Did Karl Malone deserve his 1997 MVP?

[SportsGuru08]

I'm not asking this based on that year's Finals result (although it certainly didn't reflect well on Malone) since I realize it's a regular season award.

Karl did lead the league in PER that season, so that is a point in his favor. That said, Jordan finished ahead of him in win shares, WS per 48, BPM and VORP. That's four out of five of the major advanced metrics.

You could argue about what kind of help they had, but Stockton finished ahead of Pippen in every major advanced metric. Add to it Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley all missing over 20 games and the Bulls finished just short of consecutive 70-win seasons.

I guess voter fatigue is real and 1997 was one of those seasons that proved it.

[aminiaturebuddha]

It probably should have gone to MJ, and likely didn't due to a bit of voter fatigue. It should be noted that it was one of the closest votes ever, and was really only a two-person race. No one else was even close to those two, as it probably should have been since Chicago and Utah were easily the two best teams in the league and Jordan and Malone the two best players.

The voters realized their mistake the next year, and gave it Michael over Malone. The funny thing is that you could maybe make a case that those awards should have been switched, and that Jordan should have won in 97 and Malone in 98. Their teams had the same records, but in that year, Malone actually had better advanced stats than Jordan did.

[One_and_Done]

He detinitely didn't deserve the 99 one.

[DirtyDez]

MJ deserved it in 97’ and Malone deserved it in 98’ so it evened out anyway.

[kodo]

Deserve as in best player in the league that year? No. But the MVP isn't usually that criteria, otherwise it would have been Jordan straight for many years.

At the time many voters thought Karl leading Utah to 64 was slightly more impressive than Michael leading a team that won 72 the year before to 69. Utah was a 55 win team the year before vs Chicago's 72.

[cdubbz]

Yes. I was a huge Utah Jazz fan. Malone was unstoppable! His fadeaway was unblock able, his jumper was reliable and he couldn't be stopped in the pick n roll.

[dk1115]

I think he was second to MJ, maybe even third. Just that Shaq probably didn't have the team record to show for it yet.

[HomoSapien]

It's not like he didn't deserve it. He had an incredibly, MVP-worthy season. All that said, everyone on the planet knew who the best player was and he was smoking cigars in Chicago.

[GSWFan1994]

Looking in retrospect, Jordan should have had at least 7 MVP awards, and as much as 10 during his Bulls career.

[Myth]

I think he was second to MJ, maybe even third. Just that Shaq probably didn't have the team record to show for it yet.

Shaq only played 51 games, leading to him tying Anthony Mason at 9th in MVP lol.

[scrabbarista]

MJ deserved it in 97’ and Malone deserved it in 98’, so it evened out anyway.

But yes, there were other years, plural, when Jordan should have won and didn't.

[Myth]

I wonder what influenced voters more in 98: 62 wins despite Pippen only playing 44 games or that it was Jordan’s farewell tour. If it was the good record despite Pippen’s absence, that is fair. If it was the story line of it being his last season, that is crap.

[jc23]

Yes, that is just how the MVP has always been given out. Sometimes the best player who is the MVP (MJ) doesnt always win it.

[pace31]

Yes, that is just how the MVP has always been given out. Sometimes the best player who is the MVP (MJ) doesnt always win it.

It's this, that's just the way the award goes which I'm fine with. If it always went to the true best player in the league Shaq would have 3+, MJ 6+, Lebron would have like 8, etc.

[UglyBugBall]

Yes, that is just how the MVP has always been given out. Sometimes the best player who is the MVP (MJ) doesnt always win it.

It's this, that's just the way the award goes which I'm fine with. If it always went to the true best player in the league Shaq would have 3+, MJ 6+, Lebron would have like 8, etc.

Why are you giving LeBron more MVPs than MJ? Agenda?

[remiga007]

Like some others said, voters fatigue mainly.

[JasonStern]

No, but neither did Embiid deserve it last season over Jokic. It's a vanity award. Cool if a player you are a fan of wins it, but not something worth getting worked up over.

[Larry_Russell]

Looking in retrospect, Jordan should have had at least 7 MVP awards, and as much as 10 during his Bulls career.

This right here.

I think he should have won 9 total. Shocking he didnt honestly.

Jordan should have won in 86-87
DPOY
#1 in PPG, spg, mpg, per, ws, obpm, pm, vorp
Led a crap team to the playoffs
Magic only higher in ws/48 and ows, and assists, Jordan better everywhere else.

Jordan should have won in 88-89
#1 ppg, per, ows, ws, ws/48, obpm, dbpm, bpm, vorp, DPOY(5)
Went to ECFs with a second year scottie as the second best player on team (14.5/6/3.5)
better stats than magic

Jordan should have won in 89-90
#1ppg, spg, per, ows, ws, ws/48, obpm, bpm, vorp
west to ECFs with a 55-27 record
had best stats of the top 3 in mvp voting

Jordan should have won in 92-93
#1 ppg, spg, DPOY (2), #1 per, ows, ws, ws/48, obpm, bpm, vorp
57-35 team record. Won it all

Jordan should have won in 96-97
#1 ppg, OWS, WS, WS/48, OBPM, BPM, VORP, DPOY (5)
69-13 record, won it all.



5 wins and easily arguable at least 4 of the above mentioned gives him a total of 9, but an easily defendable 10. and an insane 7 in a row.

[OhMyGodBecky]

He detinitely didn't deserve the 99 one.

Nobody did. That was a rough season to watch. The players had to hastily get ready for the season and it showed.

[Yoshun]

The thing about the MVP is, there are very few seasons where it's really clear cut. In most seasons there's really about 3-5 players who "deserve" it.