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Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki's name never seems to find its way to the M.V.P. discussion. Is this because he doesn't have the stats to back up his campaign like buddy Steve Nash or young stud LeBron James? The simple fact is that Dirk has every stat he needs to be in serious contention for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

The Blond Bomber is currently third in the league in scoring at 26.9 ppg, 7th in rebounding with 10.0 rpg, and 34th in steals at 1.26 spg (second among power forwards to K.G.).

However, Dirk's most impressive stat is his least known. Nowitzki leads the league in the Roland Ratings, meaning his team's point differential with him on the floor versus on the bench per 48 minutes, similar to a +/- system in hockey. Dirk Nowitzki's Roland Rating tops the league (+22.5), while M.V.P. front-runners Steve Nash (+16.2) and LeBron James (+6.6) are respectively lower on the chart. Last year's winner of the Roland rating happened to be the league M.V.P. - Kevin Garnett. Dirk has chipped in 27 double-doubles this season and is second in the league efficiency rating to Garnett. The Dallas Mavericks are fourth place in the very tough Western Conference. They lead the league in road wins and have recently beaten top-notch contenders such as Miami, Sacramento, Seattle, and Phoenix.

The Mavericks have also begun to gain national recognition as a legit title contender because of their improved defense this year. It's no coincidence that as Dirk has become an above-average NBA defender, the Mavericks are better defensively.

It's totally understandable that in M.V.P. talks, Nash, James, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O'Neil get named. They are all unbelievable players having great seasons. It is, however, unjust not to bring up Nowitzki with the rest of the field. Dirk's improved defense along with his great offensive game makes him possibly the games hardest matchups.

On the fun side of things, Nowitzki is one of the only players in recent memory to actually play consistent defense in the All-Star game.

The Mavericks have as good a shot as any team to each the NBA Finals this season, and Dirk is a huge reason why. He should be considered a legit, top-tier MVP candidate.