Why Kobe will win his first MVP, and why he doesn’t really deserve it…
Every NBA Fan knows that Kobe Bryant is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA History, and along with Allen Iverson is probably the best scorer we have seen since “The One”, Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan himself. So after 11 full NBA seasons, now playing in his 12th, why has Kobe never won the league’s greatest individual honor, the “Maurice Podoloff Trophy” for the leagues Most Valuable Player? Heck, why has he not even been in the top 2 or 3 in consideration for the award? Well, that all may change this year as all indications are pointing towards a Kobe Bryant anointment as the league MVP. If you are a Kobe Bryant and LA Laker fan please do not continue reading this article, unless you are willing to take an objective look at the points raised. Although Kobe will most likely win the MVP award, you are about to read why Kobe isn’t even in my top 3 candidates for MVP, with Lebron “King” James in my view leading the pack as the most deserving candidate.
Let’s start off by stating a few simple facts: Best player in the league isn’t the most valuable player, best scorer isn’t the most valuable, most exciting player isn’t the most valuable player, fan favourite isn’t the most valuable player, hell the best dressed doesn’t count for squat in the MVP race either! All of which (aside from the latter) are all statements I have heard people using interchangeably when discussing who is the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player.
Kobe this year has been amazing, leading the Lakers to one of the best records in the tough Western Conference. However, he isn’t doing much this year different from the last three years, aside from playing slightly more defense. What has changed is a massive improvement in the play of his supporting cast. Andrew Bynum started most of this season playing out of his mind, and if he didn’t get hurt would have been a legitimate candidate for Most Improved Player. Sasha Vujacic came on this year as one of the most efficient three point shooters in the NBA. Lamar Odom is starting to finally live up to his potential as an all around threat in the mould of a Scottie Pippen. Derek Fisher came back on board to play quarterback, and provide steady veteran leadership and know how. And last but not least I must mention the not-so-little “gift” handed to the Lakers by the Memphis Grizzlies, ah yes, Mr. Pau Gasol. Since the addition of Pau Gasol, the Lakers have gone from a decent team bound for playoffs, to a legitimate contender to win the West. Kobe is a very gifted scorer, but his increased fortune in supporting cast giving him a better team record, should not mean he is a shoe-in for the MVP award.
For those that felt Kobe should have won MVP last year due to his 81 point effort against the Raptors or winning last year’s scoring title, you are on shaky ground this year given that Lebron James is averaging 30.4 ppg to Kobe’s 28.6 ppg. However as previously stated, scoring isn’t everything and therefore I should mention Lebron is averaging 7.5 assists to the 5.3 of Kobe, 8.1 rebounds to the 6.3 of Kobe, and to top it off is shooting a field goal percentage of 48.4% to Kobe’s 45.8%. All of which King James does on a slow it down, grind it out team who has less “possessions per” to get his numbers. But what amazes me most about Lebron’s accomplishments this year, is the fact that he is getting so many assists on a team that is one of the leagues bottom dwellers in shooting percentage. Imagine if his kick outs resulted in knock down J’s most of the time? He would probably be averaging Steve Nash like assist numbers.
For the pundits who state “Well Kobe’s Lakers have a better record than Lebron’s Cavs,” if team record is so very important you may as well just hand the MVP award every year to the best player on the team with the best record. And even in such a scenario Kobe wouldn’t get the honor; in 2008 that player would be Mr. Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics.
I do give Kobe credit this year for improving his defense, which seems to be a carry-over from his impressive defensive performance in this summer’s Team USA FIBA America’s gold medal run. But even as impressive as he’s been this year on defense, Lebron has been better. Lebron has been locking down defenders with 1.1 blocks/6.3 defensive boards/1.9 steals per, whereas Kobe is sitting at 0.5 blocks/5.2 defensive boards/1.9 steals per.
Why will Kobe Bryant win the MVP for 2008?
Three main reasons:
1. The voters will feel that a hall of fame scorer of Bryant’s caliber should not go to the hall of fame without ever having won the MVP award.
2. The voters will buy into the “better record than Lebron’s Cavs” talk, all the while overlooking the magic Kevin Garnett has brought to the C’s with the NBA’s best record.
3. The voters will have already pegged Lebron James for MVP in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and possibly beyond. The unfortunate part about this type of thinking is you never know what could happen, and the MVP should go to the most deserving player in that given year. No ‘make-up calls’ please.
So I’ve mentioned Lebron James and Kevin Garnett as my favorites for 2008 MVP before Bryant. Is there anyone else? Here are my top 5 MVP candidates in order of preference for this year’s Maurice Podoloff trophy:
- Lebron James
- Chris Paul
- Kevin Garnett
- Kobe Bryant
- Steve Nash
Well there it is. And I’ve done enough NBA debating and blogging to know that the Kobe and Laker fans will leave me some “passionate” responses to this article. Let the J-Water bashing begin.
Lebron shouldnt win MVP for two reasons (this is not a comparison to Kobe or the Lakers, just why Lebron shouldnt win in)……The Cavs are at best an average team, No Matter what Lebron does, the Cavs are nowhere good enough to have a MVP. Secondly, Stats are not a reason to give it to him. They are too subjective to roles within a team. Granted Lebron has better overall numbers and does so on less possessions, Lebrons role is to create everything for the entire Cavs Team and Score at will. Kobe has teamates who can create themelves and when in the triangle system which promotes passing with mulitple touches for mutliple player there are many occasions where Kobes pass will lead to the pass which leads to assist. I dont understand why MVP is even an award…what does most valuable player mean exactly? why not just best player in the league? like others awards..such as best defensive player, best rookie ect ect
1. No one has ever won MVP on a 13th place team
2. The MVP 99 times out of 100 goes to a player on a top 3 seeding
3. out of the top 3 seeds. Kobe Bryant has the best numbers
- Kobe Bryant 28/6/5
- Kevin Garnett 19/9/3
- Chancy Billups 17/7/3
4. Pau Gasol did not make the allstar team. David West, Paul Pierce, and ray allen DID
5. Paul and Garnett dont take their teams clutch shots. paul pierce, ray allen, david west and peja stojakovic do
Kobe on the other hand takes almost every pressure shot for his team
6. Kobe finished the year better than anyone.
- Beat Paul in the MVP showdown
- Took 1st place from Paul
- Won player of the month
Paul could win MVP. but only if the same thing happens to kobe this year that happend to him in 2006. 22 voters left kobe completely off their ballot instead of putting him 2nd, 3rd, 4th or even 5th. bumping him from 2nd all the way to 4th overall
Dont worry though
Kobe is 2007-08 MVP.
Stats are overated. Depending on the coach offense and player will get better stats on certain teams. Like someone said, no one has avg over 7 assist in the triangle. It’s about letting the offense run itself and sharing the ball, meaning sharing assist, that’s y it’s built for championship teams and thats y as a team the Laks have one of the most assist as a team. Not, having one player run through countless scenes and have the rest of the players spot up for a shot or finish at the rim, eg Cris Paul. Why do u think when teams deny CP3 the ball the rest of the team crumbles? It all because of the team offense made for one player and the rest are a bunch of role players nothing more. A no one else gets to run the point.
On the Laks u have LO, Luke, Radman, Fisher, Kobe, and Farmar run the point at times. Some may suck at it but they all share the ball, thus, share the stats. The only player that doesn’t run the point at times in the triangle is the center.
Wtf? Why are you comparing Kobe and LeBron’s defense by looking at stats? Stats don’t even scratch the surface of playing defense, look at players like Bruce Bowen and Shane Battier… Kobe and LeBron must be better defenders since they get better stats!
/end sarcasm
I think your article proves Kobe to be more of a MVP then not. The MVP award is given to the player who makes his team better, who adds chemistry, who leads his team constantly to victory. Lebron a MVP? Well if you call requesting to trade away your whole team making your team better….then maybe? He averages 7.5 assists, good for him, he should get an award for 10th place in assists then. Jason Kidd averages 10+ you don’t see him on the list!
Stats mean nothing for this award, if that were the case, in the last2 years that Kobe had the scoring title, he should have grabbed MVP. He did not.
Kobe has made Bynum, Sasha, Farmar, Odom and Walton better players. He has been an on the floor and in practice leader. He has helped develop these young players for the last 2 years and now its paying off.
The only other legitamite candidate for MVP is Chris Paul. He doesn’t get it in my books, because David West and Tyson Chandler and Peja were already amazing players before teaming up with Paul. Yes, Chris Paul is a major reason for them going deep this year, but so is the no injury factor. You have a healthy Peja, West , Chandler and Paul all season, compared to a western conference that has been plagued by injuries, it is not quite the same.
Did I mention Kobe has been playing his last 30+ games with torn ligaments in his finger? The only game he missed was the all star game(played only a few minutes) because he needed rest on the fingers. That’s a MVP for you.
Fade,
You make great arguments, I agree it can’t be all based on statistics. And playing through injuries like Kobe and Iverson have this season, is a sure sign they have the heart of a champion.
And you are right that for the Cavs trading the team away doesn’t make sense for the GM. Check out the article my boy Dr. Anklesnap wrote on Lebron and the Cavs, compared to Iversons 2001 Sixers.
http://thehoopdoctors.com/online/?p=3
Let me know what you think?