After heats latest skid, is Derrek Rose clear favorite for MVP?

[BballTim]

Let's compare two players who I think are very similar, shall we?  One is being touted as the clear MVP and the best PG in the league, the other is never really in either conversation.


Rose:

PPG - 24.7
APG - 8.0
RPG - 4.3
STLPG - 1.1
PER - 22.97
FG% - .441
3P% - .337
FT% - .845
FTM-FTA - 5.4-6.3
MPG - 37.7

Westbrook:


PPG - 22.3
APG - 8.5
RPG - 4.8
STLPG - 1.7
PER - 23.76
FG% - .442
3P% - .329
FT% - .834
FTM-FTA - 6.7-8.0
MPG - 35.4


Overall, Westbrook puts up better numbers in fewer minutes.  He scores fewer points, but not by much, despite the fact that he shares the ball with Kevin Durant.

I'm not saying that Westbrook should be MVP . . . but neither should Derrick Rose.  I just think it's really silly that Rose gets the amount of attention he does compared to Westbrook when any objective view of the situation would see them as extremely similar players (especially in terms of production).  

Westbrook might not play the kind of defense Rose has been playing (I don't know - though he does get more steals), but I'm sure if you put Westbrook under Thibs, he would improve on defense in the same way Rose has this year.

If you replaced Rose with Westbrook, I am confident that the Bulls would be just as good.  It should not be possible to make that kind of argument about a legit MVP candidate.

this is partly true, about replacing rose with westbrook.
I think the reason rose is so valuable to this team is his ability to get to the hole and draw defenders and give his bigs alot of chances at offensive put back even if he does miss the shot.
I guess the fact is that the bulls have been winning, and without rose, they basically wouldn't be anything close to what they are with now.
He's the reason that are number one in the east now.
Their defense is awesome, their bigs are doing a great job, but without him they are like the Milwaukee Bucks or even worse.

  They wouldn't be where they are without Rose but it's also worth pointing out that they seem to do almost as well when he's out of the games as they do when he plays.

[pearljammer10]

I think Rose has been a front runner for quite some time. Howard could be close but he isnt pushing the magic to the level that Rose has. Early front runners would have been Stoudemire and Nowitzki but they have dropped off for me. I put Rose first, maybe Howard second but there are still a good amount of games left to go.