ANDREW GAZE, the most valuable player ever to play in the National Basketball League, believes Sydney Kings' centre Julian Khazzouh would be rightfully entitled to win this season's MVP, despite playing for the team on the bottom of the ladder.
In the 32-year history of the league, no player has ever won the game's most prestigious individual award, playing for the wooden spooners. In 1988, Hobart's Joe Hurst won the MVP when his Tassie Devils finished ninth, while Illawarra's Mike Jones (1981) and Hunter Pirates' import Brian Wethers (2005) both won the award in eighth-placed teams.
Gaze himself, who won seven MVP awards (1991, 1992, 1994-98) and was runner-up another four times (1989, 1990, 1993, 2001), and who now has the award named in his honour, won the prize in 1995 when his Melbourne Tigers were eighth.
Generally the award winner comes from teams that have had successful seasons, with the MVP winner coming from the first-placed team 10 times.
''I think the fact that Khazzouh's team are on the bottom of the ladder is something that can't be ignored, and my personal opinion is that it is an issue, but it shouldn't be the overriding issue,'' Gaze said. ''It shouldn't be that just because you are in the last-placed team, that means you can't win it. I don't believe that.
''Across the course of 28 games, you can still perform to a level that warrants MVP status even though your team may not get the results you are looking for.
''Should the MVP be a player who has helped his team in chasing a championship? Possibly, that certainly is part of the equation no doubt about that, but by the same token I think you've got to keep it in context of who you are playing with and what you are doing.
''Sometimes to get a team to win 10 games and finish outside the play-offs is a far more Herculean MVP-type result than it is getting your team into the championship game.
''It really comes down to case-by-case circumstances depending on the talent you have around you.
''And while some might say a player is going to stand out more when he is clearly the best player in a team which is last, I think there are two sides to that. You've also got to appreciate that in every single game he is up against opposition that are figuring if we can target this bloke, as long as he doesn't do well, we're almost assured of victory.
''You're dealing with a lot greater obstacles, possibly - but not always - greater than you would in other circumstances.''
Quite often the MVP winner - voted upon by the coaches during the season - has appeared clear cut. But in 2010-11, it is more open, with Khazzouh, Wollongong's Gary Ervin, Melbourne's Corey Williams, Adelaide's Adam Ballinger, and New Zealand's Kirk Penney all serious candidates.
Khazzouh, whose Kings meet Melbourne at the Sydney Entertainment Centre tomorrow evening, has been a revelation since returning from a stint in Europe to the NBL this season. He leads the league in rebounds (10.1 per game), is second in blocked shots (1.8 per game), and is sixth in scoring (17.0 per game).
''I think he's been outstanding,''Gaze said. ''I think I saw him play a couple of seasons before he left to go to Europe, and there is no doubt he's made some significant improvements and he is a legitimate big man in our league who is doing exceptionally well.
''I would say that Julian Khazzouh is right up there with them all in terms of MVP. When you are talking about the best player in the competition this season if he is not the best, he is certainly in the conversation.''
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