NBA MVP

[UMass922]

Who should it be?

[Eyes of Old Main]

As much as I dislike the Hornets and him personally, I'd have to say Chris Paul has earned it.

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

KG

[AZGrizFan]

Amare Stoudamire. xnodx xnodx xnodx

[blur2005]

Chris Paul is having maybe the single best season a point-guard has ever had in the NBA and has led an average team, more or less, to the best record in the very tough Western Conference. I don't know how he's NOT the league's most valuable player.

[otto4pres]

Rasho Nesterovic.

[slycat]

as much as i like chris paul, kg has completely turned boston around in one year.

[Peems]

Kobe. The guy is finally making other players better and is one of the best defenders in the game, along with the fact that he has the most complete offensive game in the league. Plus he's overdue.

[Gil Dobie]

Kobe. The guy is finally making other players better and is one of the best defenders in the game, along with the fact that he has the most complete offensive game in the league. Plus he's overdue.

I agree, with Paul a close second. Defense though gives it to Kobe, IMO

[seantaylor]

Paul. KoMe is a chucker, and doesn't make anyone on his team better. Check the frontrunners shooting percentages compared to KoMe.

[Cleets]

Kobe. The guy is finally making other players better and is one of the best defenders in the game, along with the fact that he has the most complete offensive game in the league. Plus he's overdue.

Kobe is the best player in the NBA... (clearly)
There is no player on earth who could take him in a game of one-on-one (period)

But is he the MVP...?

[TheValleyRaider]

Well, it depends on how MVP is defined. Is it the "most valuable to one's team" or the "best player in the league"? The NBA seems to more trend to the former, which would favor Paul, given the boost he gives to an otherwise middling Hornets team. You could also make that case for LeBron, given he's about the only thing the Cavs have going for them

If voting leans to the latter, then Kobe ought to get it. He's the best player on the Lakers, but has been aided quite a bit by first the emergence of Bynum, then the addition of Gasol. Still, while he drives LA, his team's rise to the top has be substantially helped by the addition of secondary players

[Thunderstruck84]

Slava Med-ve-denk-O!

[UMass922]

Well, it depends on how MVP is defined. Is it the "most valuable to one's team" or the "best player in the league"? The NBA seems to more trend to the former, which would favor Paul, given the boost he gives to an otherwise middling Hornets team. You could also make that case for LeBron, given he's about the only thing the Cavs have going for them

If voting leans to the latter, then Kobe ought to get it. He's the best player on the Lakers, but has been aided quite a bit by first the emergence of Bynum, then the addition of Gasol. Still, while he drives LA, his team's rise to the top has be substantially helped by the addition of secondary players

Good analysis. I went with Kobe because I prefer to think of the MVP as simply the player who had the best individual season. I've never been a fan of taking the "most valuable" thing too literally and treating the MVP as a glorified "team player of the year" award. The way I see it, the league championship is the reward for the best team player(s), while the MVP should be reserved to honor individual greatness independent of team success.

But you're right that the NBA tends to go with the "most valuable to his team" philosophy, and for that reason I could see Chris Paul beating out Kobe this year for the same reason that Steve Nash did two years ago. Kobe averaged 35 points per game that year, had an 81-point game, and a streak of I think four or five 50-point games in a row. Nash winning the MVP that season sets the precedent for Paul winning it this season, I think.

[seantaylor]

Good analysis. I went with Kobe because I prefer to think of the MVP as simply the player who had the best individual season. I've never been a fan of taking the "most valuable" thing too literally and treating the MVP as a glorified "team player of the year" award. The way I see it, the league championship is the reward for the best team player(s), while the MVP should be reserved to honor individual greatness independent of team success.

But you're right that the NBA tends to go with the "most valuable to his team" philosophy, and for that reason I could see Chris Paul beating out Kobe this year for the same reason that Steve Nash did two years ago. Kobe averaged 35 points per game that year, had an 81-point game, and a streak of I think four or five 50-point games in a row. Nash winning the MVP that season sets the precedent for Paul winning it this season, I think.

And KoMe also shot a pathetic 42% from the floor. EVERY NBA all star could score 35 a game if they took the same number of shots as KoMe.

[UMass922]

And KoMe also shot a pathetic 42% from the floor. EVERY NBA all star could score 35 a game if they took the same number of shots as KoMe.

Where are you getting 42% from? He shot 45% in the '05-'06 season I was referring to, is shooting 46% this year, and is at 45% for his career. He only shot as low as 42% his first two years in the league.

[blueballs]

Kobe gets it in a tight vote mainly because he hasn't won it before and he deserves it this year. Lebron and Paul finsih second and third in the voting.

Here are the rest of the Blueball's NBA awards:

MVP: Kobe Bryant
All NBA first team: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
Defensive POY: Marcus Camby
Coach of Year: Byron Scott barely over Doc Rivers
Exec of year: Danny Ainge
Rookie of year: Kevin Durant barely over Luis Scola
Most Improved: Hedo Turkoglu

Playoff predictions: Celtics win a hard fought seven game series over the Spurs after barely surviving a seven game slugfest with the Pistons in the east. Paul Pierce is the finals MVP.

[Grizalltheway]

Paul. KoMe is a chucker, and doesn't make anyone on his team better. Check the frontrunners shooting percentages compared to KoMe.

Is that you Skip Bayless? xrolleyesx xcoffeex

[otto4pres]

Kobe is the best player in the NBA... (clearly)
There is no player on earth who could take him in a game of one-on-one (period)

But is he the MVP...?

he didn't really jump over that Aston Martin


so no

[AZGrizFan]

Kobe gets it in a tight vote mainly because he hasn't won it before and he deserves it this year. Lebron and Paul finsih second and third in the voting.

Here are the rest of the Blueball's NBA awards:

MVP: Kobe Bryant
All NBA first team: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
Defensive POY: Marcus Camby
Coach of Year: Byron Scott barely over Doc Rivers
Exec of year: Danny Ainge
Rookie of year: Kevin Durant barely over Luis Scola
Most Improved: Hedo Turkoglu

Playoff predictions: Celtics win a hard fought seven game series over the Spurs after barely surviving a seven game slugfest with the Pistons in the east. Paul Pierce is the finals MVP.

1) No way Kobe wins MVP. If it's anybody it's Chris Paul
B) No way Amare gets left off the all-NBA first team.
3) Spurs will NOT get past the Lakers or the Suns this year. xthumbsupx

[Gil Dobie]

And KoMe also shot a pathetic 42% from the floor. EVERY NBA all star could score 35 a game if they took the same number of shots as KoMe.

Except Stephon Marbury xlolx

[seantaylor]

Kobe gets it in a tight vote mainly because he hasn't won it before and he deserves it this year. Lebron and Paul finsih second and third in the voting.

Here are the rest of the Blueball's NBA awards:

MVP: Kobe Bryant
All NBA first team: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
Defensive POY: Marcus Camby
Coach of Year: Byron Scott barely over Doc Rivers
Exec of year: Danny Ainge
Rookie of year: Kevin Durant barely over Luis Scola
Most Improved: Hedo Turkoglu

Playoff predictions: Celtics win a hard fought seven game series over the Spurs after barely surviving a seven game slugfest with the Pistons in the east. Paul Pierce is the finals MVP.

Here are mine:

MVP: Chris Paul
All NBA first team: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James,Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard
Defensive POY: Kevin Garnett
Coach of Year: Byron Scott
Exec of year: Danny Ainge
Rookie of year: Luis Scola
Most Improved: Mike Dunleavy

[Peems]

Here are mine:

MVP: Chris Paul
All NBA first team: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James,Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard
Defensive POY: Kevin Garnett
Coach of Year: Byron Scott
Exec of year: Danny Ainge
Rookie of year: Luis Scola
Most Improved: Mike Dunleavy

And here are mine(who I think, not who will win)

MVP: Kobe
All NBA: Paul, Kobe, Lebron, KG, Amare/Dwight(unsure)
Defensive POY: Camby or KG really unsure
Coach of the year: Should be Scott but might go to Rivers, both deserving
Exec: Mitch Kupchak
Rookie of the year: Horford, he's been a solid player on a playoff team. Scola is the same, but I give it to horford due to the fact that he is a "rookie." Durant will be in the discussion too obviously
Most Improved: Monte Ellis...again!!!:)

[Mountain Panther]

Chris Paul = Best point guard in the league.

[Peems]

Chris Paul = Best point guard in the league.

I don't think many would argue there.

I saw an interesting stat the other day. They were showing the only other PG's to do what Paul has done this season and show where they finished in the MVP voting. Magic Johnson was one and he did it four times I believe and won the MVP, the only other guy was Kevin Johnson back in 89-90 and he did not receive a single MVP vote...interesting

[grizband]

Paul. KoMe is a chucker, and doesn't make anyone on his team better. Check the frontrunners shooting percentages compared to KoMe.

Here are the shot and fieldgoal % of the 4 players most would agree are the front runners for this year's NBA MVP award. As you can see, their fg% are all relatively close.

Kobe Bryant: 9.6/20.8 (46.1%) 28.5 points/game
LeBron James: 10.7/22.1 (46.7%) 30.3 points/game
Kevin Garnett: 7.6/14 (54%) 19 points/game
Chris Paul: 7.9/16.2 (48.5%) 21.1 points/game

Now, let's compare this to the field goal % of previous MVP (I'm not including centers, since they generally have much higher fg%).

2006-2007 Dirk Nowitzki 8.6/17.2 (50.2%) 24.6 points/game
2001-2001 Allen Iverson 10.7/25.5 (42%) 31.1 points/game
1995-1996 Michael Jordan 11.2/22.6 (49.5%) 30.4 points/game
1989-1990 Magic Johnson 6.9/14.4 (48%) 22.3 points/game
1983-1984 Larry Bird 9.6/19.5 (49.2%) 24.2 points/game

[blur2005]

I agree, with Paul a close second. Defense though gives it to Kobe, IMO
Paul leads the league in steals by a whole .4 over the second place guy. Paul should be MVP. He's averaging 21.1 ppg, 11.6 apg and less than three turnovers a game while playing excellent defense.

If the Lakers and the Hornets have almost identical records and one is clearly more talented than the other (Lakers), shouldn't we award the great player who has helped his team do more with less, particularly when he runs the team as the point guard?

[Peems]

Paul leads the league in steals by a whole .4 over the second place guy. Paul should be MVP. He's averaging 21.1 ppg, 11.6 apg and less than three turnovers a game while playing excellent defense.

If the Lakers and the Hornets have almost identical records and one is clearly more talented than the other (Lakers), shouldn't we award the great player who has helped his team do more with less, particularly when he runs the team as the point guard?

The Hornets had more all stars than the Lakers this year. Odom and Gasol and Kobe are the three best players on the Lakers. Paul and West and Peja and Chandler are all very capable. Chris Paul made this team great, but it's not like he's running with a bunch of scrubs. All that being said the MVP will come down between those two guys, Kobe and Paul. Doc Rivers on Jim Rome today said he thinks Kobe will and probably should win. Of course he said Garnett deserved it