2017-2018 MVP Discussion

[Cassity14]

I'm not as big a believer in the Rockets as others around here, but the fact is that the Cavs beating them in a 7-game series would be as historically improbable as us coming back from 3-1 against the 73-win Warriors in '16, perhaps even more so.

No team with a defense as poorly-ranked as the Cavs (28th) has even made the Finals, we sport a -0.07 SRS vs. their +8.81, and will struggle to win 50 games while they're on pace for a scorching 65+.

If the Cavs play and beat the Rockets in the Finals then you can replace all references and allusions to Jesus with LeBron.

I get the stastical relevance regarding the defense. However, the defense has improved since the trades, and we don’t have a large enough sample size defensively with the core rotation to write them off as terrible, particularly when playoff intensity kicks in.

I need to see playoff numbers that show me a lineup of Hill/Hood/Bron/Love/Nance is actually bad defensively. I don’t think it’s too bad to win at all unless 2-3 guys continue to under perform offensively for the entire postseason.

Nothing is as improbable as 2016 lol.

In the playoffs, the game slows down (less than it used to, but still some) and whistles go much more quiet. Both of those things are massive boosts to the Cavs’ odds in a series against Houston.

Factor in a tough series against Golden State, Chris Paul’s trend of fighting off injuries in the playoffs, Harden’s trend of wearing down the deeper things go, and LeBron’s lock to play his best ball come June, and I really think that series is right around a coin flip.

I think Nance and Love would require Capela to work extremely hard on the glass and both get him out of his comfort zone defensively. Nance has also shown a strong ability to guard the pick and roll, which makes him an ideal starting center against Houston.

I’d be grinning if the Cavs get to play Houston.

With all of that said, Golden State beats them in 5 or 6 if healthy so this is all moot.

 

[godfather]

I'm not sure why it is, but I still don't think the Rockets are much better than 50/50 in a series against the Cavs (assuming everyone is full strength).

Both of those guards historically aren't as good come playoff time. Chris Paul is good, but he's not Kyrie Irving or Steph Curry when it comes to a sidekick. Capela is really tough, but he's a limited big man.

If the Rockets and Cavs play in the finals, I think LeBron is good enough to trump the whole series provided the rest of the team just plays their standard game.

I think you're under estimating CP3 a lot. His numbers actually line right up with Kyrie in the playoffs.

I think Houston is legit. And it's actually possible, they could give GS a real scare..

But I guess we have to see if Harden can shake off the cobwebs.

I think Harden deserves a lot of scrutiny over his playoffs woes. Not sure Paul does though.

His numbers across the board are still good. And every team he's played on, he's been the best player. And there's only so much a 6 foot guard, that's really a pass first point guard, truly, can do for a team, when others around him have been very underwhelming in the post season.

 

[Cassity14]

I think you're under estimating CP3 a lot. His numbers actually line right up with Kyrie in the playoffs.

I think Houston is legit. And it's actually possible, they could give GS a real scare..

But I guess we have to see if Harden can shake off the cobwebs.

I think Harden deserves a lot of scrutiny over his playoffs woes. Not sure Paul does though.

His numbers across the board are still good. And every team he's played on, he's been the best player. And there's only so much a 6 foot guard, that's really a pass first point guard, truly, can do for a team, when others around him have been very underwhelming in the post season.

I'll give you that. Paul has been very good statistically in the postseason. That said, his health is always a massive question mark, and the dude has never even made it out of the second round, let alone all the way to the finals. It's wishful thinking, IMO, to assume that at this age and stage of his career, that he will be 100% the entire postseason.

 

[czvo]

Yeah, this idea that Paul is bad in the playoffs has always been weird to me. His numbers are almost always great, and the only time I can remember them losing a series as a higher seed is when he was in new Orleans and they lost to the spurs.

 

[Real Deal]

Remember when LeBron would play like 70 games in a season and automatically be dismissed from the MVP discussion because of doing so?

What's the haters going to say this time?

LeBron is such the fucking MVP that it's not even funny. Obviously winning trumps all, but look who LeBron is winning with vs who's Harden winning with.

This will be the most dissapointing LeBron MVP snub, he's 33 playing like 23.

 

[Otsego Mar]

Has the graphic been posted anywhere showing LeBron besting Harden in every single major stat this season?

 

[Zog]

Thought this Game of Zones was pretty great:

https://streamable.com/cenj1

 

[blank964]

Regardless of who wins MVP it's pretty whack the awards won't be handed out until after the season from now on apparently. I've never been a fan of MLB doing this and I always thought it was cool having the MVP ceremony prior to a big game in the winner's building.

 

[Real Deal]

Regardless of who wins MVP it's pretty whack the awards won't be handed out until after the season from now on apparently. I've never been a fan of MLB doing this and I always thought it was cool having the MVP ceremony prior to a big game in the winner's building.

Television, red carpet, primetime, commercials, money, more money, and more money.

Yeah, pretty lame.

 

[Derek]

I think Harden wins it, but Anthony Davis is my MVP this year