It's never too early to begin discussing the MVP race, and with just about six weeks remaining in the season, the leaders of the pack are beginning to emerge. However, while it's easy to pick out plenty of deserving candidates, there is still no clear-cut front-runner. Is it an athletic, all-around talent like Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady? Is it a go-to playmaker like Allen Iverson or Jason Kidd? Is it a leader indispensable to his team's success like Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett?

As the calendar turns to March, NBA.com makes the case for -- and against -- 10 possible NBA most valuable players. In alphabetical order:

PROS: Only player averaging more than 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists ... Second in both scoring and steals; No. 11 in assists, the only non-point guard among the top 15 ... Tied for the fourth longest streak of 40-plus point games (9) in history. CONS: Performance didn't translate to wins while Shaq was injured ... Lakers started season 3-9 without O'Neal. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 31-25 (.554) 56 56 41.7 .457 .380 .835 7.0 6.2 2.29 0.93 30.8

PROS: Reigning MVP ranks third in the league in both rebounds and blocks, seventh in scoring ... Leads team in minutes, scoring, rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage, and Spurs hold NBA's second-best record. CONS: Not a highlight reel in the mold of a Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady, but along with Kevin Garnett, a front-runner for the award. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 39-17 (.696) 56 56 39.5 .489 .267 .704 12.7 3.9 0.70 2.93 23.3

PROS: Putting together one of the better all-around seasons in history, ranking among top 20 in nearly every major category, including second in rebounding ... Has led Minnesota to a top-five record in the West, even as No. 2 option Wally Szczerbiak has missed 30 games. CONS: Could hinge on how Wolves perform compared to Duncan's Spurs. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 38-21 (.644) 59 59 40.5 .500 .345 .753 13.1 5.7 1.44 1.53 23.2

PROS: 2000-01 MVP leads NBA in steals and minutes, third in scoring ... Has led Sixers back into contention in the East (currently fourth) after dropping nine out of 10 games in Dec-Jan. CONS: Philadelphia hasn't cracked the level of the elite in the conference, but Iverson's chances could improve depending on how the team finishes. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 32-24 (.571) 56 56 42.4 .404 .271 .762 4.4 4.9 2.61 0.07 27.3

PROS: Nets are only one game off last year's pace as Kidd has improved scoring and field-goal percentage significantly while still ranking second in the league in assists ... Also fourth overall in steals. CONS: Kidd's assists and rebounds are down this season ... Nets' supporting cast -- Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson in particular -- has also improved. TEAM REC. (RK) G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 38-21 (.644) 57 57 36.6 .428 .352 .837 6.0 8.5 2.28 0.30 19.9

PROS: The league's No. 1 scorer and, along with Kobe Bryant, also its most versatile all-around player ... Has put Orlando in contention with little help from supporting cast as Grant Hill is again injured. CONS: Though they'd easily be lottery-bound without T-Mac, Magic are still just a .500 team and may miss the playoffs. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 29-29 (.500) 52 52 39.9 .456 .372 .797 6.7 5.2 1.60 0.83 31.3

PROS: The No. 1 option on the team with the league's No. 1 record, Nowitzki ranks among the NBA's top 10 in both scoring and rebounds ... Has also improved defense, averaging career-highs in steals and blocks. CONS: Not a lone star in Dallas, with fellow All-Star Steve Nash running the offense and Michael Finley averaging 20-plus points. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 44-13 (.772) 55 55 38.9 .468 .365 .855 9.8 2.8 1.44 1.24 23.6

PROS: With Indiana among the East's top three teams all season, O'Neal, an All-Star starter, ranks with the league's top 10 in rebounding and blocks, leading Pacers in those categories as well as scoring. CONS: Like Sacramento, Indy is a team deep on talent, perhaps affecting how valuable O'Neal is perceived as being to its success. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 38-21 (.644) 54 53 37.5 .466 .200 .742 10.6 2.1 0.78 2.24 19.8

PROS: With all the attention on Bryant, O'Neal is quietly fifth in the NBA in scoring and first in field-goal percentage ... Shooting a career-high .613 from the free-throw line ... Lakers have shown they can't win consistently without him in the lineup. CONS: Has missed 15 games with injuries this season ... Splits votes with Kobe ... Lakers' record needs to improve. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 31-25 (.554) 41 40 37.6 .560 .000 .613 10.7 3.3 0.59 2.29 26.0

PROS: Averaging a double-double ... Kings have third-best record in league and Webber leads team in scoring, rebounding and assists ... One of the best passing big men in the NBA. CONS: See above note on Jermaine O'Neal ... May have too much talent surrounding him in Sacramento to be MVP ... Missed 15 games with injury. TEAM REC. G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 40-18 (.690) 43 43 39.2 .464 .083 .572 10.6 5.4 1.60 1.51 22.9