JordansBulls wrote:An Unbiased Fan wrote:JB, I already know your thinking on votes, I was referring to Elgee. Can't say I put much weight into PER or WS though. For example, Kobe has been the best player in the 10' PS, but is only #5 in PER, and not even Top 5 in WS.
This doesn't make sense when MJ was much better than Malone in the playoffs and virtually the same in the RS as him.
The fact is they went head to head in the finals both as #1 seeds, both winning 60+ games and Malone proceeded to have mental errors down the stretch.
Well, that's where we disagree. I felt Malone was better in the RS, not virtually the same. And I don't think MJ's performance in the PS was that much better than Malone's to overtake him.
Both did great getting their teams to the Finals, and while MJ was better than Malone in the Finals, it was still close.
1997 Finals:
MJ - 32/7/6 on 46% shooting
KM - 24/10/4 on 44% shooting
I guarantee you that had Kobe played and was the guy who had just won League and Finals MVP (1996) the year before and someone else got Season MVP the following year (1997) and Kobe beat them in the finals that year outplaying them in the playoffs and finals you sure as hell would be putting Kobe over them. Would you not? Afterall you put Kobe over Duncan in 2001 and 2002 even though Duncan had the greater season then Kobe. Duncan won League MVP in 2002 and lost to a team that was superior that had HCA, but yet you still put Kobe above him then.
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You said Kobe leapfrogged Duncan because of how he played in the LAL vs SA series. Well MJ outplayed Malone in the Bulls vs Jazz Finals.
I don't see your point. I detailed those series, and how Kobe was significantly better in those PS than Duncan.
In 2001 I felt Kobe was the equal RS player frankly, and he absolutely destroyed the Spurs in that 2001 series even though they had HCA. This is the same year Kobe dropped 48/16 to closeout the Kings, and put up 29/7/6 as LA steamrolled to the title.
In 2002 I broke down the series and how Duncan came up short. The same 02' PS where Kobe facilaitiated a 3-peat run. I took not just those series alone(where Kobe outplayed TD), but the entire PS into account. TD allowed his team to blow 3 10+ 2nd half leads, while Kobe conversely had 3 10+ 4th quarters to lead LA to the wins. Both guys were All-NBA 1st and great in the RS, TD was MVP and All-D 1st though, which is why I give him an edge in the RS. In the PS however, Kobe seriously outdid TD.
As for 1997. MJ wasn't Superman in those 97' Finals. Yes he was great, but his efficiency dipped a bit, and the whole Finals were ugly and close throughout. When you factor in the entire PS, I don't feel MJ's PS was enough to overtake Malone who was better in the RS and still good in the PS.
Also, I'm not sure why you're bring up a Kobe hypothetical where he is MJ in 96''??? I voted MJ #1 in 96' & 98'. That's because he deserved it, and the 96' season really had no bearing, nor should it, to my 97' vote. What a player did the previous year really shouldn't factor into the equation.
Now if someone else won Finals MVP that year instead of MJ then I can see why someone would put Malone over MJ, but the fact that MJ still won Finals MVP and his Finals was ranked #4 and this even with Pippen playing on a jacked up foot in the Heat and Jazz series, I see no way in hell Malone was considered the better player. Even Jazz Fans would tell you Malone wasn't the better player.
So does all this come down to Finals MVP? I'm not sure what you're arguing now. The Jazz went 6 close games gainst a 69 win team with HCA. The Bulls were a better team, but Malone was the better player that year overall.
And didn't you vote Kobe & Lebron 1a/1b back in 2009? Kobe put up 32/6/7 and won Finals MVP, yet I didn't see you saying, "I see no way in hell Lebron was considered the better player". Kobe only got 3 #1 votes, and 7 #3 votes that year, I don't rememeber see any outrage over this.
