MVP race

It bothers me how many people factor playoff success into arguments about who should be the MVP.

Kobe supporters point to the Lakers' sweep of Denver as evidence he's the MVP.

Garnett detractors point to the difficulty Boston is having with the Hawks as evidence that he is not.

It's a regular-season award, people! Hence, Dirk Nowitzki was the MVP last season, despite laying an egg in the first round against Golden State.

If the MVP votes are submitted before the beginning of the playoffs, I wish the NBA would announce the winner before they begin.

Also, we need a Playoffs MVP. A Finals MVP is nice and all, but I'd rather reward someone for outstanding play during the entire postseason rather than just one series, which may be a horrible mismatch (Spurs/Cavs, Lakers/Nets, Lakers/Sixers, Spurs/Knicks, Rockets/Magic).