2013-14 Player of the Year Discussion Thread

[sp6r=underrated]

This thread has been the thinking man's playoff thread the last few years so I'll discuss a team point. We are shaping up to have the most lopsided imbalance in how hard it is to make the NBA finals between conferences since 1990. I am comparing the easiest road every top 4 seed in the west against the hardest road for every top 4 seed in the east

I'll use SRS. It shouldn't be strictly all in one but it is a very good approximation of team value.

OKC/LAC: 3.41
SAS/LAC: 3.18
CHI: 2.75
TOR: 2.07
MIA: 1.76
IND: 1.49

Look at that list. Every western teams' easiest road is harder than every eastern teams' hardest road. Substantially so with the exception of Chicago.

Also give a thought to the LAC who won 57 games this year. They are perhaps the most screwed team in NBA history on the basis of possible competition vs RS performance. Their reward for winning 57 games is a first match-up with GSW and possible 2nd and 3rd round match-ups with OKC and SAS.

If they make the finals facing that level of competition it would be maybe the greatest feat in NBA history. Everyone raves about what a hard road the 95 Rockets faced but that was mostly their fault they only won 47 games in the RS. The Rockets only faced an average SRS of 5.83. By contrast LAC won 57 games and would be playing an average SRS of 6.6.

LAC is a championship level club but they face a very brutal road.

[bondom34]

This thread has been the thinking man's playoff thread the last few years so I'll discuss a team point. We are shaping up to have the most lopsided imbalance in how hard it is to make the NBA finals between conferences since 1990. I am comparing the easiest road every top 4 seed in the west against the hardest road for every top 4 seed in the east

I'll use SRS. It shouldn't be strictly all in one but it is a very good approximation of team value.

OKC/LAC: 3.41
SAS/LAC: 3.18
CHI: 2.75
TOR: 2.07
MIA: 1.76
IND: 1.49

Look at that list. Every western teams' easiest road is harder than every eastern teams' hardest road. Substantially so with the exception of Chicago.

Also give a thought to the LAC who won 57 games this year. They are perhaps the most screwed team in NBA history on the basis of possible competition vs RS performance. Their reward for winning 57 games is a first match-up with GSW and possible 2nd and 3rd round match-ups with OKC and SAS.

If they make the finals facing that level of competition it would be maybe the greatest feat in NBA history. Everyone raves about what a hard road the 95 Rockets faced but that was mostly their fault they only won 47 games in the RS. The Rockets only faced an average SRS of 5.83. By contrast LAC won 57 games and would be playing an average SRS of 6.6.

LAC is a championship level club but they face a very brutal road.

This is a really great point, and I like the analysis on the stats board too BTW. And think, the east is one major upset (somewhat major, but was a RS sweep) from Brooklyn getting to the finals. They get through Toronto and Washington/Chicago, then manage that one true upset (its not a stretch to see them getting that far, and really not even an upset to me), they make the finals as a -1.58 SRS.

[sp6r=underrated]

This thread has been the thinking man's playoff thread the last few years so I'll discuss a team point. We are shaping up to have the most lopsided imbalance in how hard it is to make the NBA finals between conferences since 1990. I am comparing the easiest road every top 4 seed in the west against the hardest road for every top 4 seed in the east

I'll use SRS. It shouldn't be strictly all in one but it is a very good approximation of team value.

OKC/LAC: 3.41
SAS/LAC: 3.18
CHI: 2.75
TOR: 2.07
MIA: 1.76
IND: 1.49

Look at that list. Every western teams' easiest road is harder than every eastern teams' hardest road. Substantially so with the exception of Chicago.

Also give a thought to the LAC who won 57 games this year. They are perhaps the most screwed team in NBA history on the basis of possible competition vs RS performance. Their reward for winning 57 games is a first match-up with GSW and possible 2nd and 3rd round match-ups with OKC and SAS.

If they make the finals facing that level of competition it would be maybe the greatest feat in NBA history. Everyone raves about what a hard road the 95 Rockets faced but that was mostly their fault they only won 47 games in the RS. The Rockets only faced an average SRS of 5.83. By contrast LAC won 57 games and would be playing an average SRS of 6.6.

LAC is a championship level club but they face a very brutal road.

This is a really great point, and I like the analysis on the stats board too BTW. And think, the east is one major upset (somewhat major, but was a RS sweep) from Brooklyn getting to the finals. They get through Toronto and Washington/Chicago, then manage that one true upset (its not a stretch to see them getting that far, and really not even an upset to me), they make the finals as a -1.58 SRS.

Fun fact the 1987 lakers WC opponents had an average SRS of -1.2. They were a great team but

[GSP]

This thread has been the thinking man's playoff thread the last few years so I'll discuss a team point. We are shaping up to have the most lopsided imbalance in how hard it is to make the NBA finals between conferences since 1990. I am comparing the easiest road every top 4 seed in the west against the hardest road for every top 4 seed in the east

I'll use SRS. It shouldn't be strictly all in one but it is a very good approximation of team value.

OKC/LAC: 3.41
SAS/LAC: 3.18
CHI: 2.75
TOR: 2.07
MIA: 1.76
IND: 1.49

Look at that list. Every western teams' easiest road is harder than every eastern teams' hardest road. Substantially so with the exception of Chicago.

Also give a thought to the LAC who won 57 games this year. They are perhaps the most screwed team in NBA history on the basis of possible competition vs RS performance. Their reward for winning 57 games is a first match-up with GSW and possible 2nd and 3rd round match-ups with OKC and SAS.

If they make the finals facing that level of competition it would be maybe the greatest feat in NBA history. Everyone raves about what a hard road the 95 Rockets faced but that was mostly their fault they only won 47 games in the RS. The Rockets only faced an average SRS of 5.83. By contrast LAC won 57 games and would be playing an average SRS of 6.6.

LAC is a championship level club but they face a very brutal road.

Cant remember the last time conferences were so lopsided. Phoenix would prolly be the 3rd best team in the East. Minnesota would prolly have Hca as well.

[sp6r=underrated]

Cant remember the last time conferences were so lopsided. Phoenix would prolly be the 3rd best team in the East. Minnesota would prolly have Hca as well.

I have to admit the potential death march awaiting Los Angeles is more interesting to me than the conference imbalance.

This is going to be an unpopular point but I'll state it: as fans we, to be clear myself included, put too much stock on the PS

[MisterHibachi]

Aldridge trying to force himself onto everyone's top 5.

[RSCD3_]

Aldridge trying to force himself onto everyone's top 5.

Harden trying to force himself...

Out of the top 20 (If we did that)

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[bondom34]

Aldridge trying to force himself onto everyone's top 5.

Beat me to it, good call!

[MisterHibachi]

Aldridge trying to force himself onto everyone's top 5.

Beat me to it, good call!

He's been the best player of the post season so far. Only two games yeah, but still.

[GSP]

Going into the playoff i got

Lebron
Kd
Cp3
Love
Steph

Kd is Mvp for the record but i dont think hes better than Lebron. 1-4 are locked in unless some players go absolute bonkers in the playoff. Dirk, Blake and Joakim have an outside shot of making it. Joakim was injured last playoff and still was a beast when he needed to be like closeout VS Bkn. Dirk is Dirk blitzkrieg mode etc. Blake might be a stretch since he hasnt had a good playoff series yet but hes been injured alot hopefully he can stay healthy and really show up in the playoff. Lamarcus Aldridges game would be better suited for playoff IMO really admire his halfcourt game so giving him a shoutout

Stephs been horrible and Dirk while shooting horrible has still played really good defense IMO
Right now it looks like Lamarcus and Blake could break into my top 5

[bondom34]

Aldridge trying to force himself onto everyone's top 5.

Beat me to it, good call!

He's been the best player of the post season so far. Only two games yeah, but still.

Yeah, I hate to react so quickly, but he was good in the RS, and currently has 43 afer 46 in game 1. I don't think you can just ignore him.

[MisterHibachi]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TrailBlazersPR/status/459179500576595968[/tweet]

[RSCD3_]

I'd still have griffin, durant, and lebron ahead of him (aldridge)

4 and 5 are TBD spots

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[GSP]

I'd still have griffin, durant, and lebron ahead of him (aldridge)

4 and 5 are TBD spots

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Dont see what makes Blake clearly ahead of Lamarcus
I agree Lebron and Kd are already cemented as the top 2

[dr3am]

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. LMA
4. Blake Griffin

[therealbig3]

Don't want to overreact to 2 playoff games, especially since I didn't even mention LMA as one of my possible top 5s before...but it looks like I may have severely overlooked him. You can't just ignore 2 back to back 40+ point games in the playoffs. If he keeps torching the Rockets and leads the Blazers into round 2, and then even if they end up losing...if he goes down having big games, you HAVE to consider him for top 5.

[rich316]

Still very early, but through 2 games the Spurs have looked shaky. They were outplayed through 3 quarters in game 1 by the Mavs, and they just got smushed in game 2. Just a 5 game series now, but they don't look like the world-beaters people thought they were going into the playoffs. The 2nd round matchups on the 1st seed side of the bracket could be VERY interesting, in both conferences. Wouldn't shock me if we had two 4 seeds in the conference finals.

I can't remember any other year when only 1 team (Miami) has held onto HCA after 2 games. Pretty awesome! Definitely no shortage of exciting first round series this year.

[E-Balla]

Can someone explain the Melo ranking?

My mind is just blown on that one.

The man averaged 28/8/3 while surrounded by scrubs and he was still as efficient as Blake Griffin while providing better defense. Sure his team lost but he is not to blame.

For example in Feburary Melo averaged 32/8/3 on 57TS. The team went 2-11 and lost 4 games where he had 35+.


Also I just noticed my top 5 rankings happen to line up perfectly with 82games simple rating.

Durant with a +15.8
LeBron with a +15.2
Curry with a +13.6
Love with a +12.8
And Melo with a +11.4

Are their top 5 with over 60% of their teams minutes played.

Paul is up there but he's the only one without over 70% of his team's minutes played

[Colbinii]

James Harden's stat line so far.

22.5/5/4 with 4.5 TO, 43 TS%, a 7.8 PER, .298 FTR, and a 91 oRTG, Negative Win Shares.

[GSP]

Dirks been just as bad offensively but he actually plays D