The 2010-11 NBA season is one of the most memorable in recent memory. Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose received MVP honors, becoming the youngest player in league history to win the award. Despite this honor, many questions whether he deserved to win. The conversation usually hinges on LeBron James or former Magic star Dwight Howard, who recently said he believes he should’ve won the MVP. Shaquille O’Neal revealed he sided with the future Hall-of-Fame big man.
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During his prime, Howard was undoubtedly the best center in the NBA, with all due respect to Joakim Noah. No other player came close to winning the Defensive Player of the Year award when he was at his peak as he won the award three consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2011.
The best season of his career came in the 2010-11 campaign. Howard averaged 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. His name was high on the majority of the voters’ ballots for the MVP award. But came up just a bit short.
Rose’s story captured the hearts of those in and around the NBA. Howard spoke on his snub for the MVP on The Big Podcast with Shaquille O’Neal. While explaining his side of the story, O’Neal accepted that Howard deserved the award over Rose.
“That’s how they do us,” O’Neal said. “Me and you have been going through the same thing,”
O’Neal understands Howard’s pain better than anyone else. The four-time NBA champion is on record for voicing his frustration toward Steve Nash winning MVP over him in 2005, although Nash has a far better case than Rose ever did. O’Neal finished second in MVP voting following his first season as a member of the Heat.
However, Shaq was a bit disappointed in Howard for his stat line. Although Howard objectively had an amazing season statistically, O’Neal believes he is capable of much more.
“23? Boo,” O’Neal said. “Seven points a quarter. That’s three jump hooks and a free throw.”
Howard is one of the most physically gifted players to ever step on an NBA court. Shaq believes he could achieve the level of greatness which he did. As a result, that would mean averaging close to 30 points per game, like O’Neal did in his MVP season in 2000.
O’Neal’s co-host, Adam Lefkoe, added his opinion on the conversation, which also sided with Howard. He brought up a key advanced metric which plays a huge role in the process for voters today.
“You actually had a higher win share,” Lefkoe said. “Which would be huge.”
In the 2010-11 season, Howard’s win shares were 14.4. On the other hand, Rose had a 13.1 win shares. In modern-day NBA, where analytics are such a major part, perhaps Howard does win if the voting process happened again.
Unfortunately, that is just how things go for players like O’Neal and Howard according to Shaq. Nonetheless, the eight-time All-Star is one of the best players in league history. In September, Howard headlines those who will hear their names called in the induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
