Which other seasons, if any, did Shaq deserve MVP?

[ScrantonBulls]

It's always surprising to me today arguably the most dominant player ever, Shaq, only has 1 MVP. He was unstoppable at his peak.

Do you think he deserved an MVP in any other seasons aside from 99-2000?

[Cavsfansince84]

I think part of the problem in 2001 is Kobe goes from top 20 player to top 5 while the Lakers win total goes from 67 to 56. So it didn't seem right to reward him with another mvp. If they'd pushed to 60+ and had the best record in the league it prob would have been enough. As things were they won the same number of games as the Sixers so AI got it.

[Hook_Em]

He should have won 3 straight from 99-01’.

[EmpireFalls]

2001 was actual voter fatigue and narrative-based.

It basically 2011 before 2011 again, where it was clear who the best player was, but due to undeperforming lofty expectations, a teammate also being a top 5 player, and the other candidates truly carrying teams in the way Shaq didn’t, he didn’t get the votes (iirc he wasn’t even 2nd in ‘01)

1995 was just plain bad luck, a ludicrous Robinson season robbed him. His 95 season would’ve won MVP basically every single year from 97-2002 imo.

98 I think was his career best on-off would have to check though, it was an insane season that didn’t have a chance due to him not playing enough games.

I’d say 2001, 1999, 1998, 1995 in descending order.

[One_and_Done]

Probably 01? Him or Duncan for sure. There might be other years too.

[migya]

He should have won 3 straight from 99-01’.

Definitely good reason he should have, he was dominant and there were few players peaking at that time.

[SHAQ32]

94

[One_and_Done]

He should have won 3 straight from 99-01’.

Definitely good reason he should have, he was dominant and there were few players peaking at that time.

Duncan should have won in 99.

[70sFan]

He had the best case in 1999. I guess 2001 also counts, but I don't like it in comparison to Duncan.

1998 is Shaq's 2nd best RS per game, but he missed too many games for my taste.

[MiamiBulls]

Shaq deserved it in 2001?

Prior to the last 8 games of the Season, the Lakers were only 4th in Western Conference Playoffs Standings & for most of the season the Lakers were hovering around from the 5th to 7th Seed in the Western Conference.

Also Bryant was leading the NBA in Scoring for about two thirds of the Season for the Lakers all the while Shaq & Bryant were very publicly, bickering at each other; trading very aggressive shots at each other through the media. Shaq had zero case in winning MVP that year from a media narrative perspective.

[The Master]

1995 was just plain bad luck, a ludicrous Robinson season robbed him. His 95 season would’ve won MVP basically every single year from 97-2002 imo.

He was 7th in VORP on 57W team, more like strong top3 MVP season than 'in any other year...' to be honest.

But in general, yeah, he was quite unlucky:

- 1999: the highest BPM and PER in the league, but Lakers were a mess that year
- 2001: the highest BPM and PER in the league, but Lakers after winning a title were so-so in the regular season

He missed too many games in 1996-1998 and 2002 to consider him as a legit MVP candidate, so I guess this 1999-2001 time frame was his opportunity to rack up more MVP awards and in simulation-type of situation, he would've won more than 1 in most cases IMHO.

[Joao Saraiva]

I only see possibility in 01 other than 00. Some people already explained that the Lakers getting worse made that impossible.

99 no way, LA won 31 while Utah and Spurs won 37. That is a big gap winning % wise.

[lessthanjake]

Yeah, the biggest candidates are 2001 and 1999. I don’t think either year is particularly clear cut for him though. I do think he was more valuable than Iverson in 2001, but it’s not clear to me that he was a better candidate than Duncan anyways. Meanwhile, in 1999, I don’t really think it’s clear cut that he was better than Malone or Duncan. Basically, I think 2001 and 1999 were years he could’ve won, but I definitely don’t think it’s an injustice that he didn’t.

I also think he had a case in 1994 and 1995, but it wasn’t a very strong one and I think you’d need to take a very charitable view of him (or uncharitable view of other candidates) to think he truly deserved it.

Beyond that, the rest of his prime is basically just years where he didn’t really play enough games, and the years he missed the fewest games happened to be Duncan’s very best years.

Which basically just leaves 2005. He almost won the award that year, but I personally don’t think it should’ve been as close as it was. I definitely felt strongly at the time that Nash deserved it over Shaq, and I still do.

[eminence]

I think he won the only one he deserved.

[Doctor MJ]

It's always surprising to me today arguably the most dominant player ever, Shaq, only has 1 MVP. He was unstoppable at his peak.

Do you think he deserved an MVP in any other seasons aside from 99-2000?

I think he had a serious case in '97-98 despite the missed time (which would make him ineligible today), and he was close enough in other seasons I'm not going to say he was undeserving (starting with '94-95), but I'd only give him the MVP for the year he won it. He just didn't take the regular season seriously enough to max out his regular season accolades.

[CumberlandPosey]

none.out of shape,out of focus,not serious about craft,etc.regular season award though as oneal proved many times in playoffs who the boss is.

[Dr Positivity]

I'd have gone 01 to Duncan and in 98 he misses too many games (how'd they win 61 anyway?), if he played more games that year they probably would've preferred giving Shaq his first MVP to Jordan. 99 is his best case as it's close between him, Mourning and Malone, Duncan and Robinson are too close in value for me that year.

[Hook_Em]

Shaq deserved it in 2001?

Prior to the last 8 games of the Season, the Lakers were only 4th in Western Conference Playoffs Standings & for most of the season the Lakers were hovering around from the 5th to 7th Seed in the Western Conference.

Also Bryant was leading the NBA in Scoring for about two thirds of the Season for the Lakers all the while Shaq & Bryant were very publicly, bickering at each other; trading very aggressive shots at each other through the media. Shaq had zero case in winning MVP that year from a media narrative perspective.

I’d like to know Shaq’s numbers from Christmas to the end of the year that season. It would be hard to believe he wasn’t the best player in the league over that span despite team chemistry issues.

[Djoker]

None probably.

In 1999, 2001 and 2002, Duncan was the better candidate leading his team to same/more wins with less talent while missing fewer games. In 2005, Nash deserved it over Shaq who had Wade. As Jake said, Shaq probably finished too high as is that year. From 1996-1998 he missed too many regular season games. In 1994, he won too little. That leaves 1995 when he had a case but Robinson led the Spurs to more wins and had an arguably even better season.

[giberish]

Being the best player in the league and deserving the regular season MVP are two different things. Between missing games and playing at less than full effort during the regular season (both issues for Shaq) often times the best player isn't the most valuable over the regular season.