Who was the best player in 2007

[Blazers-1977]

While its clearly Dirk for only regular season, it gets much harder once you include the playoffs

[PistolPeteJR]

I’m approaching this via process of elimination:

1) I have to exclude these guys for very little playoff success in 2007.

Dirk
Kobe
McGrady

2) The following had very strong performances in both the RS and PS but I consider them a tier below those under #3 primarily because of the lack of defensive prowess compared to the finalists below:

Nash

3) This leaves LeBron and Duncan.

I’m inclined to go Duncan here because of his veteran leadership that trumps LeBron’s leadership in 2007, as well as Duncan’s game that was more polished and savvy. LeBron was still young here and learning how to play the game, getting a needed wakeup call in the Finals that he’s got a lot of work to do as it pertained to developing his scoring game more (ie. shooting), which he definitely did do.

tl;dr: Duncan.

[Texas Chuck]

Probably Timmy. Nash and Dirk his closest challengers. TMac and Kobe do not belong on a list of finalists though.

[ceiling raiser]

Nash
Dirk
Duncan
LeBron
Garnett

imo

[Matt15]

Kobe or Duncan

[Asianiac_24]

Probably Timmy. Nash and Dirk his closest challengers. TMac and Kobe do not belong on a list of finalists though.

I’d like to hear the reason why Kobe isn’t on the list. He was playing with Smush Parker. Give Kobe the equivalent of Tony Parker and Manu and he sleep walks to a championship.

Keep in mind that Kobe started the season injured. Take out his first 15 games, where most superstars would of just sat out, his stats would be insane.

Dirk had a good RS, but you can’t be a finalist when you lose to an 8th seed as #1 seed and MVP.

[Statlanta]

Tim Duncan

[Narigo]

1.Duncan
2.Kobe
3.Nowitzki
4.Nash
5.LeBron

[Lost92Bricks]

Dwyane Wade was the actual best player.

[HeartBreakKid]

Dwyane Wade was the actual best player.

This is pretty much the answer, not a tiny sample size either.

People kind of pretended he didn't exist though, I always say you would think Wade played 4 games not 55 in 07 and 08 the way he's not talked about.

[LAL1947]

Probably Timmy. Nash and Dirk his closest challengers. TMac and Kobe do not belong on a list of finalists though.

I’d like to hear the reason why Kobe isn’t on the list. He was playing with Smush Parker. Give Kobe the equivalent of Tony Parker and Manu and he sleep walks to a championship.

Keep in mind that Kobe started the season injured. Take out his first 15 games, where most superstars would of just sat out, his stats would be insane.

Dirk had a good RS, but you can’t be a finalist when you lose to an 8th seed as #1 seed and MVP.

I'm curious to know the reason too. Kobe Bryant in 2006-07:

- All-NBA First Team
- All-NBA Defensive First Team
- All-Star MVP
- Scoring champion (31.6 PPG)

And he doesn't deserve even a consideration as a finalist?

[rate_]

Wade until the injury. In fact, he was probably better in 07 than 06.

[Point-Forward]

Much like Simmons stated in his book, I always thought '07 was Nash's best version, and I actually think he was the most impactful player in the league when taking everything into account. More so than 2005 and 2006.

For me it would be between him and Duncan.

[Stalwart]

Probably Timmy. Nash and Dirk his closest challengers. TMac and Kobe do not belong on a list of finalists though.

I’d like to hear the reason why Kobe isn’t on the list. He was playing with Smush Parker. Give Kobe the equivalent of Tony Parker and Manu and he sleep walks to a championship.

Keep in mind that Kobe started the season injured. Take out his first 15 games, where most superstars would of just sat out, his stats would be insane.

Dirk had a good RS, but you can’t be a finalist when you lose to an 8th seed as #1 seed and MVP.

They hate Kobe. Its really that simple. You can tell by how they always go out of their to downgrade him.

[LAL1947]

My best 3 in that year would be Nash, Kobe, Dirk.

I'd remove Tim Duncan from the conversation completely because I think the Spurs cheated Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and the Suns out of a title. That Robert Horry dirty play on Nash seemed to me at the time, a dirty play by design from the Spurs team to take out the best player on a team that had the Spurs on the ropes, and they knew they were on the ropes too. If Tim Duncan was actually the best player in the league, and since he also had such a FINE supporting cast (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Michael Finley, etc), then the Spurs would not have been on the ropes or needing to do such a thing to win. That play got Amare + Diaw suspended for Game 5, which the Suns would've won and then gone on to eliminate the Spurs. The only reason Duncan is even in the conversation for 2006-07 is because the Spurs ended up winning the title... not for anything else... a title they should not have won. Was Duncan capable of putting up some great performances? Yes, and he did too. Was he the best player in the league? Just simply no. He didn't even win Finals MVP. No title, no consideration. Just adding everything up and taking things to their logical conclusion.

As has been pointed out, the Mavs were the #1 seed yet lost to the #8 seed in the 1st round... but I'd still keep Dirk in the conversation because of his RS play on offense. Have to point out though, if this had happened to Kobe... I shudder to think of what some would be doing to him instead, lol.

Kobe was All-NBA First Team, All-NBA Defensive First Team, Scoring Champion (31 PPG). Only problem is that Kobe did the same in the previous year too, while scoring even more points (35 PPG).

As for Nash... I'm giving him his due because he should have won an NBA title that year but was cheated out it. The Spurs stomped the Jazz 4-1, the Cavaliers 4-0, and I don't see any reason why the Suns wouldn't have done the same. Nash and Stat were a superb duo, very ably backed up Shawn Marion, Barbosa, Raja Bell and the rest.

Watch on YouTube

[70sFan]

Duncan, quite clearly for me.

[LAL1947]

Duncan, quite clearly for me.

Question: Was Duncan "clearly" the best player in the league during the rest of the season, until the Spurs cheated the Suns and then went on to win a title they should not have won? If you say yes, then I just won't be able to take you seriously any longer... as you have said to me on a couple of occasions.

2006-07 MVP Voting, points won out of 1,290:

1) Dirk - 1,138
2) Nash - 1,013
3) Kobe - 521
4) Duncan - 286
5) Lebron - 183

[70sFan]

Duncan, quite clearly for me.

Question: Was Duncan "clearly" the best player in the league during the rest of the season, until the Spurs cheated the Suns and then went on to win a title they should not have won? If you say yes, then I just won't be able to take you seriously any longer...

Yes

as you have said to me on a couple of occasions.

I don't remember saying that even once, I only laughed at your opinion that Kobe got robbed of the MVP in 2003.

[No-more-rings]

Voted Duncan. Used to think Kobe, but Kobe doesn't really look that great by impact stuff that year, Duncan led the league in RAPM plus won the title it's hard to deny him it.

[No-more-rings]

Duncan, quite clearly for me.

Question: Was Duncan "clearly" the best player in the league during the rest of the season, until the Spurs cheated the Suns and then went on to win a title they should not have won? If you say yes, then I just won't be able to take you seriously any longer... as you have said to me on a couple of occasions.

2006-07 MVP Voting, points won out of 1,290:

1) Dirk - 1,138
2) Nash - 1,013
3) Kobe - 521
4) Duncan - 286
5) Lebron - 183

Duncan averaged 27/14 on 60 ts% against the Suns, if they would've lost not sure how It would've been his fault.

Maybe you haven't realized but most don't really care about mvp voting when assessing someone's impact. Even if Duncan was only the 3rd/4th best player in the regular season, he was clearly the best in the postseason. Apparently that means nothing though.