MVP

[Its_asdf]

This year's MVP race is a lot tighter than last years.... Halfway through last season we already knew Steve Nash was going to win it.

[Matt]

after Kobes 81 game, that bandwagon grew to the point where majority thought he should be MVP (based on Foxsports poll). Before that he got little buzz.

[John WB]

I'd say LeBron is move of an MVP candidate than Kobe. Yeah he's not putting up as big scoring numbers, but what's he's doing his leading his teams to wins. The Cavs have a better record than the Lakers.

Otherwise how can you deny the MVP award to the player who has the 2nd highest point total in NBA history?

How many MVPs did that earn Wilt?

You can score 100ppg, but if your team doesn't win, it's for nothing.

[BIG GREEN]

Kobe isnt getting MVP consideration just because of the 81, he has been in the mix even before that. Its based on the totality of work he has done over the course of the season.

oh?..is the laker's shitty winning percentage included in his consideration?

[dan_suth]

this is why i love the kobe haters..they will bashed him even if hes the best...lol

Uhh.. he gave some reasons why Kobe isn't "the best" - all you did was cry out that he is "the best" ... I'm pretty sure your argument is weaker.

after Kobes 81 game, that bandwagon grew to the point where majority thought he should be MVP (based on Foxsports poll). Before that he got little buzz.

Accurate statement. I agree with you 100% Seriously, before that game, everyone was saying Billups, Lebron, Nash for MVP.. and Kobe far behind all three. Now Kobe is magically the "lock" for MVP. Ridiculous.

Also, I think it's completely ridiculous to say Billups won't win the award unless the Pistons get 70 wins. I know it's cliche, but he's the best player on the best team (by far) in the league. Why should Kobe get the MVP if the Lakers get 45 wins but Chauncey shouldn't get it if the Pistons get 69 wins? As of right now, I think the top two candidates are Nash and Billups, and either of them could take the award depending on how the rest of the season goes.

[cyanide]

I still say it's too early to tell. Like Its_Asdf said, it's a tighter race, and as the season winds down, we can start to narrow it down a bit more since we'll have a better idea of the team records and player progress.

[Matt]

either way, i'd say you gotta be on the plus side of 55 to win it this year.

[nbalive744]

Why isn't Elton Brand on the list? He has helped the Clippers tremendously this year, don't count him out of the MVP race yet.

[NNpF]

Why do people keep trying to take the MVP award away from Steve Nash?

Everyone thought the Suns would be struggling without Stoudemire, but they're not.

Even without Stoudemire, Nash continues to make the Suns a top team in the NBA. He's shooting the ball great, he's first in the league in assists, and I can name more things.

Having an 81 point game does not make you an MVP. Many of you need to look up what an MVP really is. MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, how can you be valuable to your team if your team is not winning, despite that player leading the league in scoring? If the Lakers improve and make the playoffs and Kobe continues scoring at the rate he is now, then he is the MVP.

There is no doubt that the Dallas Mavericks are doing extremely well, but it's not all due to Dirk's play. The entire team has stepped up their game. If the Mavericks remain in first place at the end of the season, then expect Dirk to get a fair amount of votes and maybe win the award.

I can't really say much for Chauncey Billups. His team is doing great, he's playing great. The only argument I have against him is the fact that Detroit has no clear cut All-Star on their team, so basically anyone can win it.

The 76ers are only 7th in the East, and they have been holding their own without Iverson. He's like a Kobe of the 76ers. They are in the playoffs but still not a serious contender or anything.

I still think Nash is the MVP at this point of the season. I just don't believe scoring 81 points for a losing team makes you valuable.

[hipn]

Kobe will NOT win. And to be an MVP, you have to be a team player.

He is shooting .450

FGM-FGA
548-1,217

[Axel]

I would have voted for Elton Brand if he were on the list. As is now, I voted for Nash. I know Kobe is having a great year, but his team is just one game over .500 ... how can that be considered MVP? Isn't that what is supposed to count?

[AirMJ23]

it is but if some avrages 50 ppg 20 rpg 15apg even if there team loses all 82 games they will probally win the MVP

[MetalHead]

it is but if some avrages 50 ppg 20 rpg 15apg even if there team loses all 82 games they will probally win the MVP

But someone won't, making your post meaningless. Stevie is really just the same guy, a little bit better, but oh, just without Stoudimire. Suns get back to the Western Conference Finals, and hell, we've got consecutive MVPs here.

[AirMJ23]

Someone could Wilt had 50 ppg 27rpg and almost 5 apg in 1961-62 and if he wanted to do that he could but his team would lose aton.

[air gordon]

where's the Yetti choice

write in- fgrep

[maes]

Voted Billups, but Nash would have been a consideration except he won it last year.

Random things from this thread:
- Kobe played great D at one point in his career, that doesn't mean he plays great D now. Baron Davis played amazing defense when he got into the league, i don't think anyone will claim Davis plays killer D nowadays. Kobe has completely dropped off the radar in terms of being a NBA All-Defensive member as he was when Shaq was around.

This year, Kobe holds opposing SGs to an eFG of .490 and PER of 14.2, which is extremely average.
http://www.82games.com/0506/05LAL7C.HTM

A defensive stopper will have stats more like Ginobli, who holds opposing SGs to a eFG of .424 and PER of 10.5.
http://www.82games.com/0506/05SAS5C.HTM

And as a comparison, Michael Redd has slightly better opponent production than Bryant, eFG of .464 and PER of 13.1.
http://www.82games.com/0506/05MIL6C.HTM

I think Kobe gets a lot "highlight reel benefit". Basically, news recaps and highlights show Kobe making game winners, blocking shots, making steals. To study the game from recaps you would think Kobe is a god. They don't capture all 48 minutes of the actual game.

[j.23]

I think Kobe gets a lot "highlight reel benefit". Basically, news recaps and highlights show Kobe making game winners, blocking shots, making steals. To study the game from recaps you would think Kobe is a god. They don't capture all 48 minutes of the actual game.

great point. this applies to players like wade and LBJ as well. sometimes the media hypes LBJ as a defensive threat just by showing highlights of him swatting shots

[magius]

billups or nash should get it, the only reason nash is getting less consideration is because people are wary of voting him back to back mvp, which i can understand since that honor is and should be reserved for only the greats. i think chauncy should get it. wilt scored 50 per and 100 in one season and didnt win mvp, its more than numbers and flash and the people who vote understand that. i don't mind if kobe or lebron gets it, but i think billups or nash deserve it.

[Andrew]

I wasn't sold on Nash being the MVP last season but this year, I do feel he's more deserving. As -|NN|-[pF]- said, the Suns were expected to struggle without Amare and many folks - myself included - felt that this would expose Nash's selection last year as a knee-jerk reaction. To a certain extent I still think it was because of the historical standard (ie John Stockton) but seeing how the Suns are still up there this year it looks like I underestimated Nash somewhat.

After the 81 point game, there was a lot of talk that Kobe had "wrapped up" the MVP. Such talk is ridiculous. Understandable sentiments, but ridiculous. That basically suggests the Lakers could have gone without a win for the rest of the year and Kobe would still be the league MVP, all because of one performance...or to be fair, one very impressive month. That cannot equate to what other teams have been doing all season long.

Kobe is unquestionably the most valuable player on the Lakers. But does being far and away the most valuable player on his team make him the league's most valuable player by default? I guess in some ways it would. But at this point, I can't give him the MVP "merely" for his scoring outbursts. Right now, I'll go with Nash.

[ixcuincle]

I was talking to a friend on AIM and we discussed the possibility of Kobe being MVP. He said since the award was mainly an individual award it should go to the best individual hence kobe.

Again , more speculation here. If Kobe surpasses the 50 point mark again this season , will that increase his chances for MVP? If the team doesn't self destruct , if the Lakers start going back to winning ways and go , god forbid , 10 games over .500 , and make the playoffs as a 6 or 7 seed , is Kobe Bryant the MVP? What would Kobe have to do , in your eyes , to be MVP in 2006?

I'll be the first to admit Bryant's case for MVP is losing momentum especially as his team continues to slide and embarass themselves to lowly competition like Charlotte. But if the Lakers get back to winning ways and make the playoffs it's certainly a consideration , especially if he breaks the 50-point plateau again , his stock will surely rise.

ps : there have been a lot of very strong cases for Nash in this thread , plus there isn't as much hatred for Nash as there is for Bryant. When ranking the candidates in the above poll I would rank Bryant 1st for reasons listed in above threads , Steve Nash 2nd , Billups 3rd (the other 4 starters in detroit's lineup are making it real hard for me to vote billups as mvp) , Iverson 4th , and Nowitzki 5th.

pps: Star-Telegram 1/22/2006 http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/baske ... 686124.htm

Call Kobe the MVP until somebody can stop him
By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

There's no better clutch shooter in the NBA than Kobe Bryant.

Even when everyone in the arena knows the Los Angeles Lakers' guard is poised to take the potential game-winning or game-tying shot, defenders look helpless in their attempts to stop the 10-year veteran. As the NBA season reaches the midway point this week, Bryant is the league's Most Valuable Player.

He has single-handedly put the Lakers in position to advance to the playoffs after they missed the postseason last year. He averages a league-high 34.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists, and is shooting 44.8 percent from the field for a team that doesn't have much talent.

Overall, Bryant has scored 40 or more points in 12 games this season, conjuring images of Michael Jordan. He also has eclipsed the 50-point barrier three times.

That includes a 62-point outburst in three quarters against the Mavericks during a Dec. 20 game in LA.

"Obviously, it always starts with Kobe," Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "He is an amazing player and he makes so much stuff happen for his teammates.

"When he is on, he's tough to guard."

While Bryant is the midseason MVP, a case can be made for Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash repeating as MVP. Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups, Cleveland forward LeBron James, LA Clippers forward Elton Brand and Nowitzki are also strong contenders for the honor.

Bryant's rise to prominence comes just as former Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal is finally warming up to him. Before Monday's Heat-Lakers game, O'Neal surprisingly approached Bryant and exchanged pleasantries with him for the first time since he was traded from the Lakers to the Heat in the summer of 2004.

"It made me feel good because we've been through so many wars together," Bryant said. "It feels good to kind of be able to enjoy the sweetness of it and now to be able to just move on, for the organization to move on, the city to move on, and focus on building this team and wishing him all the best with his team down there in South Beach."

[Andrew]

Surpassing the 60 point mark? No. Being the scoring champ and piling up the points isn't what will make him the MVP. Getting the Lakers to sixth in the West or higher? Yes, that might do it.

[Drex]

If we're giving the MVP to Kobe based on his scoring performances, then why don't we start an AI-for-MVP bandwagon...he's averaging 33 ppg, 7.6 apg, 2 spg and his team is barely above .500...just like Bryant!

[BOSS]

Bron's not mentioned ?

[ixcuincle]

If we're giving the MVP to Kobe based on his scoring performances, then why don't we start an AI-for-MVP bandwagon...he's averaging 33 ppg, 7.6 apg, 2 spg and his team is barely above .500...just like Bryant!

The difference is that AI is supposedly surrounded by talent such as Kyle Korver , Chris Webber , and Andre Igoudala (spelling). However , Kobe's teammates consist of a joke of a center who will never be as good as Shaq was , an overrated power forward who sucked in Washington and will continue to suck in Los Angeles , a small forward who isn't as good as many predicted , and a young point guard (although he is good at times). The talent disparity between the Lakers and the Sixers is huge. That's why Kobe has a stronger case.

[kevC]

Hines Ward is the real MVP baby!