NBA INSIDER: MVP race may get a jolt

Seats are always reserved at the MVP table for guys such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and now Chris Paul.

Might there be other players interested in crashing the MVP party this year?

Fans in Orlando, San Antonio, Toronto and even here in Atlanta have other names on the brain when the conversation turns to the early front-runners for the NBA’s most prestigious individual honor.

Some new faces to add to the mix:

Dwight Howard

Making the case for the Magic’s All-Star center: Howard is second in the league in rebounds (13.2) and leads in blocks (4.2), and few players are capable of matching him in either category if he chooses to focus on his rebounding and defense. The key for Howard, an Atlanta native and former Southwest Atlanta Christian star, is to stick to his bread and butter. The Magic are so often confronted with either making Howard the focus on offense —- which takes away from the rest of his game —- or allowing Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu to be the focal point to free Howard up to dominate on the other end of the floor.

Odds he’ll make the final cut: Great. Howard has a chance because he is arguably the league’s top big man, and the Magic should win 50-plus games again this season.

Amare Stoudemire

Making the case for the Suns’ All-Star center/power forward: Someone always benefits from playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal. Just ask Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Since Steve Nash already has a couple of MVP trophies in his collection, Stoudemire appears to be the Suns player most likely to reap the Shaq dividends of playing alongside the Big Aristotle. He’s already off to a great start, averaging 25.8 points and shooting 67.1 percent from the floor. And the Suns’ high profile will make it easy for voters to keep tabs on him throughout the season.

Odds he’ll make the final cut: Decent. Stoudemire would have to continue to score like he did in a win over Indiana on Wednesday (49 points) to keep the buzz going strong. On a team with Shaq and Nash, that’ll be tough.

Joe Johnson

Making the case for the Hawks’ All-Star guard: MVP voters love a Cinderella story, and if Johnson can continue his torrid scoring pace (25.3 points) and the Hawks (4-0 for the first time since 1997) can keep winning, Johnson’s grass-roots campaign could gain some serious momentum. Johnson is locked in early and scoring at will against whoever is unlucky enough to draw him as an assignment. In addition, he’s playing offense and defense and rebounding as aggressively as he has since joining the Hawks. If he can keep his teammates following his lead, he’ll stay in this conversation a lot longer than might be expected.

Odds he’ll make the final cut: Slim. The Hawks would have to play at a high level consistently, something that they haven’t been able to do in more than a decade.

Tony Parker

Making the case for the Spurs’ All-Star guard: Move over, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. The Frenchman is challenging two of his All-Star teammates for the leadership mantle of an aging Spurs team. Parker’s 55-point, 10-assist, seven-rebound outburst in the Spurs’ win over Minnesota on Wednesday is the perfect exhibition of his ability to outshine his more celebrated teammates. Duncan had 30 in the same game, but Parker, whose motor-never-stops energy never seems to wane, seems best suited to carry the load while Ginobili recovers from his ankle injury. He made two of his three shots from beyond the 3-point line against the Spurs, showing that expansion of his game continues. He is leading the league in scoring (27.4).

Odds he’ll make the final cut: Slim, especially if the Spurs don’t get things together soon. They were 0-3 before the win over the Timberwolves. But Parker does have name recognition and history on his side.

Chris Bosh

Making the case for the Raptors’ All-Star forward: Bosh continues his climb to superstardom, even if people in Toronto are the only ones who get to witness the journey regularly. Having a new sidekick, Jermaine O’Neal, who was once among the top three for this same award, will make things a little easier for Bosh. Scoring in bunches (26.0 points) should not be a problem for Bosh, who is in a similar situation to what O’Neal was in a few years back in Indiana. Bosh is rarely appreciated for just how good he really is, namely because he’s playing on a team that gets ignored by the casual basketball public south of the Canadian border. Make no mistake about it, though, the Olympic gold medalist and former Georgia Tech star is going to be a permanent fixture among this lofty crowd.

Odds he’ll make the final cut: Slim. Bosh needs the Raptors to get off to another huge start like the one that propelled them last season. His team’s success will factor into how long he stays in the race.