Derrick Rose: Kevin Durant is the NBA’s MVP This Season

Takes one to know one, we suppose. The reigning MVP, Derrick Rose, says that Kevin Durant deserves the game’s biggest individual honor this year. From ESPN: “Chicago Bulls guard and reigning MVP Derrick Rose said Friday he believes Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant is the front-runner for this season’s award. ‘KD is playing great,’ Rose said. ‘I’m hearing about what he’s doing, hearing about how he’s playing. The numbers speak for itself, how he’s working out this summer, and he’s playing great basketball. (Minnesota’s Kevin Love) K-Love been putting in work, too, but I think KD.’ Durant is averaging 27.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks for the Western Conference-leading Thunder. It figures to be a two-man race between Durant and the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, who’s averaging 26.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists and is shooting a career-best 53 percent. Rose, who was the youngest MVP in history at age 22, is unlikely to win the award again because of missed time this season. He has sat out 17 games because of a variety of injuries. He could miss his ninth straight on Friday against the Detroit Pistons with a sore groin. He’s listed as a game-time decision.”