ELTON BRAND: 2005-2006 MVP

Go ahead and check those MVP ballots. Brand, Elton. PF, L.A. Clippers. Used to play for the Bulls. Currently dominating the league and leading the Clippers to their best ever start--8-2 and tied with the Spurs for best record in the West. How long can it last? If Cassell stays feisty and Maggette stays healthy, who knows? Do you see any other teams out there---Spurs aside---that you think are better? Yes there is a lot of time left and yes they are the Clippers. But they are playing very well and they have depth.

But back to Brand. 10th in NBA in PPG. 6th in FG%. 10th in RPG. 8th in BPG. Last night he pounded the Warriors for 32 & 10, and made 10-11 from the free throw line. Today he was named Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 25 points and 11.7 rebounds while shooting 57 percent and leading the Clip to a 3-0 week.

In comparison, Tim Duncan is 14th in PPG. 6th in RPG and 5th in BPG. He does not rank in the top 10 in FG%. Although he probably will soon. This is not to say Brand is as good as Duncan. It's to say look--his game is up there with the best and he's still getting better.