MVP Watch 2008... Part4.

The MVPlaya · Post #1101 » by **The MVPlaya** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 7:04 pm

Politics will win again? (referring to the Jemele Hill column) LOL. This is the same Kobe Bryant who was left off 22 ballots in the 05-06 season. Not even being accounted for as a top 5 candidate by those many voters is absurd. Kobe has plenty going against him from voters who hate him and if he wins it will be deserved.

Blame Rasho · Post #1102 » by **Blame Rasho** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 7:05 pm

I am somewhat leaning towards Paul getting the MVP....

shobe_81 · Post #1103 » by **shobe_81** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 7:27 pm

HarlemHeat37 wrote:why do some of these guys have votes? wow..SAS? Jon Barry? Reggie? these guys have proven they have no credibility time and time again with inaccurate statements they make all the time..

They have 100 times more Credibility than you could hold! They have basketball experience along with good analysis. They don't hold hatred to one player and knock em down like a dumb ass!

That's why they get to vote!

Copperhead · Post #1104 » by **Copperhead** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 7:29 pm

Big Bird wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

To sum up my pointless long rant; Chris Paul is great. He is a frontrunner for the MVP. He's having an awesome season with brilliant production and surprisingly leading his team to the 1st seed. He didn't do it alone or with little help though. To state that is blatantly skewing the facts. David West is an All-Star. Tyson Chandler is one of the best rebounders in this league. Peja is one of the deadliest shooters in league history. They've missed a combined 14 games.

cheers

Everybody has their own criteria's I guess. When Steve Nash won did he do it alone or with little help?

Big Bird · Post #1105 » by **Big Bird** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 7:52 pm

Copperhead wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Everybody has their own criteria's I guess. When Steve Nash won did he do it alone or with little help?

What? Read the column I quoted and what I wrote, don't just cherry pick something to your liking. I never said the one who's had the least help should win the award if that's what you're implying.

conleyorbust · Post #1106 » by **conleyorbust** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 8:26 pm

that is a terrible article...

she doesn't say anything to agree or disagree with

she says that the MVP should be about individual brilliance coinciding with team success yet she thinks Kobe should have won it over Dirk...

KDRE · Post #1107 » by **KDRE** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 8:29 pm

Its because she's an idiot. How did she get that job again because non of her articles make sense

Big Bird · Post #1108 » by **Big Bird** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 8:48 pm

conleyorbust wrote:that is a terrible article...

she doesn't say anything to agree or disagree with

she says that the MVP should be about individual brilliance coinciding with team success yet she thinks Kobe should have won it over Dirk...

Exactly. The article could've been much better. I mean CP as an MVP candidate is great, but at least put proper reasoning behind it.

I did notice however that saying "how Kobe should've won at least one of the last two MVPs but that is no reason to award him this year" is the popular stance amongst some reporters these days. It mostly comes from people who didn't vote for Bryant in the previous years to begin with (i.e. Kelly Dwyer).

KDRE · Post #1109 » by **KDRE** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 9:15 pm

Big Bird wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Exactly. The article could've been much better. I mean CP as an MVP candidate is great, but at least put proper reasoning behind it.

I did notice however that saying "how Kobe should've won at least one of the last two MVPs but that is no reason to award him this year" is the popular stance amongst some reporters these days. It mostly comes from people who didn't vote for Bryant in the previous years to begin with (i.e. Kelly Dwyer).

It was some guys out there saying they'll probably vote for him because he doesnt have one yet and they think he's the best in the L and how it would be a shame, so yes some of that thinking is out there.

If what she said is true, I kinda agree on the fact that last year shouldnt have any bearing on whats happening right now.

Big Bird · Post #1110 » by **Big Bird** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 9:27 pm

Yeah, I agree that it shouldn't have any bearing. But the voters are people, and people are not objective. A prime example of that was posted on the previous page (how 22 voters didn't even have Bryant in the top5 two years ago). So is it really so unfair to be influenced by the fact he's not won one in 12 years just a little bit?

I don't agree with that line of thinking, just throwing it out there.. since a lot of people didn't (and probably won't) vote for Bryant because of their personal dislike and the drama that surrounded him the previous seasons.

eatyourchildren · Post #1111 » by **eatyourchildren** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 9:33 pm

Garnett galvanized the Celtics, who weren't expected to dominate. KG may also have the advantage of getting a heavy vote in the East while Bryant and Paul split the West vote.

KDRE · Post #1112 » by **KDRE** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 9:34 pm

Big Bird wrote:Yeah, I agree that it shouldn't have any bearing. But the voters are people, and people are not objective. A prime example of that was posted on the previous page (how 22 voters didn't even have Bryant in the top5 two years ago). So is it really so unfair to be influenced by the fact he's not won one in 12 years just a little bit?

I don't agree with that line of thinking, just throwing it out there.. since a lot of people didn't (and probably won't) vote for Bryant because of their personal dislike and the drama that surrounded him the previous seasons.

I saw him with some nba.com top 5 votes but i know you meant overall.

I dont agree with the love/hate thing here, but nowadays everything that goes on in the league seems like its flawed.

I just dont remember all of the controversy and issues in the 80/90's

Post #1113 » by **semi-sentient** » Fri Apr 4, 2008 11:40 pm

I would love to see some of the more objective/knowledgeable posters such as tsherkin, Doctor MJ, tkb, etc, break down the top 4 MVP candidates and give pros/cons as to why each should be considered.

MT1983 · Post #1114 » by **MT1983** » Sat Apr 5, 2008 2:37 am

I'm running out of adjectives to describe Chris Paul right now. Forget about the 33 points on a very efficient 10/19 from the field and 12/13 from the line. But 15 assists vs 2 turnovers? Does anybody know the record for assist/turnover ratio for a guy that's averaged over 10 apg for a whole season? I have to believe Paul's 2008 is right up there. MVP!

ILikeTheGrizz · Post #1115 » by **ILikeTheGrizz** » Sat Apr 5, 2008 2:39 am

Yeah he had another crazy game. Very difficult to keep Kobe ahead of him right now. Either would be deserving. I keep switching them back and forth. I'll at least wait to see what Kobe does tonight before deciding on my latest pick.

B-Scott · Post #1116 » by **B-Scott** » Sat Apr 5, 2008 2:48 am

Right now i have

1 Paul
2 Kobe
3 Garnett

Lets see what Kobe does tonight

RobertGlory · Post #1117 » by **RobertGlory** » Sat Apr 5, 2008 3:36 am

Deuce33 wrote:Are you F'n serious??? they've all missed only 14 games COMBINED?? LOL damn. That team has been lucky as hell this year as far as health is concerned. Kudos to them.

the law of averages tends to even out after a year where we lost DX for 30 games, CP3 for 18, Peja for the last 69(!!!), and Bobby Jackson for 26.

I'm not gonna apologize at all

CB4MiamiHeat · Post #1118 » by **CB4MiamiHeat** » Sat Apr 5, 2008 3:42 am

New Orleans is completely healthy...but damn , that bench was pretty bad today, Knicks bench completely outplayed them.........they really needed every single one of those 33-15 from Paul or they woulda lost.

Big Bird · Post #1119 » by **Big Bird** » Sat Apr 5, 2008 3:44 am

Props to Paul, but it's interesting how HouMac only posts after good games from him or LeBron and only mentions and rips Kobe when he has a bad game. Way to at least try to look objective.

Post #1120 » by **tkb** » Sat Apr 5, 2008 4:15 am

semi-sentient wrote:I would love to see some of the more objective/knowledgeable posters such as tsherkin, Doctor MJ, tkb, etc, break down the top 4 MVP candidates and give pros/cons as to why each should be considered.

Thanks for the kind words. My top 5 looks like this right now:

1. Chris Paul

No-one, including me would expect the Hornets to be this good. Paul has had a monster season statistically, and he has been doing it on one of the best teams in the league. That's very impressive. His defense has been great as well. Right now I have Paul at the top, but it's very tight between him and Kobe and honestly I'd be perfectly fine with either winning it. Not a lot to put up here as cons to be honest. I guess you could say he's had the benefit of having a healthy roster to play with all season long, but then again that's not something Paul has control over.

2. Kobe Bryant

Injuries have killed the Laker roster this season, but we're still in it with a shot at the first seed if we finish the season out strong. Kobe has had a solid season statistically. Not as good as Paul or James though. His biggest strengths doesn't show up in the box score this season. He's been incredibly strong on defense (best of the top 4), and he's been a true leader both in the locker room and on the court. He's also played through some serious injuries all season long. From a strained groin, a torn ligament and fractured bone in his finger to 7 stitches in the face after a Baron Davis elbow. I give him a lot of credit for hanging in there and keeping the Lakers afloat. Leading the Lakers to a nr 1 seed with Bynum before Gasol arrived is also something that often gets overlooked, and I think that is something Kobe should get some credit for. The 2 home losses as of late hurts some, but there's not a lot to put up here as cons either IMO.

3. LeBron James

Statistically, LeBron's the man this season. His team has taken a step back from last season, most having to do with injuries and adjusting after their big trade. LeBron's production has been off the charts, but due to team success (or lack thereof) he's sitting in 3rd with a very small shot at making the top 2 on my list. I'd also like to compliment him for his defensive improvement, as he's been a solid defensive player this season. He's got the total package. There is no doubt he has risen to be a top 2 player in the league (with Kobe at the top) IMO.

4. Steve Nash

The Suns have sort of flown under the radar this season. Nash has been his usual self recording double digit assists and running a smooth Suns offense. With their late surge the divisional crown is now almost within reach if the Lakers stumble late in the season. I don't think Nash has a shot at making the top 3, but he deserves a lot of credit for leading the Suns to yet another solid regular season. The chemistry with Shaq looks better each game too, so that's a thing to look out for in the playoffs.

5. Kevin Garnett

KG dropped completely out of my top 10 for a while after the Celtics went 7-2 without him. Had KG not gotten hurt, I'm confident he'd be right up there in the hunt for the MVP now. Having Pierce step up the way he did when Garnett went down hurts a little overall, but there is little doubt in my mind that KG is the Celtics MVP when he's on the floor. Although KG has been very good this season and the Celtics have the best record, he'd been in coast mode a little too much for me to put him in the top 3. I wouldn't mind him finishing 4th in front of Nash though as i feel the 4th and 5th spots are pretty tight.