Race to the MVP.

starvinmarvin17 · Post #1061 » by **starvinmarvin17** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:59 am

Run DLC wrote:LeBron need to start playing a bit more selfish. I really do feel like he has the ability to score 30 points per game, but he's too passive at times. Sometimes he looks boring to watch because of that.

It seems like he holds back until the fourth to let wade get outta his funk. Seems like every play until
The fourth was ran for wade. It seems like wade is trying very hard but he needs
To realize this is not his team any more eveything starts and ends with bron

NYK_89 · Post #1062 » by **NYK_89** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:22 pm

Ozark wrote:Once again, calling all Melo fans to enlighten me about his defensive improvements, or forever hold your peace.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming of KD v. Lebron.

What do you want to know, he makes the occasional mistake of watching the ball and letting a guy slip under him but beside that he has done just about everything you can ask of him. Is he a leagues top defender like some of these other guys no, but is he some black hole defensively like some people like to pretend of course not he is a slightly above average defender nothing more nothing less.. The problem for Carmelo has pretty much always been a consistent effort on defense rather then some skill set, his raw talent is grossly underrated on this board.

That being said the first 5 or so games he was an absolute animal on the defensive end, didn't have many breakdowns at all and was extremely active getting blocks/steals on guys going to the hoop.

HotRocks34 · Post #1063 » by **HotRocks34** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:51 pm

Durant is having a great year so far. It's good to see him continuing to develop.

I think for Durant to have a real shot at winning the award, though, the Thunder are probably going to have to have the best record in the West for the regular season. And that could be tough.

LeBron still has an excellent chance of being on the #1 seed in the East and having the highest PER in the league when the season is done. Even with all of the people in the media who seem to dislike LeBron, it's not going to be easy to deny him the MVP if Miami is the #1 seed in the East and he has the highest PER.

The West is tougher than the East. Because of that, LeBron may have an advantage for the MVP award this season.

NYK_89 · Post #1064 » by **NYK_89** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:17 pm

HotRocks34 wrote:Durant is having a great year so far. It's good to see him continuing to develop.

I think for Durant to have a real shot at winning the award, though, the Thunder are probably going to have to have the best record in the West for the regular season. And that could be tough.

LeBron still has an excellent chance of being on the #1 seed in the East and having the highest PER in the league when the season is done. Even with all of the people in the media who seem to dislike LeBron, it's not going to be easy to deny him the MVP if Miami is the #1 seed in the East and he has the highest PER.

The West is tougher than the East. Because of that, LeBron may have an advantage for the MVP award this season.

Yeah Lebron is clearly playing at an absurd level just above everyone else in the NBA right now, but also is just cruising through the season so he can be fresh and play PF in the playoffs... The thunder are going balls to the wall and if shaq taught us anything cruising through the RS does not win awards... I may finally be warming up to the Durant MVP although there is a longgg way to go, however Lebron is still better player by a decent amount right now.

kamelion4291 · Post #1065 » by **kamelion4291** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:04 pm

If LeBron continues to coast until the end of the 4th quarter and Durant keeps this up, he'll deserve the award depending on OKC's position in the West by the end of the season.

mademan · Post #1066 » by **mademan** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:09 pm

I have a hard time seeing Durant keep up this level of scoring, it's unprecedented. Though if he continues to go 50/40/90 on that volume of scoring, he'll certainly deserve the award.

airchibundo507 · Post #1067 » by **airchibundo507** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:35 pm

1. Durant
2. LeBron
3. Melo
4. Duncan
5. Randolph
6. Kobe

fallacy · Post #1068 » by **fallacy** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 5:35 pm

mademan wrote:I have a hard time seeing Durant keep up this level of scoring, it's unprecedented. Though if he continues to go 50/40/90 on that volume of scoring, he'll certainly deserve the award.

No one thought he could keep up his 30+ ppg on .60+ ts% a couple of years ago, but he did. Only him, Jordan, Kareem, Malone, and Dantley have done that in NBA history. And if you actually search by his exact season numbers, only Jordan, Malone, and Dantley have ever done that.

One thing I've learned watching the Thunder the last six years, don't doubt Durant.

PCProductions · Post #1069 » by **PCProductions** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:20 pm

Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

ShowTimeERA · Post #1070 » by **ShowTimeERA** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:37 pm

PCProductions wrote:Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

This is a false statement. Kobe's having an excellent start to the season, not to mention he's in his 17th season...

theokie · Post #1071 » by **theokie** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:40 pm

ShowTimeERA wrote:
PCProductions wrote:Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

This is a false statement. Kobe's having an excellent start to the season, not to mention he's in his 17th season...

Not to mention the Lakers are 7-8 and Kobe won't be in this discussion when the Lakers are sitting in the 8th spot

ShowTimeERA · Post #1072 » by **ShowTimeERA** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:43 pm

theokie wrote:
ShowTimeERA wrote:
PCProductions wrote:Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

This is a false statement. Kobe's having an excellent start to the season, not to mention he's in his 17th season...

Not to mention the Lakers are 7-8 and Kobe won't be in this discussion when the Lakers are sitting in the 8th spot

Absolutely, there's no denying that Kobe should not be a MVP candidate because of the lack of team success as of now. I've advocated that from that start. However his statement had nothing to do with the MVP award, rather he was speaking on individual excellence...

kamelion4291 · Post #1073 » by **kamelion4291** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:15 pm

This is Kobe's most efficient 15 game shooting stretch since 1997. That's pretty crazy.

PurpleRooster · Post #1074 » by **PurpleRooster** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:22 pm

ShowTimeERA wrote:
PCProductions wrote:Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

This is a false statement. Kobe's having an excellent start to the season, not to mention he's in his 17th season...

Your statement is false too.

If we're talking about the scoring title, or volume scoring, or shooting the basketball....sure Kobe has been great.

But all around basketball, on both ends, Kobe is clearly behind James and Durant this season.

Unless you sit in awe of Kobe's casper the ghost defense all year, and turnovers, and (at this point) even his scoring numbers are in many losing efforts.

TheKingOfVa360 · Post #1075 » by **TheKingOfVa360** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:33 pm

PCProductions wrote:Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

Very false statement. Duncan, Melo, Kobe, Rondo, Chris Paul and others have been playing great basketball.

mademan · Post #1076 » by **mademan** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:35 pm

TheKingOfVa360 wrote:
PCProductions wrote:Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

Very false statement. Duncan, Melo, Kobe, Rondo, Chris Paul and others have been playing great basketball.

It's pretty clear for anybody watching that Lebron/Durant on another tier than all the other players.

TheKingOfVa360 · Post #1077 » by **TheKingOfVa360** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:52 pm

mademan wrote:
TheKingOfVa360 wrote:
PCProductions wrote:Man now I'm just pumped to see a regular season matchup between KD and Lebron. No one is even close to those two.

Very false statement. Duncan, Melo, Kobe, Rondo, Chris Paul and others have been playing great basketball.

It's pretty clear for anybody watching that Lebron/Durant on another tier than all the other players.

Maybe to you, not to me. It's pretty clear Lebron is on his own tier, Durant not so much.

mademan · Post #1078 » by **mademan** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:58 pm

Durant has played just as well as Lebron this year. At the very least, the difference has been very minimal between the 2.

TheKingOfVa360 · Post #1079 » by **TheKingOfVa360** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:16 pm

mademan wrote:Durant has played just as well as Lebron this year. At the very least, the difference has been very minimal between the 2.

The difference is Lebron is playing on cruise control, taking a career low in free throw attempts, sitting out in 4th quarters. Durant is playing nearly 40 mpg, getting a lot of love from the refs, and playing in a system to try to pad his stats as an all around player. Durant isn't this great all around player that his stats would suggest. It's a very forced attempt to keep up with Lebron. All you have to do is watch the games to see that. That's no diss on Durant because I have him on top of my MVP leader board thus far but it's early in the season. Wait until Bron decides to take it to another level.

Right now Durant is in top gear, Lebron is in 3rd gear and can shift it up a level. So Durant at his best still isn't touching Lebron.

mademan · Post #1080 » by **mademan** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:24 pm

I'm not disagreeing that Lebron can play better. It's pretty clear he's coasting. I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that Lebron is a better basketball player than Durant. I'm just saying that Durant has been playing just as good as Lebron has for the first 15 or so games this season. Durant may be playing over his head and Lebron may be on cruise control, doesn't change the fact that Durant/Lebron have been playing basketball at the same level during this young season.