Why Chris Paul should win MVP

[Ranma]

ESPN the Magazine (3/31/15)

Five of the top 10 players in win shares this season? Point guards, tied for the most in 40 years.

Seven of the top 10 in offensive plus/minus? Point guards.

Top MVP candidates? Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook. Point guards.
...

Ranking the NBA's Point Guards


Chris Paul -- as told to Arash Markazi, ESPN the Magazine (3/31/15)

When the game starts, that's when I become a different person. I "click out" during the jump ball. I have a lot of friends in the league, but they know: The moment that ball goes up, I'm different. On the court, I'm playing, so I'm more intense. It's like a different world. I'm going to do anything I have to do to win. It's a mindset.

I know what I was like when I was in my first years in the league. When we'd play Phoenix, I wanted to win the game, but I also wanted to go at Steve Nash. He was the guy, so I needed to see what I had against him. And I know guys are coming at me now -- but now I just want to win the game.

How Chris Paul Puts on His Crazy Face

[MartinToVaught]

An MVP would have won this game tonight instead of choking as usual.

[Quake Griffin]

why?

you don't have to say anything at all.

[og15]

An MVP would have won this game tonight instead of choking as usual.

Why? I just don't understand what is going through your mind when you're about to type out something like that and think that it makes sense? Why?

[DLaren]

Martin is right on this one.

To be the MVP you have to beat the MVP -- getting crossed out of your socks, in your own gym, while giving up a 17pt lead in a loss to the guy who is atop the MVP ladder is not a good-look.

[JimmyTD3]

....

No denying Paul is great but his little cheapshot/flopping BS makes him very hard to like. Some of his antics make James Harden blush

[Quake Griffin]

....

No denying Paul is great but his little cheapshot/flopping BS makes him very hard to like. Some of his antics make James Harden blush

No comment on Curry's flop 3 pointer in the 1st half that earned him a 4 point play?

figures.
More contact on this play then that one tbh.

[JimmyTD3]

....

No denying Paul is great but his little cheapshot/flopping BS makes him very hard to like. Some of his antics make James Harden blush

No comment on Curry's flop 3 pointer in the 1st half that earned him a 4 point play?

figures.
More contact on this play then that one tbh.

It's not one specific play.

It's the way he plays the game. Shamelessly flopping (not even necessarily on shots), running under people's legs, grabbing, cheap-shots, etc.



Lots of other players flop. I actually support "selling contact", if it helps your team, why not? Which is why I never had a problem with Harden. But plays like the above one with DMC goes beyond flopping, it's just scumbaggery

[og15]

Martin is right on this one.

To be the MVP you have to beat the MVP -- getting crossed out of your socks, in your own gym, while giving up a 17pt lead in a loss to the guy who is atop the MVP ladder is not a good-look.

Stephen Curry hasn't won MVP. The MVP is Kevin Durant, and that isn't even what Martin said, he said an MVP would have won this game, as if it's just one player playing out there for one thing. From his posts, I'm pretty sure he dislikes Curry, Harden and Lebron is the only MVP candidate he actually likes, lol

[Quake Griffin]

To String Cheese:

What do you want me to say?

You posted something hypocritical and tried to tie up the hypocritical loose ends with some nonsense.
Chiefly, renaming Paul's flopping, "scumbaggery". Cool. You call it scumbaggery. I'll call it flopping.


Oh and it's not just one flop with Curry either. Did you notice I mentioned it cost the Warriors game 3 last year?
It actually kinda annoys me…but I'm not so much of a pussy to run around the forums and try to make him less of a player or person because of it (I'm guessing scumbaggery makes you think less of Paul as a person).

[Quake Griffin]

An MVP would have won this game tonight instead of choking as usual.

ssshhhhhhhhhhh

[mttwlsn16]

CP read m2vs post about him last night. Hence, tonight

[Ranma]

Zachary Stieber, Epoch Times (3/8/15)

Paul has also been extremely durable this season, playing heavy minutes and not missing a single game so far. All other MVP candidates have missed at least one game due to suspension or injury.

Paul, one of the best defenders in the league, has ramped up his game as the season has progressed, and should definitely merit some MVP consideration. Has he been as good as Curry and Harden? That’s highly debateable. But he’s been just as good or better than James and possibly Westbrook and Davis.

Paul has been close to the MVP before, such as in 2007-08 when many belived he earned it over Kobe Bryant. This season he might actually get it.

Why Chris Paul is a Legitimate 2015 MVP Candidate


Matt Moore, CBS Sports (3/31/15)

Chris Paul has been MVP-worth [sic] this season.(Getty)

CHRIS PAUL IS OUT: I GOT NOTHIN'

As much as I love watching the above players, and feel strongly about defending how great they are this season, I feel passionately enough about their limitations in the race to write this article.

But Chris Paul? Chris Paul's a problem. Because I firmly believe this is a two-man race. But if you ask me why Chris Paul's not in it? I have a really difficult time telling you why.

Paul's already played in 74 games, more games than he's played in any season since being traded to the Clippers. He's averaging 19-10-5, shooting 48-39-89. He leads the league in assists and assist percentage, third in Win Shares and fourth in Value over Replacement Player. The Clippers have the No.1 offense per possession in the league (just recently nabbed it from the Warriors... by 0.1 points), and are a top-four team in the brutal Western Conference.

I've got no knocks on his play. He's played in games, he's played phenomenally well, he's been great defensively (79th percentile via Synergy Sports), he's a team leader, his team has won games despite a bench that makes me wonder if Doc Rivers is permanently stuck in 2009. Paul has been the most valuable player on his team, and is playing some of the best basketball of his career. (I'd put this season third all-time for him behind 2008 and 2009, his best season in six years.)

But... the other two have just been better. Their cases are just strong. They change the defense in more dramatic ways. They are harder to defend, make more of an impact, have had (in one of their case's) more success on a team level.

It's painful, but like all the rest of the guys above, if the other players didn't exist or weren't having the years they're having, Paul would be worthy of the MVP. His great just hasn't been great enough, by no fault of his own.

Why the MVP race is down to two guys

[og15]

Posted this in another thread, not realizing how good CP has actually been since the break:

51.7% FG / 42.1% 3PT / 92.8% FT / .627 TS%

22.2 ppg / 4.0 rpg / 11.4 apg