2016-17 Running NBA Thread

Bill Russell was the MVP the year Oscar did it.

 

I like the way AP does it for college, that you don't have to go by position but the unit would have to be able to be on the floor together. Seems like something the NBA could do pretty easily rather than giving Marc Gasol and DeAndre Jordan that spot ahead of Curry, Thomas or Durant.

It is the worst slur on this board and in retrospect an overreaction on my part. Apologies.

Around here (Bay Area, not SJ) there seems to be a lot of blowback against the idea that Curry is merely one of the top 10 or 15 players in the world this year as opposed to being the top one. But he definitely isn't shooting as well, and given how much that one part drives his whole value it doesn't seem out of line at all to say he isn't playing as well. By the Hollinger PER rankings, he has gone from third in the league, to first, to 14th. That seems like about where he is this season.

 

Oddly enough, Robertson won it the next year. Only season between 59-60 and 67-68 either Russell or Wilt didn't win it.

 

Did not know that. Nicely done.

But, you'd like to think people have wised up in the last 55 years.

Actually appears they did just two years later.

In 63 - 64 when Robertson came within an eyelash of doing it again (31.4 ppg/9.9 rpg/11.0 apg), he won the MVP even though Russell had similar numbers to 61-62 (15.0 ppg/24.7 rpg/4.7 apg), and the Celts won it all again. Maybe they were tired of giving the MVP to Russell every year at that point.

 

What's really impressive to me is Westbrook is doing it while playing 10 fewer minutes per game than Oscar did.

 

And with a much slower game. Oscar's team averaged about 125 offensive possessions. Westbrook's team is averaging about 97.

 

It's an historic NBA season for Westbrook. Arguments he's not the MVP are arguments for their own sake -- slatepitches if you will. No offense to Harden, who's had a hell of a year, but this is not a realistic discussion.

 

And yet Kawhi is probably the MVP. Best defender in the league who's averaging 26/6/4 on offense.

One of those crazy years where 3 guys are bona fide worthy of the award.

 

Westbrook is 32/11/10. Leonard isn't very close.

 

And Kawhi is the 2-time defending Defensive Player of the Year who'll win it again this year, on top of his 26/6/4

I'm not advocating for Kawhi Leonard but let's not pretend he's less worthy for the award than Westbrook and Harden.

 

He's a wonderful player and in some other year, he'd be an MVP. Just not this one. Go back and think of Jerry West in the '60s. All-time great. He's the damn logo. Never got close to an MVP.

 

Isn't the entire vote a decision on who is more or less worthy?

Westbrook will win and there's a good chance it will be unanimous.