Finals MVP: Should be it changed to Playoff MVP

[shawngoat23]

I think on its own merits, I would prefer a playoff MVP if candidates are restricted only to members of the winning team (or at least a team that reached the Finals). But I don't think it's compelling enough to change things up now that the Finals MVP has been established for 40 years.

[Effigy]

Changing it would be dumb. Already you have the possibility that the team who doesn't win the title can be the 'finals mvp' (it's happened before). By changing the name you imply that a player on a team who goes out in the WCF or ECF or even before that would deserve to win the MVP over a guy who plays in the finals, and that I just can't agree with. Last year, Lebron could have been the 'playoff MVP'. Would you guys have liked that? Ridiculous.

[LOOSeDAWG]

Yeah you'd have to be a major pinhead to want playoff MVP, I'm so glad Realgm doesn't vote at NBA board meetings.

[Point forward]

You should have a rule that eliminates members from non-Finals teams. For example, KG, Nash and LBJ make a strong case for Playoffs MVP in 2004, 2006 and 2008. This would be a joke b/c they did not reach the Finals.

[JordansBulls]

The playoffs are coming soon and this raises a yearly issue for me. The Finals MVP is problematic award and should be changed to a playoff MVP for multiple reasons.

First, what you did in the first three rounds matters just as much as what you did in the finals. Second, some years the final series is not the real challenge, look at 2007 when the Spurs met their greatest test in Phoenix or 1990 when Detroit's greatest test was Chicago.

Third, sample size sometimes a player just gets hot or cold from the field for a 2-3 game stretch, which in one series is enough to change who gets the award. This is not really a problem when your talking about in 18-26 stretch of games.

There is precedent for this: the ABA awarded a playoff MVP.

Would you support changing the finals MVP to playoff MVP?

Problem is what happens if the player that has played the best loses in the conference finals?

If you are still going to award the player that makes the finals and wins it all and give him the award then just keep it finals mvp. If you are going to award the player that plays the best no matter what round they lose in then change it to playoffs mvp.

[Cybulski37]

No. It's a playoffs MVP in hockey, and usually it goes to the best player on the best team or whatever. But sometimes it goes to a guy who played great in the first 3 rounds and choked in the Finals(JS Giguere). Brodeur deserved it that year. I mean, 3 shutouts in a cup final? That's probably roughly equivalent to three triple doubles or something. It's a record I'm pretty sure. And he didn't win playoffs MVP despite winning the chip. The guy who did allowed 3, 3, 2, 0, 6, 2, 3 goals(each number represents a game). Over someone who allowed 0, 0, 3(OT), 1(OT), 3, 5, 0. Not really fair. Save it for the guy who steps up when it matters.

[Flash3]

First 3 rounds are garbage compared to the NBA Finals, I've seen chokers do well in the playoffs and then produce their worst basketball in the NBA Finals, so lets keep the Finals MVP sacred for it is a reward for greatness achieved on the very highest stage.

You do have to get past the 1st 3 round to get into the NBA Finals. Not a good example to get your point across.....

[guy1]

Changing it would be dumb. Already you have the possibility that the team who doesn't win the title can be the 'finals mvp' (it's happened before). By changing the name you imply that a player on a team who goes out in the WCF or ECF or even before that would deserve to win the MVP over a guy who plays in the finals, and that I just can't agree with. Last year, Lebron could have been the 'playoff MVP'. Would you guys have liked that? Ridiculous.

How often has the best player in the playoffs not been on the championship team? I'd probably say last year (Kobe), and 04 (probably Shaq). I would much rather have a playoff MVP then a Finals MVP. It would mean more cause its alot easier to win a Finals MVP. What I would much rather prefer is if the NBA just got rid of the regular season MVP and just have an MVP at the end of the year that takes everything into account. There's no way Jordan should only have 5 MVPs and Shaq should only have 1 MVP. There's no way anyone in their right mind can ever say Barkley or Malone were ever greater then Jordan, and that AI and Nash were ever greater then Shaq before 06.

[Jordan23Forever]

I don't understand the eyeroll. Bryant steamrolled Portland, Sactown, and SA the first 3 rounds. In the Finals LA exploited Philly in the post and Shaq was MVP of that series, but overall Kobe was the playoff MVP that year. In 02' they won their 3rd straight and again exploited Shaq against the centerless Nets.

What part of this is wrong?

Well, let's actually look at each of their series averages during the 2001 postseason:


vs. Blazers:

Shaq: 27.0 pts/15.7 reb/1.0 blk/48.3% FG

Kobe: 25.0 pts/4.3 reb/7.7 ast/48.1% FG


vs. Sacramento:

Shaq: 33.3 pts/17.3 reb (6.5 off. reb)/3.3 blk/59.8% FG

Kobe: 35.0 pts/9.0 reb/4.3 ast/47.3% FG


vs. San Antonio:

Shaq: 27.0 pts/13.0 reb/1.4 blk/54.1% FG

Kobe: 33.3 pts/7.0 reb/7.0 ast/51.4% FG


vs. New Jersey:

Shaq: 33.0 pts/15.8 reb/3.4 blk/57.3% FG

Kobe: 24.6 pts/7.8 reb/5.8 ast/41.5% FG


Now, to my UNTRAINED EYE, it looks like Shaq outplayed Kobe in 3 out of 4 series that postseason. But I know that Kobe fans tend to have much more discerning eyes. And the one series Kobe outplayed Shaq in (vs. SA), it wasn't by a large margin at all (a case can be made that Shaq played better). Further, Shaq was going up against two of the best big man defenders of all-time plus constant double/triple teams that series, while Kobe was going up against 63 year old terry Porter and Antonio Daniels. Shaq was a big part of why Kobe had such a great series, as he drew all the defensive attention, and Duncan/DRob were hesitant to help on Kobe's drives for fear of an assist to Shaq or an offensive rebound.

But anyway, let's just straight say that Kobe outplayed Shaq in the SA series. Fine. Shaq outplayed Kobe in the 3 other series, including decisively vs. Sac and NJ (the Portland series Shaq outplayed him, but not by a large margin). Yet somehow Kobe deserved a "playoff MVP" if one existed? Sounds like you need to check your facts before you speak.

LOL @ "Bryant steamrolled Portland, Sactown, and SA the first three rounds."

[sule]

If Toronto made the finals and Kapono suddenly got hot with some 3's and made the games that much more exciting, but did nothing the other 3 rounds, while someone like Bosh or Bargnani carried the team, he'd be considered the Finals MVP over Bosh or Bargnani. I just can't accept that logic by the league. it MUST be changed from Finals MVP to Playoff MVP.

[Dat Pass]

What about waiting to give out the MVP until after the playoffs?

Have a combined regular season/playoffs MVP?

[JordansBulls]

If Toronto made the finals and Kapono suddenly got hot with some 3's and made the games that much more exciting, but did nothing the other 3 rounds, while someone like Bosh or Bargnani carried the team, he'd be considered the Finals MVP over Bosh or Bargnani. I just can't accept that logic by the league. it MUST be changed from Finals MVP to Playoff MVP.

Trust me your team won't be winning the title if Kapono is playing the best on it.

[C'mon Cavs]

Changing it would be dumb. Already you have the possibility that the team who doesn't win the title can be the 'finals mvp' (it's happened before). By changing the name you imply that a player on a team who goes out in the WCF or ECF or even before that would deserve to win the MVP over a guy who plays in the finals, and that I just can't agree with. Last year, Lebron could have been the 'playoff MVP'. Would you guys have liked that? Ridiculous.

How often has the best player in the playoffs not been on the championship team? I'd probably say last year (Kobe), and 04 (probably Shaq). I would much rather have a playoff MVP then a Finals MVP. It would mean more cause its alot easier to win a Finals MVP. What I would much rather prefer is if the NBA just got rid of the regular season MVP and just have an MVP at the end of the year that takes everything into account. There's no way Jordan should only have 5 MVPs and Shaq should only have 1 MVP. There's no way anyone in their right mind can ever say Barkley or Malone were ever greater then Jordan, and that AI and Nash were ever greater then Shaq before 06.

LeBron every year he's been in the playoffs.

The playoff MVP would have to come from the NBA champions and I would say in almost all cases it would have been the same player that won Finals MVP.

[An Unbiased Fan]

Changing it would be dumb. Already you have the possibility that the team who doesn't win the title can be the 'finals mvp' (it's happened before). By changing the name you imply that a player on a team who goes out in the WCF or ECF or even before that would deserve to win the MVP over a guy who plays in the finals, and that I just can't agree with. Last year, Lebron could have been the 'playoff MVP'. Would you guys have liked that? Ridiculous.

How often has the best player in the playoffs not been on the championship team? I'd probably say last year (Kobe), and 04 (probably Shaq). I would much rather have a playoff MVP then a Finals MVP. It would mean more cause its alot easier to win a Finals MVP. What I would much rather prefer is if the NBA just got rid of the regular season MVP and just have an MVP at the end of the year that takes everything into account. There's no way Jordan should only have 5 MVPs and Shaq should only have 1 MVP. There's no way anyone in their right mind can ever say Barkley or Malone were ever greater then Jordan, and that AI and Nash were ever greater then Shaq before 06.

LeBron every year he's been in the playoffs.

[Dat Pass]

LeBron every year he's been in the playoffs.

Yea, I think C'mon Cavs has an auto response button that just says "LeBron"..

[C'mon Cavs]

LeBron every year he's been in the playoffs.

Yea, I think C'mon Cavs has an auto response button that just says "LeBron"..

It's really not that outragous of a statement. The best player in the NBA is not always on the NBA champion. I'm sure you Laker/Kobe fans would agree, because if this were the case, then Kobe has never been the best player in the NBA since Shaq was the best player on all 3 championship teams.

[shobe_81]

It's really not that outragous of a statement. The best player in the NBA is not always on the NBA champion. I'm sure you Laker/Kobe fans would agree, because if this were the case, then Kobe has never been the best player in the NBA since Shaq was the best player on all 3 championship teams.

Ummm yes it is, just look at the competition, there's only been 2 tough series, and he only performed well in one of them (the Pistons one). The Boston series was pretty bad statistically, oh yea Cavs fans do like stats right?

[shobe_81]

I don't understand the eyeroll. Bryant steamrolled Portland, Sactown, and SA the first 3 rounds. In the Finals LA exploited Philly in the post and Shaq was MVP of that series, but overall Kobe was the playoff MVP that year. In 02' they won their 3rd straight and again exploited Shaq against the centerless Nets.

What part of this is wrong?

Well, let's actually look at each of their series averages during the 2001 postseason:


vs. Blazers:

Shaq: 27.0 pts/15.7 reb/1.0 blk/48.3% FG

Kobe: 25.0 pts/4.3 reb/7.7 ast/48.1% FG


vs. Sacramento:

Shaq: 33.3 pts/17.3 reb (6.5 off. reb)/3.3 blk/59.8% FG

Kobe: 35.0 pts/9.0 reb/4.3 ast/47.3% FG


vs. San Antonio:

Shaq: 27.0 pts/13.0 reb/1.4 blk/54.1% FG

Kobe: 33.3 pts/7.0 reb/7.0 ast/51.4% FG


vs. New Jersey:

Shaq: 33.0 pts/15.8 reb/3.4 blk/57.3% FG

Kobe: 24.6 pts/7.8 reb/5.8 ast/41.5% FG

LOL @ "Bryant steamrolled Portland, Sactown, and SA the first three rounds."

Looking at the number, Kobe did seem to dominate those 3 series where you could easily make a case for a co-mvp for those 3 series, is rebounds really difficult for Shaq (a center in his prime), he was in his prime and Pts? The guy got to the free-throw line at will. No one could stop him.

25Pts with nearly 8Asts against the Blazers
35Pts with 9Rebs against Sac-Town
33Pts with 7Reb and 7Ast against Spurs

And given that Kobe took over in late games to close out!

That's a pretty dominating 3 straight playoffs series, but then again, you deepthroat Jordan at will so I can see why you always trying to contradict everything Kobe does.

[basketball royalty]

I'd leave it the way it is. I am a traditionalist and see nothing wrong with how it has been since the beginning so why mess with it. Besides, I am sure that the overall playoffs are taken into account when the votes are cast. If you are the best player on your team for the first 3 rounds but in the Finals you have a very good Finals but your teammate steps up and does better, I am sure you will still get that trophy.

[shobe_81]

I agree, the Finals is where it should be decided, That's where all the pressure builds up, that's where you gotta perform, thus that's where you should be the MVP.