Post#1311 » by YLSKillaCam » Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:27 pm
The Cavs fans in this thread are ridiculous. It is clear they have an agenda.
On the one hand, they spend weeks talking about how poor Cleveland's supporting cast is and how Lebron has to be superhuman for them to win.
On the other hand, they are content in hanging their hats on a game in which Cleveland's supporting cast clearly outplayed the Lakers supporting cast with Lebron playing mediocre.
The arguments for Lebron are not coherent at all. Cavs fans would have you believe that MVP is a statistical award to be given to the player who accumulates the highest PER over the course of 82 games as long as the player has a decent record.
These fans manipulate two decades of MVP voting trying to convince us that player efficiency rating has a positive correlation with MVP voting. The reality is that the historical precedent is clear. The most important factor in MVP voting is winning games.
Being (arguably) the best player in the game + having the number 1 seed will get you MVP every time unless the player has won a bunch of MVPs already and there's a particularly deserving long term veteran who has yet to receive the award. That contingency doesn't apply here.
The way the Cavs' fans try to rearrange what is a pretty systemic way of choosing MVP is disgusting. They try to suggest that Lebron would surely be MVP if he had Bryant's supporting cast. They ignore the fact that if Lebron had Kobe's supporting cast, he wouldn't average as many assists or average as many rebounds. In so arguing, they suggest that the Lakers would be just as good if not better with Lebron and the Cavs would be worse. The argument is speculative at best and relies on assumptions that cannot be proven.
Instead we say, look, let's look at historical precedent. If Kobe's Lakers win the league while playing in a much tougher conference then he should be the MVP. If Lebron gets the #1 overall seed, as he did last year, then he should be the MVP. Lebron fans should accept that resolution, after all, you keep arguing that you're only 3 games back in the loss column while the Lakers have played a "fluff" schedule. Surely, as the schedule balances out, the Cavs will overtake the Lakers for #1 overall?
But Cavs fans won't accept that compromise. They insist that if the Cavs finish within a "couple" (and who knows what a couple is?) games of the Lakers, Lebron should still be MVP. Cavs fans want to maximize the windfall that comes to Lebron. He'll get the benefit of an easier schedule overall with weaker competition in the Eastern Conference, but Cavs fans insist that this fact should not matter given Kobe's supporting cast.
The argument is laughable. First, Kobe has to essentially transform his team into championship caliber players. Then when they do transform into the sort of players capable of winning, he gets none of the credit. No, instead, detractors use this as a point to try to inhibit him from winning a MVP award. Kobe Bryant transformed Pau Gasol's career. We're talking on many days about Andrew Bynum being the best center in the West. Shannon Brown and Trevor Ariza have gotten rich off of playing next to Bryant. Smush Parker was able to play two seasons in this league, STARTING, because he was next to Kobe Bryant. Because his teammates consistently overperform when playing next to him seems to be a benefit in his favor, not against him. How in the world other people are not noticing this is one of the biggest disappointments in sports.
Second, it is clear, both statistically and empirically, that the Lakers would not be nearly as good a team without Kobe. In fact, given the conference disparities, the Cavs might be better off without Lebron than the Lakers would be without Kobe. Of course, this observation is ignored when it should be key in the analysis. Empirically, the Lakers would have lost two games if not for Bryant's last second heroics. They would have probably lost at least 3 others without his heroics in the clutch. I'm sure Lebron has been clutch as well this season, but Kobe's clutchness is the difference between #1 seed and not having homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs so far. That is incredibly valuable. Statistically, the Lakers score more when Kobe is on the court than the Cavs when Lebron is on the court. The Lakers are outscored by more when Kobe is off the Court than the Cavs when Lebron is off the court. Thus, the assertion often quoted here that "Lebron means more to his team than Kobe does to his" doesn't survive factual scrutiny. These are the assertions of men with an agenda who create fantasy to suit their own purposes.
Bryant has been better than Lebron defensively. This point seems uncontested with the exception of lebrononade.
Bryant has been just as good offensively. This is a point of contention among Cavs fans, but the facts speak for themselves. Kobe's shooting better than 48% as a shooting guard! Only Ronnie Brewer shoots better than Kobe at that position and Brewer only takes 9 shots a game. There are a number of other small forwards who shoot a better percentage than Lebron. Adjusting for position, Kobe shooting has been more impressive than Lebron's. The one area where shooting is equal in every sense of the world is FT%. Kobe is STILL a significantly better FT shooter than Lebron, 84% to 77.8%.
Bryant is top 3 in two major statistical categories.
Forget just shooting guards. Kobe is the second best guard rebounder in the league this season. Only Andre Iguodala averages more rebounds at the guard position than Kobe Bryant. Lebron, by contrast, is 22nd among forwards in rebounding with a significant number of small forwards outrebounding him. You can all verify this information at NBA.com.
Again, Kobe's rebounding is more impressive than Lebron's given the positional difference.
Then go look at Lebron's supposed advantage inside. Go to NBA.com hotspots. Examine how Kobe is virtually better inside at every area except right around the basket and from about 20 feet on the left side. Most of them aren't even close.
Then add to the fact that Kobe has been playing through pretty tough injuries and been producing at a "best in the game" level and has the Lakers in control of the best record in the league - I fail to see how he isn't the MVP.....
Kobe scores the most points at his position.
He's the second best shooter FG% wise at his position.
He's the second best guard rebounder in the league.
He's 3rd overall in steals per game.
He's playing 1st team defense
He's playing injured
His Roland rating and +/- indicate his team would be significantly worse without him
He has his team with the best record in the league.
I fail to see how anyone comes close this season so far. Label me a troll or whatever...these are the facts. Take em or leave em.
