MVP discussion thread

[Hero]

Durant's 3 point percentage has dropped considerably this year. Anyone have an explanation? I imagine part of it is due to the loss of Kevin Martin but still..

he's shooting 37% from 3 this year. He's a career 37% three point shooter

He was almost 42% from 3 last year. This year he has been around 36-37% from three. I don't know about the 50-40-90 happening again.

[NinjaSheppard]

explanation= sample size

[Rasho_libre]

Durant's been struggling with his shooting in general. I've seen him miss so many shots that used to be automatic for him.

He seems just as good as ever when he's focused on it. What I've seen sway is how often he's just looking for calls which is throwing him off from finishing plays when he doesn't get the call.,

[Chalky White]

People here obviously don't understand sample sizes.

[fallacy]

Durant's 3 point percentage has dropped considerably this year. Anyone have an explanation? I imagine part of it is due to the loss of Kevin Martin but still..

he's shooting 37% from 3 this year. He's a career 37% three point shooter

He was almost 42% from 3 last year. This year he has been around 36-37% from three. I don't know about the 50-40-90 happening again.

People expected that to happen again? 50/40/90 is one of the rarest accomplishments in the NBA, Durant is likely never to do it again. Lebron will never do it in his career. Let's not pretend it's easy

Durant after November last year: 48%/29%/87%
Durant so far this year: 46%/37%/88%

Durant is off to a better start this year shooting than he was last year

[JulesWinnfield]

The more the season advances, the more this is going to look like a 2 man race between Lebron and Durant. KD can win it, but the smart money is on Lebron of course, probably handing Durant his 4th second place finish to Lebron in the process. Think about how we would be talking about Kevin Durant if Lebron did not exist? He'd have 3 MVPs by age 24, and would be the odds on favorite to win this season.

I think Roy Hibbert being defensive player of the year is the biggest lock of all the awards barring injury. Even more likely than Lebron MVP

[theokie]

he's shooting 37% from 3 this year. He's a career 37% three point shooter

He was almost 42% from 3 last year. This year he has been around 36-37% from three. I don't know about the 50-40-90 happening again.

People expected that to happen again? 50/40/90 is one of the rarest accomplishments in the NBA, Durant is likely never to do it again. Lebron will never do it in his career. Let's not pretend it's easy

Durant after November last year: 48%/29%/87%
Durant so far this year: 46%/37%/88%

Durant is off to a better start this year shooting than he was last year

Durant was 51/43/89 last November.

[HotRocks34]

LeBron after (I think it was after) tonight's win against the Cavs:

“I’m the most complete player I’ve been. I feel like I’m a better player. I’m not done. I’m not satisfied where I’m at…. Everything is comfortable for me. I’m in a good place right now.”

He also said his back is about 95% now, and he said the back started off at 50% at the beginning of the season.

I went back and watched the Phoenix game again. The last 5 minutes or so of that game, LeBron dominated the game by going to the post. It was mostly a fadeaway jumpshot clinic. It's amazing how good he has gotten in the post, but the truth is he's likely to get even better. Possibly considerably better.

When you look at him in the post now and reflect back on how ineffective he looked in the 2011 Finals, it's like a different player entirely.

I do think he can continue to improve his game a fair amount. That's pretty amazing, given where his game is at now.

Also, he was 9-11 in FTA tonight. He's at around 80.5% FT for the year.

[fallacy]

He was almost 42% from 3 last year. This year he has been around 36-37% from three. I don't know about the 50-40-90 happening again.

People expected that to happen again? 50/40/90 is one of the rarest accomplishments in the NBA, Durant is likely never to do it again. Lebron will never do it in his career. Let's not pretend it's easy

Durant after November last year: 48%/29%/87%
Durant so far this year: 46%/37%/88%

Durant is off to a better start this year shooting than he was last year

Durant was 51/43/89 last November.

You sure? Espn says he was 48/29/87 in November last year

EDIT: My bad, read the wrong thing

[Doctor MJ]

People here obviously don't understand sample sizes.

Have you talked to enough people to say that with confidence?

[Hero]

People here obviously don't understand sample sizes.

Educate us please.

[SummitAllstar]

LeBron after (I think it was after) tonight's win against the Cavs:

“I’m the most complete player I’ve been. I feel like I’m a better player. I’m not done. I’m not satisfied where I’m at…. Everything is comfortable for me. I’m in a good place right now.”

He also said his back is about 95% now, and he said the back started off at 50% at the beginning of the season.

I went back and watched the Phoenix game again. The last 5 minutes or so of that game, LeBron dominated the game by going to the post. It was mostly a fadeaway jumpshot clinic. It's amazing how good he has gotten in the post, but the truth is he's likely to get even better. Possibly considerably better.

When you look at him in the post now and reflect back on how ineffective he looked in the 2011 Finals, it's like a different player entirely.

I do think he can continue to improve his game a fair amount. That's pretty amazing, given where his game is at now.

Also, he was 9-11 in FTA tonight. He's at around 80.5% FT for the year.

It was during his media time just before the Cavs game, they showed the interview live on SportsCenter. Someone (I think Broussard), asked him how he's different now than when he was in Cleveland. He basically said, that he's improving every year.

[Chalky White]

People here obviously don't understand sample sizes.

Have you talked to enough people to say that with confidence?

Yes.

[Rasho_libre]

LeBron after (I think it was after) tonight's win against the Cavs:

“I’m the most complete player I’ve been. I feel like I’m a better player. I’m not done. I’m not satisfied where I’m at…. Everything is comfortable for me. I’m in a good place right now.”

He also said his back is about 95% now, and he said the back started off at 50% at the beginning of the season.

I went back and watched the Phoenix game again. The last 5 minutes or so of that game, LeBron dominated the game by going to the post. It was mostly a fadeaway jumpshot clinic. It's amazing how good he has gotten in the post, but the truth is he's likely to get even better. Possibly considerably better.

When you look at him in the post now and reflect back on how ineffective he looked in the 2011 Finals, it's like a different player entirely.

I do think he can continue to improve his game a fair amount. That's pretty amazing, given where his game is at now.

Also, he was 9-11 in FTA tonight. He's at around 80.5% FT for the year.

The mental image of That barea head snap while Lebron was posting in the finals will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

[Joao Saraiva]

LeBron after (I think it was after) tonight's win against the Cavs:

“I’m the most complete player I’ve been. I feel like I’m a better player. I’m not done. I’m not satisfied where I’m at…. Everything is comfortable for me. I’m in a good place right now.”

He also said his back is about 95% now, and he said the back started off at 50% at the beginning of the season.

I went back and watched the Phoenix game again. The last 5 minutes or so of that game, LeBron dominated the game by going to the post. It was mostly a fadeaway jumpshot clinic. It's amazing how good he has gotten in the post, but the truth is he's likely to get even better. Possibly considerably better.

When you look at him in the post now and reflect back on how ineffective he looked in the 2011 Finals, it's like a different player entirely.

I do think he can continue to improve his game a fair amount. That's pretty amazing, given where his game is at now.

Also, he was 9-11 in FTA tonight. He's at around 80.5% FT for the year.

Agree with almost everything except for the part where you say LeBron was a complete bum at the post up in 2011. He was not. He has certainly looked a lot better now, but it's not like he was a complete mess.

2011 finals are not a good example. He struggled posting up, struggled with his jumpshot, struggled driving... struggled at everything. Not just post up situations.

[NBA4EVA2010]

kevin love is dropping out of the race in a hurry with the Wolves at 8-9

[MisterWestside]

When you look at him in the post now and reflect back on how ineffective he looked in the 2011 Finals, it's like a different player entirely.

Sure. Agreed.

I just hope you also know that the Heat's struggles in that Finals had way more to with the Heat as a whole than James. Simply putting James in the post wouldn't prevent the Mavs from exposing the glaring weaknesses of that "team". Notice how I put that word in quotes.

[HotRocks34]

LeBron after (I think it was after) tonight's win against the Cavs:

“I’m the most complete player I’ve been. I feel like I’m a better player. I’m not done. I’m not satisfied where I’m at…. Everything is comfortable for me. I’m in a good place right now.”

He also said his back is about 95% now, and he said the back started off at 50% at the beginning of the season.

I went back and watched the Phoenix game again. The last 5 minutes or so of that game, LeBron dominated the game by going to the post. It was mostly a fadeaway jumpshot clinic. It's amazing how good he has gotten in the post, but the truth is he's likely to get even better. Possibly considerably better.

When you look at him in the post now and reflect back on how ineffective he looked in the 2011 Finals, it's like a different player entirely.

I do think he can continue to improve his game a fair amount. That's pretty amazing, given where his game is at now.

Also, he was 9-11 in FTA tonight. He's at around 80.5% FT for the year.

Agree with almost everything except for the part where you say LeBron was a complete bum at the post up in 2011. He was not. He has certainly looked a lot better now, but it's not like he was a complete mess.

That's fair. I guess my angle is more that he's so much better now, it makes him look poor by comparison when looking at 2011.

Now, he is running to the post on fast breaks and actively looking to back his man down and work from the post. When I think about the 2011 Finals and how difficult that was for LeBron offensively, I can't ever see that happening again. Now, he will just run to the post and go to work (or shoot a better perimeter jumpshot).

[homecourtloss]

People here obviously don't understand sample sizes.

Have you talked to enough people to say that with confidence?

Too good.

[Joao Saraiva]

kevin love is dropping out of the race in a hurry with the Wolves at 8-9

What did u expect? It's a two men race between LeBron and Durant.