DWIGHT STILL A STRONG MVP CANDIDATE

As far as the 2009 MVP race goes, Orlando Magic all-star center Dwight Howard concedes that, ``When it’s my time, then it’s my time.’’
The time likely belongs to Cleveland’s LeBron James, the landslide favorite to capture this season’s MVP. And while Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul are sure to be in the running, Dwight certainly belongs at the forefront of any MVP talk.
A look at the numbers shows just how dominant Dwight has been and also is proof as to how valuable he is to the Magic.
Dwight has more 20-point/20-rebound games (seven) than the rest of the NBA combined (six players with20one each). He has 10 games with at least 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, while the rest of the league combined has just four of those games.
And because Dwight is the NBA’s runaway leader in rebounding (14.0) and blocked shots (2.97), he is about to become just the fifth player ever to lead the league in both categories. Already the youngest rebounding champion in league history, Dwight is set to become the youngest shot-block leader in history as well. He will be 23 years, 128 days by season’s end, besting Marcus Camby’s record in 1997-98 (24 years, 28 days).
And Dwight’s growth on both ends of the floor has also shown up in the Magic’s victory total. When he scores 20 or more points, the Magic are 27-9. When he pulls down at least 15 rebounds, Orlando is 24-7. And when Dwight blocks at least three shots, his Magic are 27-9.
LeBron is the unquestioned favorite to win the MVP, but other players around the NBA have lined up in support for Dwight as a strong candidate for the award.
``Dwight’s one of those dudes that people don’t appreciate enough. He should be in the MVP talk, too,’’ Utah’s Carlos Boozer said. ``It’s hard to get 10 rebounds and he’s getting 14 a game. And he’s leading the league in blocked shots. He’s playing unbelievable. A lot of people look at scoring and if Dwight was averaging close to 30, he’d be talked about more. But in my opinion, with what he’s doing defensively, he should be up there in the MVP race.’’
Indiana’s Danny Granger had this say: ``Orlando is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for one reason -- Dwight Howard.’’
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy feels that Dwight’s accomplishments are somewhat overlooked in the MVP talk because rebounding and blocked shots statistics aren’t as sexy as the scoring exploits of Wade (30 ppg.), James (28.4 ppg.) and Bryant (28 ppg.).
``I do think scoring is overvalued and rebounding, defense and playmaking are undervalued,’’ Van Gundy said. ``You watch SportsCenter every night and you see guys putting the ball in the basket. That’s what people consider clutch plays and it’s rarely a great defensive play or a big rebound near the end of a game.
``It’s become a perimeter game for a lot of reasons,’’ Van Gundy said. ``Dwight’s overall contributions are undervalued for some reason. You look at the highlights every night and it’s Wade and LeBron twisting and turning and flying and that’s who you hear about all the time.’’
As for winning the NBA’s most prestigious individual award, Dwight said that his focus is more on helping Orlando win a NBA title. And for that to happen, Dwight knows that he has to continue to dominate the glass and be an imposing figure on the defensive end of the floor.
``Fantasy teams and fans like the scoring, but for our team to be successful I have to rebound and block shots,’’ Dwight said. ``It might be overlooked by a lot of people, but for this team to continue to contend I have to block shots and be a dominant force on the glass.’’