Determining the MVP

When picking the NBA’s MVP I’ve never quite understood the approach or formula most voters use.  Picking the best player on the best team always seemed like a cop-out to me.  Sure, there’s a lot to be said by having one of the best records, if not the best, but chances are if your team has the best record then there’s more then one great player on that team.    Take for example the San Antonio Spurs.  We all know how talented Tim Duncan is, and he is clearly the MVP for the Spurs, but if you took away Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili is Tim Duncan still as effective, are the Spurs in general still as effective?  My point is, shouldn’t the one question to determine the MVP come down to: when (FILL IN NAME) is on the floor I never feel like there out of the game .  For me, the two names that come to mind, first, are Kobe Bryant and Lebron James.  I’m not saying that these are the only two players that can give you that ... [link]