NBA midseason MVP?

H

hornpharmd

5,000+ Posts
We're almost to midseason. Who do you think is the best MVP candidate right now?

Wade?
28.7 points/game, 7.3 assists/game, playing good defense with 2.21 steals/game and 1.52 blocks/game. Heat are 6th in the East which isn't great but their 23 wins this season is already 8 more than their 15 wins they had the entire season last year.

James?
28.0 points/game, 7.4 rebounds/game, 6.9 assists/game, 2.02 steals/game, 1.24 blocks/game. Lebron is really taking that next step now. He is becoming a more complete player and in only his 6th season and age 24 is starting to look like he will be the best player in the league for the next 5-7 years. Cavs are 2nd in the East just 1/2 game behind Boston right now.

Bryant?
26.4 points/game, 5.6 rebounds/game, 5.2 assistws/game, 1.29 steals/game. Kobe continues to play great defense. The difference this year is that Kobe has become a more efficient Kobe. He is not scoring 32 points/game but he is shooting as well as he ever has and is really getting the most out of his teammates. He has taken that next step that Jordan took around 93. He can still take over games if needed. Lakers are 1st in the West with a 5 game lead over SA. Best record in the NBA right now.

Howard?
Only 20 points/game, but he is becoming a force on defense. 13.9 rebounds/game and 3.20 blocks/game lead the league. HIs game has gone up a level but not sure he is an MVP right now. Magic are 3rd in the East.

Paul?
Only in his 4th season. HIs FG% has gone up every year he has played. His FT% has gone up each of the last 3 years. He is averaging 21.2 points/game, 11 assists/game, and 2.7 steals/game. Leads the league in assists and steals. NO's is 4th in the West, but just 2 games behind SA for 2nd place.


In my opinion it is down to Kobe and Lebron this year. Either player could win it but stat wise Lebron may have the edge.
 
Not only is James having a comparable season, but the Cavs are nothing without him. The Lakes might still compete.

James.
 
I like Kobe, always have.

I'd take him over anyone in the late stages of the game, or in the playoffs.

That said, for regular season I'd go with LeBron. I think he's the best player on the planet right now.
 
kobe is not better nor more dominant than lebron. lebron is the most freakish perimeter specimen ever and became the best player in the league at least 2 years ago (though no one seemed to want to recognize it) and will be the best for the foreseeable future. being built like a tank with the best explosion in the league has its advantages. lebron is the reason that the cavs have the 2nd or 3rd most efficient OFFENSE in the league despite having no real second scorer beside james. he either gets his own efficient shot or a wide open jumper for anybody else because of his incredible passing ability. and now he is tearing it up on defense as well (even as a big kobe fan, perception far exceeds reality when it comes to his D. he can turn it up on occasion but is fairly content to cruise for stretches and to take gambles in place of real defense).

kobe and wade would be battling for 2nd in the voting on my ballot. kobe gets more wins b/c his teammates are much, much better but their success also holds his numbers down a little (cleveland's ability to blow people out is holding lebron's numbers down as well). paul is having an incredible season, even better than last year, but i just don't think of him as better or more "valuable" than those 3.

and as dwight howard showed in the last game against the celtics, he still has a ways to go to get a post game that can score consistently against real defenses. not that i'd mind having him on my team and he is defending and rebounding like he needs to, but it also helps him that the team is absolutely loaded with 3 point shooters who keep defenses off of him or make them pay if he is doubled.
 
Well now Kobe goes out and scores 61 at MSG. He took out his own teammate a few games ago and should probably get more points until Bynum comes back.
 
It really depends on the rest of the season, and what the voters interpret as the meaning of "most valuable."

Cavs without Lebron are basically a 30-win team. Is your measure of value what the team would be like without you, or what you make the team around you?

Hornets/Heat would have vastly different schemes without their guard play. Would Paul or Wade thrive elsewhere?

I think there's no doubt that Kobe is the best player in the league, when you take a composite look at the entire skill set and what he could do in any given situation. But right now, I'd say Lebron has more value to his team.
 
Then give him the MVP of the Cavaliers trophy.

Kobe is the most valuable player in the NBA and the best player on the planet.
 
Yeh that MVP to his team argument is brought up every year and there is just no way to know. Lebron also plays in the East and you could argue where would they be if they played in the West.

I think it is pretty even right now myself. And of course the final MVP selection will depend on the rest of the season. If Kobe is able to keep his team with the #1 seed despite Bynum being out for 2-3 months, then that adds to his resume. If Lebron is able to capture the #1 seed over Boston then that adds to his resume.
 
Lebron is better. He's a better teammate. He's a better finisher. He's more unguardable. He's more durable. He's a better passer. He's a better team defender. Kobe is a better shooter and he's more clutch. But I'd still take Lebron everyday over him.

Those 61 Kobe put up in the Garden? Why was he even in the game in the fourth quarter? They were up 20 and he's still jacking it up. Weak.

And I don't think it's fair to criticize the East any longer as being weak. The competition is a lot better than it used to be and several teams have taken a step back in the West -- Dallas, Phoenix, Utah's had injuries and so has Houston and New Orleans, Golden State. I just don't see the giant chasm that there used to be.
 
Those numbers from Lebron are sick. I have not been paying much attention to the NBA, but you cannot argue with those numbers.
 
At the risk of being a homer, don't overlook Tim Duncan. For 10 years, this guy has been steady as a rock and still is. Depending on how far the Spurs go this year, he ought to be in the mix - whether now or at the end of the year. And I don't mean to say either Kobe or Lebron is not a legitimate pick.
 
A triple double for King James tonight including 52 pts - the most points in a triple double since the NBA-ABA merger.
 
Lebron will probably win it this year and deservedly so. He is getting his game from his body and not his fundamentals or sense of the game, which is getting better, but the guy would be the greatest ever if he had proper coaching. A year in a disciplined college program would have made him a more polished player since his upside potential is beyond anything we have ever seen.

When he is 33 or 34, Lebron won't be an elite player, but Kobe still may be.
 
Mitch appreciate those comments. I do disagree about being unguardable though.

2 weeks ago I was giving the edge to Lebron b/c of his #s and where his team was. But now the Lakers have just run through a 6 game East coast road trip including wins at Boston and Cleveland. His team has swept the Celtics and the Cavs this season. They ended the Celtics, what 19 and 12 game winning streaks this season. They ended the Cavs 23 game home court winning streak. Kobe had a key teammate go down during this last stretch and has responded with big game after big game.

Kobe and Lebron squared off yesterday and even though neither put up big #s I think it was clear that Kobe got the best of Lebron. Lebron could not guard Kobe and Kobe made several in your face jump shots with Lebron all over him. So who is more unguardable?

I think it is still a close race but what the Lakers have done this year beating the best is amazing. Kobe is their leader and just bested Lebron head to head. I think that puts Kobe ahead just a bit right now.
 
I think the question was proven as to who is better (right here and now) at the Olympics. LeBron rightly deferred to Kobe, who was the Alpha Dog on that team at all points in time where it mattered.

I think Kobe is by far the more skilled player. I think LeBron by far is the more physically gifted player (both are obviously very skilled and physically gifted don't misunderstand me or think I'm taking anything away from them).

Kobe's a little more selfish, and probably not as good a teammate as LeBron, but that's not the worst thing in the world either as it's what makes him never, ever, ever shrink from the moment (he might miss shots in the clutch but it's not b/c he's shrinking from the moment).

I don't agree about the supporting cast argument with Lebron either. He has an all star level point guard, he has a very skilled big man in the post in Z that has been an all star. He has shooters aplenty around him. He has tough in your face defenders and rebounders.

He's got all the pieces surrounding him that he needs- just like Kobe does.

I'd be really interested to see who wouldn't do the deal if a Lebron for Kobe swap was offered. Yes, Kobe is older by a good bit, but LeBron is only locked up for 2 more years, while Kobe has more on his contract. If you told me I could have the rest of Kobe's career or the rest of Lebron's career I'd obviously take Lebron. But it'd be interesting to see who blinked on that offer b/c Cleveland has to be scared out of their mind about losing Lebron in 2010.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top