The MVP at the halfway point
There is a runaway winner
We are a little bit more than halfway through the NBA season, right about the time when every columnist who has a vote, stands up on their pedestal and gives their personal reasoning why they would take Player X, and then they make their case for the player in question. I do no such thing.
This is not one man sitting around and deciding who he thinks in his expert opinion, he knows who is MVP. The one thing that has become crystal clear over the past few years is that we will never agree on what the MVP is. Does it celebrate one individual carrying a bad team to mediocrity? Is it the biggest winner on the best team? The last few years have turned the world into chaos. It used to be simple, the MVP was the dominant force in the game, one who could not be denied and had a championship on lock until he ran into Jordan or Shaq in their primes - and then you’d say well, Shaq or MJ should have been the MVP anyways.
Another problem of recent times is the dilution of talent through over-expansion. The NBA will never retract teams, because that would deprive tens of thousands of fans from paying for tickets every night, not to mention all of the T-shirt vendors and concession stand workers, and the arena maintenance crews would be out of work. More teams is good for business, but it thins out talent distribution, so the individual megastar has to carry inferior teammates more often.
Therefore, the whole MVP discussion has become skewed. There are so few teams you would consider to be loaded with talent, and those are the teams that have produced MVPs in recent years. The Mavs, the Suns, the T-Wolves in that one year with Spree and Cassell, and before that the Spurs. People always seem to feel the need to stand up and trumpet a guy who carries a bad team on his back beyond its capabilities. If you honestly look at the results, the only player ever to pull that off in the eyes of the voters is Allen Iverson.
Now, the voting process is everybody submits their ballot, makes the arguments to justify, and so forth. I have been giving out the MVP of the night, called Player of the D.A.Y., for every calendar day of NBA action this season. Each Player of the D.A.Y. trophy is one MVP vote. Think of me as Herschel Walker, I’m 85 different people, each with one vote. That’s right, I’ve given out 85 of these so far because it’s one every day, and I included weekends. Sometimes (many times) they come in bunches in a “make-up” post, but they are all accounted for.
My criteria is clear. Best performance in the most “meaningful” game of that night. Who was the #1 guy in the NBA on each and every given night. That means I weed out the flashy numbers put up by losers, as well as the solo artist on a bad team. A lot of people are just handing the award over to KG already because of how he’s transformed the mentality of a losing organization into something that resembles a winner. Well, he hasn’t had to put the team on his back and carry them… yet. Let’s call him the exception that proves the rule. Yes, that will do. Cause KG hasn’t won one of these since the Celtics home opener. Big Baby has the same number of these votes as KG. Hmmmmmm… I guess that makes Boston the “Team of the Year.” Not as exciting.
Enough pre-qualifying. Let’s get down to business. The merits that make up the MVP is a discussion that will play out all year long. These are just the numbers. And I didn’t count the games from over the weekend. I’ll add those on for the second half count.
LeBron James 7
Brandon Roy 4
Chris Paul 4
Kobe Bryant 4
Allen Iverson 3
Baron Davis 3
Josh Howard 3
Yao Ming 3
Emeka Okafor 2
Jason Richardson 2
Jose Calderon 2
LaMarcus Aldridge 2
Manu Ginobili 2
Mehmet Okur 2
Michael Redd 2
Al Jefferson 1
Amare Stoudemire 1
Andrei Kirilenko 1
Carlos Boozer 1
Carmelo Anthony 1
Caron Butler 1
Chauncey Billups 1
Chris Bosh 1
Deron Williams 1
Dirk Nowitzki 1
Dwight Howard 1
Eddy Curry 1
Fabricio Oberto 1
Gerald Wallace 1
Glen Davis 1
Grant Hill 1
Hedo Turkoglu 1
Jamaal Tinsley 1
Jason Terry 1
Joe Johnson 1
John Salmons 1
Josh Smith 1
Kevin Durant 1
Kevin Garnett 1
Lamar Odom 1
Linas Kleiza 1
Paul Pierce 1
Rajon Rondo 1
Rashard Lewis 1
Raymond Felton 1
Ryan Gomes 1
Sebastian Telfair 1
Shaquille O’Neal 1
Steve Nash 1
Tim Duncan 1
TJ Ford 1
Tracy McGrady 1
Travis Outlaw 1
Tyrus Thomas 1
Tyson Chandler 1
Biggest surprises: Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer with only one each, while Memo has two. I guess that’s because you can’t separate the PG from the PF. Nash and Amare with only one each… Ginobili with more than Duncan… Dwight Howard with only one, I feel like he’s gotten the honorable mention 10 times. I suppose you could say that is a critical flaw having Okafor with more D.A.Y. votes than Dwight, but I stand by the top of the list: LeBron is MVP, followed by Roy, Paul, and Kobe.
The real voters are going to give it to KG at the end of the year.
36 Responses to “The MVP at the halfway point”
Jan.28 at 9:10 am
Keith says:
You can’t argue with that. Well said Sam.
Jan.28 at 9:16 am
Keith says:
Actually, on second look…Oberto has as many D.A.Y awards as Dwight? This MVP system is floored. Not well said Sam.
Jan.28 at 9:19 am
Ryan Jones says:
If someone — a blind person, perhaps, or maybe a space alien — who had never seen LeBron James play basketball, but had heard about LeBron James in regards to how he plays basketball, asked me to describe to them the manner in which LeBron James plays basketball, I would probably say, “LeBron James is good at basketball.”
Jan.28 at 9:30 am
Keith says:
Is this right? Last year’s midway results showed that ‘Bron didn’t have a single D.A.Y? Ridiculous.
Jan.28 at 9:34 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
If honorable mentions counted for something (which they do not) then Dwight would be way up there. And yes, LeBron took it easy for the whole fast half this year. This season he’s been going… 100 MPH. Get it?
Jan.28 at 9:36 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
uh, “whole first half last year.” Sorry, just read the tiki barber quotes and my hands are shaking from the anger.
Jan.28 at 9:36 am
white hot eboy says:
Not too hard to argue after he outdueled the “game’s greatest player” yesterday. Great game, btw.
Jan.28 at 9:39 am
TADOne says:
Sam, please edit this and move Bron’s total to 8. There is NO WAY you’re not giving him the award for yesterdays performance.
Jan.28 at 9:40 am
Ryan Jones says:
And people wonder why I’m such a Bron fan. After yesterday, isn’t it obvious? It’s not just how well he played Sunday. It’s that he disproved all the silly arguments people tried to make against him in The Post Up last week. Unclutch? Can’t beat good Western teams, especially on the road? No defense? Clearly — CLEARLY — LeBron actually read all those comments, saw me defending him, and made a point of backing me up. That’s love right there.
Jan.28 at 9:43 am
TADOne says:
Ryan is the Kobe to LeBron’s Bynum.
Jan.28 at 9:43 am
DP says:
CP3 has to be MVP if you dig what I’m sayin. Kobe is my boy and my favorite player but Paul is just making everybody on his team look like all-stars. Tyson Chandler anyone? play wit it.
Jan.28 at 9:43 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
Ryan you kill me almost as much as LeBron and the Cavs did yesterday.
Jan.28 at 9:44 am
Jared says:
Tyson Chandler was boardin hard last year without CP…but he should still get mad votes
Jan.28 at 9:45 am
Ryne Nelson says:
Garnett, after yesterday’s performance by the Celtics, deserves a place much higher on the list. I’m not saying that LeBron James doesn’t deserve consideration for the award, but KG is still the better player a this point. LeBron - more talented . KG - better player.
Jan.28 at 9:45 am
Rasheedionics says:
Just having Linas Kleiza on the above list, discredits the whole thing. However, I agree with Lebron being a first half MVP. A lot of people argue it should be Kobe or KG but to me yesterday’s games were reflection of the deserving MVP. Well, KG wasn’t even playing due to the injury and I’m going to predict that he’s going to be miss a lot more regular season games in 2nd half as Celtics enjoy comfortable lead in the standings and will rest KG for playoffs. Then, we had Kobe and Lebron going head to head. Difference between 2 players was more than obvious especially when they’re were guarding each other. While Lebron kept taking it to the basket strong and shooting over whoever was defending him, Kobe was setting for too many long jumpers and fade aways to the point that Phil was forced to bench his Superstar with 4 minutes left in the game. Clearly, Lebron is the true MVP.
Jan.28 at 10:01 am
Ryne Nelson says:
@Rasheedionics Linas Kleiza should’ve been on the list without doubt for at least one game this year. HE completely balled the night he got 41 and 9. He’s a very underappreaciated player who’s stepped up numberous times this season to fill-in for injured Nuggets KMart Camby and Nene. Kleiza has really stepped his game up this season. Props to him.
Jan.28 at 10:04 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
The oddities are a GOOD thing about this list. Cause I would even argue against myself about some things, and that’s how you know it’s truly impartial, not just some guy coming up with some random thought.
Jan.28 at 10:19 am
Ryne Nelson says:
@Sam Great point, man. I was looking all around for KG before I found him at the bottom of the list. I am a huge KG for MVP guy this season, but this list is making me reconsider Bron and Kobe.
Jan.28 at 10:58 am
Tarzan Cooper says:
CHRIS PAUL IS THE MVP!!!! first in the west? what? NOBODY predicted that.
Jan.28 at 11:04 am
peteb80 says:
I don’t buy the “dilution of talent through over-expansion” thing. There were 23 teams in 1984 and a US population of 235 million. Today there’s 30 teams and a population of 303 million. So the increase in both is about 30%. Plus it’s become way easier for international players to come to the US.
Jan.28 at 11:05 am
Ryne Nelson says:
Okay, now we’re talking. Record doesn’t equal MVP. But yeah, Paul should be considered for the award. If nothing else, he’s headed for a First-Team selection….Just don’t get hurt Chris!
Jan.28 at 11:15 am
Tarzan Cooper says:
btw, anybody see barons crazy crossovers on jamal??? wow.
Jan.28 at 11:16 am
Bryant Reeves says:
new system? - make DAY award worth 2 points and honorable mention worth 1. That should rectify the Dwight, Duncan, Deron and Boozer situation.
Jan.28 at 12:33 pm
Phil B says:
actually, i think roy should get the player of the day for yesterday. the blazers should have lost that game, but roy decided in the last two minutes that he felt otherwise. oh yeah, and he was sick.
Jan.28 at 12:41 pm
Phil B says:
and 3. give him player of the day just for the D he played on joe johnson on the final possession.
Jan.28 at 3:03 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Using POD to determine MVP makes about as much sense as using fan voting to determine the All-Star starters. No offense.
Jan.28 at 6:22 pm
hursty says:
ryne thats hals cr@p, if record doesnt somewhat determine mvp then dirk wouldnt have it despite statistical numbers. russ, everyone needs their own special way of figuring things out.
Jan.28 at 6:33 pm
what says:
Don’t blame Samron for this system not working, the real problem is that TNT shows the same damn teams every week so the Thursday POD always is coming from the same teams.
Jan.29 at 12:51 am
brayden says:
lebron deserves to be were his at
Jan.29 at 5:32 am
arthur says:
This system doesn’t exactly reward consistency
Jan.29 at 7:23 am
Damage says:
Dwight Howard that low…. HA HA HA Your kidding… Dwight is the ONLY player in the East that should be labeled a CENTER!
Jan.29 at 1:34 pm
matt the jazz fan says:
@Damage:
Except Jermaine O’Neal
Jan.29 at 2:12 pm
quiksilver03 says:
yeah, lebron is playing great, and he’s playing at his best in his young career, but you gotta give it to kobe.. because, mvp is not only how much you’re averaging, but most of the coaches or analyst are looking at the standings, and how good the team is playing.. even though the lakers lost in four out of six since bynum went down, they’re playing at their best in recent years.. for me, it’s still kobe.. but if there’s an award for the most talented, it will be, no doubt, will be lebron.. but still, kobe’s the true mvp, at this point.. hope it will stay at the end of the season..
Feb.3 at 1:07 am
manny says:
Kobe Bryant is the MVP
Feb.3 at 1:12 am
manny says:
LeBron is great player, but KOBE is the Greatest player. When KOBE turns it on he leaves LeBron in the dust…so KOBE is the MVP
Feb.3 at 2:37 am
Mardi says:
What are you guys talking about??? Kobe Bryant is by far the MVP front runner this year. He has guided a Laker’s team that no one even thought would have a chance at being in the playoffs, let alone, contend for a title this year. Chris Paul is overrated. He plays point guard, just like Steve Nash so 90% of the time, the ball is in his hands to make plays. Kobe Bryant on the other hand is a shooting guard, you can’t expect him to have the ball 90% of the time, he will make plays from time to time, but he is not a pointguard. Kobe has proven that is valuable and the best player on the planet at the moment.