Since the MVP race remains fairly wide open in the aftermath of two perennial candidates joining forces with Miami, there is a distinct possibility that we see a first time winner this season.

Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Amar'e Stoudemire have all been mentioned as possible candidates, but none of those three currently ranks in the top-10 in PER. Durant isn't even first on his own team, as Russell Westbrook ranks seventh and is arguably the better Oklahoma City MVP candidate.

Even before the statistic was invented and popularized, the precedent for MVP has always been for that player to be amongst the leaders in PER.

LeBron James currently leads in PER, also leading in 2010, 2009, 2008. He won the MVP in the most recent two seasons, but has seemed to become a dark horse after a rough start, a more tumultuous relationship with the media following his summer and a difficulty in discerning his impact

Kobe Bryant, the MVP of 2008, was eighth in PER. Dirk Nowitzki won in 2007 and was appropriately first in PER.

Steve Nash won the MVP in 2006 and was 12th in PER, yet that was better than his 2005 win when he was 15th.

Kevin Garnett took both the MVP and PER in 2004, while Tim Duncan won the MVP in 2002 and 2003 and finished second and third respectively.

Allen Iverson was seventh in PER when he won the MVP in 2001 and Shaquille O'Neal was first in PER when he won the 2000 MVP.

Karl Malone was second in PER behind Shaq when he won the 1999 MVP.

Michael Jordan won the MVP in 1998, his final season with Chicago and ranked fourth in PER.

Malone won previously in 1997 and was ranked first in PER.

Jordan was second in PER in 1996 on his way to another MVP win.

David Robinson won the MVP in 1995 and was first in PER.

MVPs in previous seasons were all easily in the top-10 and typically in the top-three

In summation, only Nash has won an MVP on the outside of the PER top-10.

As good as Rose, Durant and Stoudemire have been this season, it is hard to believe they are true contenders as long as they remain outside a top-10 that includes LeBron, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant as the top-five.

• Click here for RealGM's list of NBA MVPs.