Debates Over MVP Aren’t Hard to Find

Is it Magic?

Or Sir Charles?

Or Michael, the Admiral, Akeem, Larry, Patrick, Clyde or Karl?

Whenever a couple of writers get together at an NBA game, it doesn’t take long for the Most Valuable Player discussions to start.

Last names hardly need to be mentioned. Everyone knows who everyone else is talking about.

Three media members from each of the 27 NBA teams, plus 11 national writers, make up the 92-person panel that will vote for the MVP in the next few days before the regular season ends next Sunday.

The league delights in the idea that there is no criteria for the voting, which creates discussion and controversy about the winner.

Not only is there little agreement about who should win, but there also is little agreement about what a player has to do to win.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who have combined to win five of the last six MVPs, impress the segment of voters who believe in “intangibles” and “players who make their teammates better.”

Johnson also benefits from playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, who have the league’s best record, while Karl Malone of Utah and Charles Barkley of Philadelphia are the stars on probable division winners.

“There have been some great performances throughout the season by a lot of people,” Boston coach Jimmy Rodgers said. “I suppose if you’re looking at a true MVP, you’ve got to look at the record of the team, that would give Magic the edge since the Lakers have the best record.”

“I would have a hard time voting against Magic,” Sacramento’s Dick Motta said. “There’s no question in my mind that if there was a draft before each season that he would be the No. 1 pick. He’s the best who ever played this game.”

Barkley, along with the 76ers, is finishing strong, recording season-highs in scoring in three of four recent games.

“If you’re looking for an MVP, Barkley should win it,” Atlanta’s Doc Rivers said last Saturday after Barkley scored a season-high 39 points for the second consecutive game. “Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan are great too, but they don’t cause all the havoc that Charles does.”

“If Philadelphia keeps on winning, Barkley probably will win it,” New Jersey coach Bill Fitch said. “He’s taken the 76ers to a level that wasn’t expected. Everybody was saying they were going to finish third in the division.”

“You can always say Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, but Charles Barkley’s having a great year,” Bird said. “Finally, his team is winning and that makes a big difference, so he should get some consideration. But I think every year, always, there’s Michael and Magic in there. Give it to both of them.”

Jordan might lose support because Chicago always seems to be chasing Detroit, but he has charisma and the statistical hook -- the NBA’s leading scorer -- that attracts voters.

Akeem Olajuwon leads the NBA in rebounding and blocked shots, and his Houston supporters remind everyone that he has MVP-quality numbers despite a blood disorder that hampered his offseason conditioning. But the Rockets might not even make the playoffs, seriously damaging his hopes.

Patrick Ewing has some of the best of both worlds: getting high marks for leadership and scoring statistics that earn him the label of “unstoppable.” But the New York Knicks’ late-season slide almost certainly will cost him votes.

David Robinson, after a two-year layoff in the Navy, needed no time to be mentioned with Ewing and Olajuwon in the front rank of big men. His team, San Antonio, probably won’t catch Utah in their division, but the Spurs will become the most improved team ever if they can win their 54th game this week, a jump of 33 victories.

Coach Don Nelson of Golden State compares Robinson to former teammate and Hall of Famer Bill Russell. Nelson doesn’t hesitate in naming his MVP favorite.

“David’s been terrific,” Nelson said. “The way he’s turned around that team has been amazing.”

Clyde Drexler of Portland is another darkhorse candidate who gets support from the coaching fraternity because of the way he’s helped turn around his team’s fortunes.

“Drexler’s had a great year on a team that’s made great strides,” Cleveland’s Lenny Wilkens said. “In picking the MVP, you have to take everything into account. The Trail Blazers have come so far, and Drexler has been the big reason.”

Karl Malone has been spectacular for Utah, trailing only Jordan in scoring, but he has the same problem that Johnson had before finally winning the MVP in 1987 -- having a teammate who’s almost as good.

John Stockton of the Jazz is leading the NBA in assists by a wide margin over Johnson and is virtually certain to set a single-season record. Everyone seems to wonder if Malone would be so successful if Stockton wasn’t around, and vice versa.

Johnson and Bird have long been acknowledged as having the best all-around games in the NBA, but they don’t really have the statistical “hook” they impressed voters with during their previous MVP years. Both, however, have been solid down the stretch.

Johnson, whose increased scoring totals gave him the impetus to win in 1987 and 1989, has had seven recent games with 28 points or more.

“My first thought for MVP is Magic Johnson,” Denver coach Doug Moe said. “He keeps the Lakers at championship level every year.”