
5	37.4	29.2	4.4	4.8	1.6	0.6	.462	.211	.767

Last Week's Rank - N/A
Wade is about as impressive as they come, primarily because he does not seem to have a massive amount of talent around him and he still is able to put up huge numbers. He outdueled Gilbert Arenas for 40 points on Wednesday night and has not scored less than 23 in a game. He gets a great test this week, when he gets a Race Face against Carmelo Anthony tonight, followed by Arenas again next week and then LeBron next Thursday.

5. Dwight Howard, Magic (4-1)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
5	28.6	19.6	11.8	0.8	0.8	2.0	.647	.000	.653

Last Week's Rank - N/A
He is incorporating Vince Carter into his rotation, is missing Rashard Lewis due to suspension and still is developing his low-post game. And yet Howard still manages to absolutely dominate. It helps, of course, to have shoulders that make El Capitan jealous. But the guy is going for 19.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and two blocks –- and is still learning how to play the game at this level. Scary. By the way, in Wednesday's 122-100 victory over Phoenix, he had 25 points in 23 minutes.

6. Steve Nash, Suns (4-1)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
5	34.0	19.6	3.0	10.8	0.2	0.2	.528	.545	.923

Last Week's Rank - N/A
The question always looms: Who means more to the Suns, Nash or Amar'e Stoudemire? I have to go with the Canuck because he both finishes and creates for Phoenix, while Stoudemire mostly finishes. Nash has a Suns team that has a nice starting five but falls off after that off to a 4-1 start. For that he gets early consideration.

7. Joe Johnson, Hawks (4-1)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
5	37.8	22.8	6.0	4.6	1.0	0.2	.457	.273	.880

Last Week's Rank - N/A
Johnson is routinely filling the stat sheet, averaging 22.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He has the stacked Hawks off to a 4-1 start and seemingly headed back to the playoffs. Yes, he has a very nice team around him. But he is the dominant player on that team and regularly takes over games. Just imagine if he was still playing alongside Nash.

8. Trevor Ariza, Rockets (3-2)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
5	39.4	20.0	4.4	3.6	1.4	0.4	.415	.469	.708

Last Week's Rank - N/A
Admittedly this is a sentimental pick that likely will be out of the running next week. But The Race is absolutely flummoxed that the Rockets have three victories so far; it seemed a lock that they would be 1-4 or 0-5 at this point. But Ariza has more than done his share to carry a very average team to wins over Portland, Utah and Golden State, averaging 20 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. This after being considered a defensive stalwart while performing in Kobe's immense shadow. Hats off.

9. Chris Bosh, Raptors (2-2)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
4	38.0	29.5	13.0	2.0	0.8	1.0	.472	1.00	.723

Last Week's Rank - N/A
Seriously, Darko Milicic over this guy? C'mon. How good has Bosh become? The guy is averaging 29.5 points and 13 rebounds. He is shooting close to 48 percent. He is getting to the line in excess of 15 times a game. His efficiency rating is off the charts. He has his team winning occasionally. What more can he do to earn a rather lucrative free-agent contract?

10. LeBron James, Cavaliers (3-3)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
6	38.3	25.2	7.7	7.8	1.5	1.0	.485	.345	.707

Last Week's Rank - N/A
You didn't really think The Race was going to leave the King out, did you? With apologies to Ben Gordon, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan, James clearly is among the best players in the NBA, though his team is not playing very well right now. That hardly seems to be James' fault; he is averaging 25.2 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds –- though he can't seem to find a way early on to mesh with Shaquille O'Neal. Have no fear, The Race knows it's only a matter of time before James crawls his way up the standings and will be standing beside Kobe and perhaps Carmelo in the end. But this is the first week. Strange occurrences happen early on.

The anti-MVPS

Unlike the 10 guys mentioned above, these players are the ones who don't quite embody that MVP spirit:

Baron Davis -- He was supposed to lead his team to resurgence. Instead, he is averaging 11.6 points, shooting 33 percent and the Clippers are the Clippers at 1-4.

Stephen Jackson -- He says he is as good as Kobe and wants to be traded to a winner. Yet he looks disinterested and the Warriors are just 1-2. Not exactly prime trade bait.

Allen Iverson -- He said he thought the Grizzlies had championship aspirations. Now he is in a verbal battle with coach Lionel Hollins over playing time -- after only five games. And Memphis has fallen to 1-4 with things sure to get worse before they get better.

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