MVP/RoY Rankings, Part X
The tenth edition of the Blogger MVP/RoY rankings has just been published at Queen City Hoops.Here are links to my posts about the previous nine editions:
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part I
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part II
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part III
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part IV
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part V
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part VI
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part VII
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part VIII
MVP/RoY Rankings, Part IX
Here is my complete ballot for the tenth edition exactly as I submitted it (MVP and RoY votes are scored on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 and 5-4-3-2-1 basis respectively, so Bryant is my top MVP pick and Durant is my top RoY pick):
MVP
10-Kobe Bryant: Averaged 31.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 5.2 apg in March while logging 42.7 mpg, exceeding his season averages in three categories and nearly matching his season average in apg.
9-LeBron James: LeBron has probably dropped behind CP3 on most people's ballots but I can't honestly say that I'd take CP3 over LeBron regardless of the records of their respective teams.
8-Chris Paul: He is about to wrest the assists crown from Steve Nash and his numbers in March are just silly: 24.0 ppg, 13.3 apg, .553 fg%. I just don't believe that he is better than Kobe or LeBron and the MVP award should not be decided by the relative health of various members of the supporting casts in L.A., Cleveland and New Orleans.
7-Dwight Howard: There is a perception that his game his fallen off--and he did have a subpar game versus Cleveland on Saturday--but he averaged 19.6 ppg and 14.5 rpg as Orlando went 10-4 in March, securing the third seed in the East.
6-Kevin Garnett: His numbers are diminished because the Celtics win a lot of blowouts but he is a major reason that Boston has become a defensive juggernaut.
5-Tim Duncan: Often overlooked since his two MVP seasons, Duncan has the Spurs in contention for the best record in the West.
4-Amare Stoudemire: He has been getting a lot of mention as an MVP candidate since his scoring numbers took off but until his defense improves I can't place him ahead of Duncan and Garnett.
3-Dirk Nowitzki: Everyone saw his ghastly injury and everyone has seen him come back ahead of schedule to help Dallas stay in the playoff hunt. All questions about his toughness have been permanently silenced.
2-Tracy McGrady: Houston's offense revolves around his abilities as a scorer and playmaker.
1-Steve Nash: His shooting percentages this season are insane: .515 fg%, .483 3 pt fg%, .899 ft%
ROY
5-Kevin Durant: His shooting percentage has soared, even though he just had a 2-17 disaster versus Houston.
4-Al Horford: Nearly providing a double double a night for a playoff team.
3-Luis Scola: Scores, rebounds and defends.
2-Al Thornton: He looks like a future 20 ppg scorer.
1-Jamario Moon: I've been flip-flopping between Moon and Landry at this spot but I've got to go with Moon now based on games played.
Labels: Al Horford, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James
posted by David Friedman @ 7:26 PM
8 Comments:
Did you think Nash was deserving of MVP the years he won it?
Madnice:
I thought that Shaq should have won the MVP in 2005 and that Kobe should have won the MVP in 2006.
O Ok. And it doesnt matter if Paul isnt better than Bryant or James. Thats not what the MVP award is and you know that.
Madnice:
Just because the voters have been using the wrong criteria for years doesn't mean that they can't start getting things right now. The MVP should go to the best player; the best player in some years might be carrying a bad team to the eighth seed and in other years the best player may be carrying a team to the first seed but whoever the best player is, he should get the award.
Why would you think they would get it right now? They never get anything right whether its the hall of fame or mvp award they dont have a clue whats going on. Bryant has been the best player for the last few years so according to you he should have been MVP. I agree. Just like Mike should have been MVP in 92-93 and 96-97 (I mentioned this before) but was given to Barkley and Malone. Of course Jordan was better than both of them. The criteria they have is very stupid. Just like why can coaches be inducted into the hall of fame and still be coaching but players have to wait 5 years? Why in baseball does the committe chose which hat a player can go in as? Thats a word I wont say on here.
If we are going by their criteria, Chris Paul should get MVP if Nash got MVP 2 years. Paul has had a better years number wise (Im not worried about shooting percentages). I think Nash was MVP because he was white so the writers felt like he should be MVP since there hasnt been one in years. Nash is not better than ONeal or Bryant. Just like Love and Hansbrough get overhyped because they are American white players who are stars, which arent prevalent in college today or the NBA. Unfortunately race plays factors in the writers vote. Just like I dont see Nowitzki as an MVP type player even if he averages 35 points and 15 rebounds because hes not clutch. The MVP should have the numbers, make teammates better, and be clutch. How can you be an MVP and not be clutch?
Madnice:
I completely agree that MJ should have won the '93 and '97 MVPs.
HoF voting is a completely different issue but I agree that there is a lot about that process that does not make sense.
Since I don't think that Nash should have won either of his MVPs I don't really care if Paul's current season is better than Nash's seasons were. Paul is not a better player, right now, than Kobe or LeBron and that is why I rank Paul third; I had Paul ranked lower than that at the start of the season but have adjusted accordingly in light of the fine season that he is having--but he simply is not as good as Kobe or LeBron.
NCAA awards are always kind of random because so many factors get thrown into play, including team success and evaluating the player's stats versus how he projects as an NBA player. Also, unlike the NBA's MVP candidates, the NCAA Player of the Year candidates don't necessarily play against each other or even compete against comparably strong teams. It wouldn't surprise me if race is a factor for some voters, as you suggest.
I had less of a problem with Dirk as an MVP than Nash. Contrary to what you say, Dirk has had many clutch performances, in both the regular season and in the playoffs, and he led a team to the NBA Finals, something that Nash has yet to do. Kobe should have won the award but I ranked Dirk second last season. His Mavs are the last team to beat the Spurs in a playoff series and he played a major role in that outcome.
The biggest time to be clutch was being down 3-2 to Miami at home and having the chance to be champions and Dirk didnt deliver. Its definitely not our criteria. If it was me or you I would vote Bryant as well. The leagues criteria is a joke.
Madnice:
I'm not defending Dirk's performance in the 2006 Finals but that one series--as big as it was--does not wipe out all of the other clutch performances that he has had. Some HoFers never even made it to the NBA Finals.
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