Always hated how MVP voting is full of edgelords who don't want to pick the same guy every year.
http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-awards-2017-nominees-mvp-finalists-kawhi-leonard-russell-westbrook-james-harden-lebron-james/11ye12c6sp9ii1qofdjjr1uqem
Because he proves it every year in the playoffs. The only time it's been in doubt was last year after Curry's mind-boggling season, but LeBron dispatched that notion in the finals. As it stands now only Curry, Kawhi, and Durant are even close.
Curry isn't anywhere near LeBron. come on dude.
Shaq, Duncan and Kobe all won only 1 MVP.
Steve Nash won two.
This is not an award that anyone should take seriously.
Because he proves it every year in the playoffs. The only time it's been in doubt was last year after Curry's mind-boggling season, but LeBron dispatched that notion in the finals. As it stands now only Curry, Kawhi, and Durant are even close.
Wouldnt be the first time. However i fail to see how not acknowledging Lebron as "the greatest basketball player on the planet" is hating or embarasing. Is it so bad to be top 5?
The only thing that is simple is that LeBron is the best player on the planet. If you can't see that, that's on you. It's not subjective. He's quite simply the best. He gives you a better chance to win than any other single player.Im not conflating anything.
Lebron is neither the best player in the NBA or the MVP. This season it was unquestionably Westbrook.
Also you know what other players who dont try in the regular season are called? Low Motor players. If Lebron cant get it up every game he isnt the best player. Its pretty simple.
The only thing that is simple is that LeBron is the best player on the planet. If you can't see that, that's on you. It's not subjective. He's quite simply the best. He gives you a better chance to win than any other single player.
Then prove it. Where is the evidence that supports your statement.
Kevin Durant led the NBA in WS/48 this season. So logically Durant would be the player who gives your team the best chance to win this season.
Thats a single game. A sample size thats statistically unreliable
Then prove it. Where is the evidence that supports your statement.
Kevin Durant led the NBA in WS/48 this season. So logically Durant would be the player who gives your team the best chance to win this season.
Because LeBron wasn't trying and still had a top 5 season. When he tries it's game over, as the playoffs are showing.Then prove it. Where is the evidence that supports your statement.
Kevin Durant led the NBA in WS/48 this season. So logically Durant would be the player who gives your team the best chance to win this season.
it is a single game. single games tend to matter more in the playoffs, for obvious reasons, especially elimination games.
lebron knows this as well, that's how he can be the best player in the league without having to put up the best stats in the regular season and have it go wholly undisputed by any reasonable person watching the sport.
I repeat
This is what happens when you try to analyze basketball like you would baseball.
I think the only year LeBron definitely didn't deserve MVP was last year when Curry went absolutely nuts...and MAYBE Westbrook this year.
Crazy how newer NBA fans try to put LeBron ahead of Jordan. I get that if you've never seen Jordan you may not get it, but Jordan was an absolute basketball god.
2011 is the only stain on his career. Every time he's lost besides that was to the better team. 2015 is for sure a question mark though because of the injuries.LeBron has legitimate reason to win in 2011, and 2014, and maybe 2015 had he not missed that stretch of games. 2011 is the only really bad snub.
Everything else, well mvp is a regular season award
Then prove it. Where is the evidence that supports your statement.
I meant mvp, but yeah. Well, there was the 2010 delonte west game, but yeah. 2011 and Dirk, before LeBron, bosh, etc. went heavily to small ball, is the main stain against him2011 is the only stain on his career. Every time he's lost it was to the better team. 2015 is for sure a question mark though because of the injuries.
I repeat
This is what happens when you try to analyze basketball like you would baseball.
it is a single game. single games tend to matter more in the playoffs, for obvious reasons, especially elimination games.
lebron knows this as well, that's how he can be the best player in the league without having to put up the best stats in the regular season and have it go wholly undisputed by any reasonable person watching the sport.
Kevin Durant missed 20 games this year. LeBron James missed 8 games this year. Check the respective team records during those games. This isn't hard.
I would love to talk about basketball like basketball. However until a baseline is set for discussing what is actually happening on the court (usually measured by statistics) a reasonable basketball conversation cant take place.
So Lebron is the best player because he doesnt try and if he did he would be the greatest? Thats not a very coherent arguement. There is no way to measure this, and typically players who give a lack of effort are seen as inferior. So why doesnt this taint Lebron like it does with other players.
Why should I do that? WS/48 is an individual metric that seeks to determine a players individual importance. Correlation and causation are two very different things. GSW being a better team then Cleveland without Lebron doesnt tell you anything useful about either player as an individual. At most it says the Lebron is better then his backup by a greater margin then Durant is better then his own backup.
LeBron is the MVP every year.
There needs to be a Player of The Year award that is a bit different. Russ was clearly the player of the year. But most valuable? Clearly that's LeBron.
So Lebron is the best player because he doesnt try and if he did he would be the greatest?
That's not a very coherent argument.
There is no way to measure this, and typically players who give a lack of effort are seen as inferior.
So why doesnt this taint Lebron like it does with other players.
Baseball has always lended itself to being tracked, stat wise.
There are a lot of variables to Basketball that doesn't show up on the stat sheet. Defensive stats, for example, are widely understood as not being a great overall indicator of defensive play in Basketball.
To be fair, defense stats in baseball are known to be not too accurate in assessing defensive talent, seeing as the different ones vary. At least the stats that are publicly available to us.
But yes, in baseball the essence of it happens in a finite, easily understood way, regarding the pitch and the position player's action. In basketball there is a whole lot of variables that come into play that make advanced stats not as valuable. I'm still a big fan of them, and they are still improving, but it's something to take into consideration.
Frankly, someone trying to argue that Lebron isn't the best player and that there's five or more guys that are just as good hurts my head.
The most valuable player on the court is the guy who goes all out
2011 is the only stain on his career. Every time he's lost besides that was to the better team. 2015 is for sure a question mark though because of the injuries.
LeBron is the MVP every year.
There needs to be a Player of The Year award that is a bit different. Russ was clearly the player of the year. But most valuable? Clearly that's LeBron.
I would love to talk about basketball like basketball. However until a baseline is set for discussing what is actually happening on the court (usually measured by statistics) a reasonable basketball conversation cant take place.
So Lebron is the best player because he doesnt try and if he did he would be the greatest? Thats not a very coherent arguement. There is no way to measure this, and typically players who give a lack of effort are seen as inferior. So why doesnt this taint Lebron like it does with other players.
Curry isn't anywhere near LeBron. come on dude.
Does He? Lebron has a 3-4 Career Finals record. Thats sub .500 and not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Now lets talk about last season. The Cavs were trailing GSW 3-1 before Bogut got hurt. Its probably not a coincidence that Cleveland won 3 games straight after GSW lost their best rim protector.
Why should I do that? WS/48 is an individual metric that seeks to determine a players individual importance. Correlation and causation are two very different things. GSW being a better team then Cleveland without Lebron doesnt tell you anything useful about either player as an individual. At most it says the Lebron is better then his backup by a greater margin then Durant is better then his own backup.
Does He? Lebron has a 3-4 Career Finals record. Thats sub .500 and not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Context? This is the reigning NBA Finals MVP in his 14th NBA season with near 200 playoff games thrown on top, not early 20s Harden giving zero effort on defense.So Lebron is the best player because he doesnt try and if he did he would be the greatest? Thats not a very coherent arguement. There is no way to measure this, and typically players who give a lack of effort are seen as inferior. So why doesnt this taint Lebron like it does with other players.
Delly the goat
There is no legitimate argument for LeBron being MVP this season. Westbrook, Harden and Kawhi all had MVP caliber seasons that surpass everybody else. Isiah Thomas also has a better resume.
Baseball has always lended itself to being tracked, stat wise.
There are a lot of variables to Basketball that doesn't show up on the stat sheet. Defensive stats, for example, are widely understood as not being a great overall indicator of defensive play in Basketball.
I agree and what is tracked in Basketball helps a lot in understanding how good a player is, you just have to approach it as part of the argument, but not the whole story. I wish more stats were covered, like hockey assists, and more defensive stats were emphasized.
No doubt, Lebron is on his own tier.
Those two and Kawhi are top 3 in almost every advanced stat this postseason. It's pretty clear the top 4 is them and Durant. How far above them Lebron resides is just splitting hairs.
Seriously? Playoff performance cannot be reduced to finals record. This ignores the insane performances he puts up even in losses, and ignores his complete dominance of teams in the first three rounds.
Statistics are one component of it but those statistics need to be contextualized. In the context of determining the regular season MVP, fine, go nuts with your statistical arguments. I'm certainly not going to argue that Lebron is deserves the MVP, or even top-3 consideration. Though I am amused that you state Westbrook is the best player this year even though advanced stats hate his season, but that's another discussion.
But I would hesitate to use those stats when trying to definitively say Lebron isn't clearly the best player in the league. Because that's an entirely different question that follows an entirely different set of criteria. Maybe in baseball, where the relatively low amount of opportunities to influence the game, the lack of playoff spots, and the nature of the sport where there's no clock and the ability to comeback is always in play means that baseball players must put forth max effort all the time. At least there, regular season stats DO matter.
No, players who give a lack of effort in the playoffs are seen as inferior. Nobody gives a crap if Lebron checks out on defense in some random 3rd quarter possession of some mid-March game against the Magic or whatever because he's coasting.
Win shares aren't WAR. You're conflating baseball with basketball. Again. Like, you started out by arguing that DeMarcus Cousins was as good as LeBron. You pretty clearly don't know what you're talking about and are googling around for context-free stats when you clearly don't understand what they actually tell you. Basketball isn't baseball because basketball is:
(a) a true team sport, unlike baseball, which is largely a series of individual encounters masquerading as a team sport
(b) a sport in which the regular season is a relative formality because every team that doesn't completely suck makes the playoffs
(c) a consistently physically taxing sport that incentivizes players to conserve energy and minimize wear-and-tear in the regular season because of (b)
You would understand that LeBron James is an exponentially better basketball player than DeMarcus Cousins if you had ever watched a basketball game or understood the sport beyond a surface level of who had the most ppg. in the regular season or whatever.