NBA MVP.

[DanTMWTMP]

I pretty much agree w/ the ESPN Page2 article here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060414

I LOL'ed at his comment on how Kobe will make his mission to haunt you if you didn't choose him first on your team. (Based off of his premiss of:

In a giant pickup game with every NBA player waiting to play, and two fans forced to pick sides with their lives depending on the outcome of the game, who would be the first player picked based on the way everyone played that season?

)

Anyways, I think Kobe should get the MVP. He wowed me to no end this year w/ his incredible play. The Lakers are basically nothing without him.

Of course, I believe Nash, Lebron, and Nowitzki make really strong cases for the award, and I wouldn't be really suprised if any of them got them. But still, despite Kobe's bad PR, he's done phenominally well this season, wowing everybody. He is a model of what competitors should be like.

Due to that, I changed my opinion of him 180 degrees. Last year it was, of course, on the negative side. I'm now a fan and admirer of his impressive skills and work ethic.

discuss.


EDIT: I was at the game where he dropped 81. I saw it live!!! I could not believe it. I couldn't sleep that night, I couldn't eat, and I couldn't keep my mouth closed. I was in utter awe. It was an incredible display of extreme athletism, skill, determination, and the deathly will to win. Seeing things like this live is totally different. I downloaded a cap of the game and saw it through that. When you're at an NBA game live, the athletes move differently. The TV seems to slow them down. When looking a live game, you can see why some of these superstars are almost superhuman. The way they move their bodies to get a ball in a hole is nearly surreal and friggin incredible. Just because I saw it live, that's all the proof I need to say Kobe is this year's MVP. I'm still in shock of that event.

 

[mjh]

I am hoping that either Steve Nash or Dirk Nowitzki gets the MVP for this season.

 

[Reckoner]

How can Paul Pierce not be up there?

 

[BrokenVisage]

2 for 'Melo already?

 

[xenocyd3]

kobe no doubt....

kobe > jordan

 

[RiDE]

Originally posted by: xenocyd3
kobe no doubt....

kobe > jordan

I feel sorry for anyone who takes the bait.

 

[Azndude2190]

KOBE BRYANT FOR MVP.

He is no doubt the best individual player in this league right now. He took the Lakers from Lottery team to 7th in the West.

 

[Ophir]

As a lifelong Laker fan and attendee of the Mavs game where he dropped 62 and outscored them over 3qrts, it pains me to say that I think Steve Nash should be the MVP. Kobe is without a doubt the best player in the league, but many times the offense gets stagnant because the guys around him are obsessed with getting him the ball. Phoenix flows around Nash and seem to feed off of him, whereas the Lakers just stop and watch a hot Kobe.

For example, last weeks Phoenix game: he was as hot as I'd ever seen him, but for a stretch the other guys committed 3 straight turnovers and took some bad end-of-the-shot clock shots because they were so obsessed with getting him the ball. During that stretch Phoenix took off and never looked back. This is happening less and less as the rest of the Lakers get used to the triangle and playing with Kobe.

Hopefully the team stays together and Kobe can stop forcing shots next year. I'd say he's the favorite for the 2007 MVP.

 

[Azndude2190]

Yeah I agree sometimes he forces the issue.But I mean cmon his teamates suck.If he doesnt wing MVP this season its going to be next season.

 

[amol]

Always been a Laker fan, so Kobe obviously

 

[bigrash]

Lebron or Kobe. tie for me

 

[Azndude2190]

Lakers play PHX tommorrow.Battle of the MVP canidates

 

[Ophir]

Originally posted by: RiDE

Originally posted by: xenocyd3
kobe no doubt....

kobe > jordan

I feel sorry for anyone who takes the bait.

I don't know, it's hard for me to be objective, but I think 1-on-1 it would be a very close game. At points, Kobe gets hotter than should be humanly possible, eg his 12 3pt game, the 81pt game, the 9 game 40+pt stretch. I wonder whether Jordan could put up those numbers given todays game (much more relaxed perimeter defense, but much bigger guards).

In a 5-on-5 game, Jordan (in his prime) is no doubt superior. He learned to make his teammates better and was an absolute beast defensively. Kobe is not nearly as good at integrating into the offense or as good a defender (though he is very good).

It'll be interesting to see where Kobe goes in the next 5-10years, because right now he seems to be in the same position Jordan was in during the late 80's. Completely offensive minded, with little respect for the ability of his teammates. Jordan grew to accept basketball as a team sport, hopefully Kobe will too.

 

[imported_Mike]

Chauncey or Wade

 

[neegotiator]

i'd hafta give it to either kobe or lebron, both don't really have substantial help and yet have their teams in the playoffs. They're great all-around players (albeit kobe probably plays much better D) and really thrive on competition. That cavs-heat game a little while back with him and dwade going at eachother impressed the hell outta me, almost as much as kobe's 81.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: neegotiator
i'd hafta give it to either kobe or lebron, both don't really have substantial help and yet have their teams in the playoffs. They're great all-around players (albeit kobe probably plays much better D) and really thrive on competition. That cavs-heat game a little while back with him and dwade going at eachother impressed the hell outta me, almost as much as kobe's 81.

ya, that was one hell of an entertaining game. I think the NBA is going to be ok, w/ Kobe, and w/ Lebron/Wade/Melo right behind him, then, after Kobe passes his prime, those three will take over. Fun times for NBA to come.

 

[Nikamichi]

Originally posted by: Mike
Chauncey or Nash

 

[DukeN]

Nash by far. His team has basically done the same this year, WITHOUT AMARE, and have won their division. His stats are better than his MVP season numbers. He again turned nobodies into good players - Diaw and Bell. Kobe on the other hand, makes players worse on his team. Billups would be the next best contender but he has help on his team that Nash doesn't. And if he were to go down, his team would still be elite, unlike Nash's.

 

[lrad50]

Kobe. Hate him, but incredible season none the less.

And lmfao @ Chris Paul as a choice!

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: DukeN
Nash by far. His team has basically done the same this year, WITHOUT AMARE, and have won their division. His stats are better than his MVP season numbers. He again turned nobodies into good players - Diaw and Bell. Kobe on the other hand, makes players worse on his team. Billups would be the next best contender but he has help on his team that Nash doesn't. And if he were to go down, his team would still be elite, unlike Nash's.

you should look @ Lebron's or Nowitzki's situation. I think they have a better shot than Nash. Nash is not that great in defense. I've seen Marion play, he knows how to make his own shots, but of course, having Nash start the plays helps a ton, and keeps the offense flowing.

 

[torpid]

Kobe in a razor thin margin over lebron.

 

[stickybytes]

I voted and think Kobe should win the award but unfortunately, I don't think he will. There are a lot of other factors the writers factor in besides pure offense, which Kobe is superior in than any other NBA player. I don't think any other NBA player is as talented as him but there are plenty of other candidates that make up their lack of offense by helping their teammates play better and ultimately, become better as a team. Steve Nash will most likely win the award and he is certainly deserving especially considering that Amare was absent the whole season, but my vote goes to Kobe.

 

[DukeN]

Nash's team lost a top 10 player and still won their division wiht a much better record than James' team, which improved a ton this year. Nash's team also lost Johnson and Q. Not to mention Nash helped make guys like Diaw, Bell even maligned Tim Thomas useful. As for Dirk, his numbers actually declined - his team without him is still very well coached and not totally collapse like Phoenix would.

Originally posted by: DanTMWTMP

Originally posted by: DukeN
Nash by far. His team has basically done the same this year, WITHOUT AMARE, and have won their division. His stats are better than his MVP season numbers. He again turned nobodies into good players - Diaw and Bell. Kobe on the other hand, makes players worse on his team. Billups would be the next best contender but he has help on his team that Nash doesn't. And if he were to go down, his team would still be elite, unlike Nash's.

you should look @ Lebron's or Nowitzki's situation. I think they have a better shot than Nash. Nash is not that great in defense. I've seen Marion play, he knows how to make his own shots, but of course, having Nash start the plays helps a ton, and keeps the offense flowing.

 

[suicidalpigeon]

dallas my favorite team so...

 

[Miramonti]

I voted Lebron but probably kobe will get it.

Kobe singlehandedly is putting the lakers into the playoffs, while at the same time being virtually responsible for almost keeping Phil Jackson out of the playoffs for the first time. Almost 30 shots a game will destroy any team chemistry, if not simply deny it an opportunity to develop. Contrary to popular kobe fanboiz' belief, he doesn't play with a bunch of scrubs.

Nash makes his entire team better, but Lebron not only makes everyone better, he's more talented than anyone in the league, except kobe.

So forget about age, Lebron deserves it more than anyone and he should get it imo.