Most Valuable Isn’t Same as Most Desirable

There are those who believe that Shaquille O’Neal is always the most valuable player in the NBA, and an award given to anybody else is strictly for show.

While O’Neal was busy reinforcing that theory Friday night, with a 40-point, 14-rebound, five-block performance, it might be more appropriate to frame the argument in other terms. With O’Neal turning 31 this week and injuries beginning to take their toll on his body, which of the younger players would you rather have for the long-term benefit of your team: Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett?

This story goes back seven years. The Minnesota Timberwolves still wore the basic blue uniforms with “WOLVES” on the front and the docile-looking dog on the side, and the Philadelphia 76ers still played at the Spectrum when Kobe Bryant went to see the Timberwolves in their only trip to town in Garnett’s rookie year.

Bryant was a senior at nearby Lower Merion High School, so eager to play in the NBA he could almost taste it. He had determined he was going to go pro as a sophomore, even before Garnett made the jump.

After the game, Garnett told him how difficult the league was, “But I could see it in his eyes, he was ready,” Garnett said.

They thought back to that day while at the All-Star game this year, both amazed at how quickly the time has gone since that day in 1996. Garnett is in his eighth pro season; Bryant in his seventh.

And the league is at their mercy.

“We’re setting standards,” Garnett said.

They haven’t redefined the game, but they’ve sure given reason to rethink the role of higher education in professional basketball.

Remember all of the talk that young players and their unrefined skills would ruin the NBA? Well, where would the league be now without its prep-to-pros All-Stars of Bryant, Garnett and Tracy McGrady? The debates over who’s better or which one should win the MVP dominate the sports talk shows.

Garnett seems to be gaining momentum in the media -- especially among those back East. You can count Bryant in his corner as well.

“I would vote for him,” Bryant said.

Why?

“Everything he’s done. What he’s done for his team is great.”

Bryant had one of the best scoring months in league history.

He averaged 40.6 points in February, including nine consecutive games of at least 40 points and 13 consecutive games with at least 35 points.

“I’ve done something remarkable. I’ve been consistent, but we haven’t been winning on a consistent basis.”

Even after Friday night’s 106-96 Laker victory, the Timberwolves have won six more games than the Lakers.

The 6-foot-11 Garnett does everything for the Timberwolves. He averages 23 points, 13 rebounds and almost six assists. And he has to guard all of those Western Conference power forwards, the most loaded position in the league. He’s the team’s best low-post threat, and he also spends a considerable amount of time directing the offense from out front.

What Bryant showed last month, however, is that he can single-handedly elevate a team to postseason-level play. When Coach Phil Jackson (in his word) “unbridled” Bryant, Bryant demonstrated for the first time in his career that the Lakers can be a winning team with the offense running primarily through him.

“We needed to do it, simply because we weren’t generating the type of offensive game we needed,” Jackson said.

That’s something to keep in mind as the Lakers gradually switch from Shaq’s squad to Kobe’s crew, the way Magic Johnson took over for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s.

Now Jackson is asking Bryant to cool down, in part to save his aching knees and in part to get the team in playoff mode, when O’Neal takes over.

Garnett doesn’t have that luxury, which makes him a more valuable asset to the Timberwolves at the moment.

But here’s why I’d rather have Bryant on my team over the long haul: Every time the Lakers need him to come through in the playoffs -- Shaq or no Shaq -- Bryant has been there. Think of some of their biggest postseason victories. He led the Lakers in every important statistical category in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals against Portland. When O’Neal fouled out of Game 4 of the NBA Finals that year, Bryant took control in overtime. In the Lakers’ second championship run, he iced San Antonio with a huge three-point shot in Game 2 of the conference finals, surgically removing their heart in the middle of the Alamodome.

He got the Spurs again with 10 points in the last five minutes, including that memorable offensive rebound and layup in Game 4 last year. And he came through with the game-sealing jumper against the New Jersey Nets in Game 3 of the Finals, clearing the way for a sweep so we could all get home.

When it was time to close down the show last night, Bryant scored 11 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and tossed in a nice alley-oop to O’Neal. Garnett, meanwhile, scored only three points in the fourth quarter.

It’s unusual to hear Bryant talk about any NBA player -- even his teammates -- in such glowing, personal terms as he uses for Garnett.

“KG -- that’s one of my favorite dudes in the league,” Bryant said. “He’s just a real guy.”

He’s all that, no doubt. You can even call him the MVP.

Just don’t call him the most desirable young player in the game.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at: j.a.adande@latimes.com.

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MVP Numbers

*--* Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett are front-runners for the league’s MVP award. Both had months to remember in Feburary (with per-game averages): Bryant Category Garnett 14 Games 13 11-3 Record 12-1 41.6 Minutes 40.0 40.6 Points 27.7 4.9 Rebounds 13.9 3.6 Assists 5.8

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