OT Finals MVP Voting

[Wizard Mentor]

Iggy won 7-4 over LBJ.

Some Surprises:
Curry get zero votes.
Reporter from Akron votes for Iggy

Now, here is how James’ and Iguodala’s stats stack up:
James Iguodala
Games 6 6
MPG 45.8 36.8
PPG 35.8 16.3
RPG 13.3 5.8
APG 8.8 4.0
SPG 1.3 1.3
FG % .398 .521
3-PT % .310 .400
FT % .687 .357
Wins 2 4
http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/...ote-total-golden-state-warriors-champs-061615

 

[blue9]

For some perspective, here's Iggy's stats vs Nic's:

Iggy // Nic (Nic from 13/14)
MPG: 36.8 // 41.8 (41.7)
PPG: 16.3 // 14.2 (15.2)
RPG: 5.8 // 8.6 (7.6)
APG: 4.0 // 5.2 (4.8)
SPG: 1.3 // 0.2 (1.4)
FG%: 52.1 // 34.3 (.472)
3P%: .400 // .333 (.350)
FT%: .357 // .769 (.800)

Other than Iggy shooting MUCH better than he typically shoots (while Nic shot MUCH worse than he normally shoots), there's not much difference. And I'm confident that Nic could "hold" LBJ to 36/13/9. Yet one is a Finals MVP and the other is a scape goat for his team's lack of success.

Edit: To clarify - those are Iggy's stats as provided by WM, and Nic's Playoff stats from the past two seasons.

 

[BBert]

Which player was more valuable to their team?

The one who single-handedly carried his team, and was the only reason they were competitive in any of the games?

Or the one who benefited on offense from not being a defensive focus, and who gave up historical numbers to the guy he was supposed to be guarding?

Hmmm....I'm no Lebron fan, but this is obvious.

 

[handiman]

Is there any doubt that LeBron would have shot significantly better than 40% if Iggy wasn't guarding him most of the time? (Anyone know the breakdown of his FG% against various defenders for the series?) I'm only mildly impressed by LeBron's scoring numbers, taking into account how many shots it took to get them.

There's no value in losing, as far as I'm concerned, so a losing team cannot have the Most Valuable Player.

 

[BBert]

Is there any doubt that LeBron would have shot significantly better than 40% if Iggy wasn't guarding him most of the time? (Anyone know the breakdown of his FG% against various defenders for the series?) I'm only mildly impressed by LeBron's scoring numbers, taking into account how many shots it took to get them.

There's no value in losing, as far as I'm concerned, so a losing team cannot have the Most Valuable Player.

As to the first part, possibly. Also, he may have shot better if he wasn't asked to be super human, and been the entire focus of the defense.

As to the second, respectfully disagree. A player has no value unless his team wins the championship? It takes a team. And he is only one player.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

LBJ hurt his team by shooting so poorly. He actually missed a lot of easy shots. It would be interesting to know how LeBron shot while Iggy was guarding him.

 

[MARIS61]

Stephen Curry should have won hands down.

An argument can easily be made that LeBron actually held his team down by monopolizing the ball, and they did get quite soundly stomped.

If the 2 teams had traded Curry and LeBron at the start of the year, Cleveland would have won this finals against some Western team not located in California.

 

[blue9]

If the 2 teams had traded Curry and LeBron at the start of the year, Cleveland would have won this finals against some Western team not located in California.

Whoaaaaa! So LBJ couldn't carry that team but Curry would have? Respectfully disagree.
I think it's entirely plausible that simply swapping JR Smith for a healthy Wes could have changed the outcome of the Finals.

 

[MARIS61]

Whoaaaaa! So LBJ couldn't carry that team but Curry would have? Respectfully disagree.
I think it's entirely plausible that simply swapping JR Smith for a healthy Wes could have changed the outcome of the Finals.

You say carry, I say held back.

No team has ever been "carried" to the NBA Finals by one player.

Not even Jordan could do it. He had to be paired with other top-tier players and some very solid role players AND THEN he still had to find ways to help each of them play at their fullest potential.

This is what Curry has done.

LeBron overshadows players and reduces their opportunities to contribute, then badmouths them while claiming he's the best. I can't think of a single player that is a better player because of LeBron.

 

[cmeese47]

Prior to game 6 I saw some stats with Iggy vs Lebron. Lebron when guard by Iggy at that point was shooting 33.1% and he was only able to make 2 assisted field goals vs 16 when others had guarded him.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Prior to game 6 I saw some stats with Iggy vs Lebron. Lebron when guard by Iggy at that point was shooting 33.1% and he was only able to make 2 assisted field goals vs 16 when others had guarded him.

That's what I was thinking happened, hence the MVP.

 

[BBert]

I would have voted for Curry. MVP of his team, he made his teammates better, and his team won.

 

[jlprk]

It takes a lot to piss me off. This pisses me off.

There will be a very public firestorm across the NBA over LeBron James being denied this award.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Iggy did such a great job on Lebron that he only averaged more points, rebounds and assists of anyone on either team.

 

[riverman]

Iggy never looked gassed or out of shape in this whole series while staying in LBJ's grill the whole time. I thought he was MVP hands down over Curry or James. Some folks just love scoring champs

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Iggy did such a great job on Lebron that he only averaged more points, rebounds and assists of anyone on either team.

LeBron did such a great job on Iggy that he averaged more losses in the finals this year than any player on the Warriors.

In fact, LeBron's record vs. Iggy when both started: 0-3. The cavs didn't win one f-ing game.

Truth is no one deserved finals MVP this year, LBJ included. However, they had to give it to someone.

 

[handiman]

As to the second, respectfully disagree. A player has no value unless his team wins the championship? It takes a team. And he is only one player.

You're right. I oversimplified and overstated it to make a point. This is about the Finals MVP. In my opinion, the only thing that matters at that stage is winning. It's not like the regular season and early playoff rounds where you're jockeying for position or advancement. In the Finals, you either won or you lost. Therefore, in simplistic terms, a losing team's player shouldn't merit MVP consideration because they didn't do the one thing of utmost importance: win.

 

[Run BJM]

I wonder if many of you even watched the series. No one on the Warriors could do anything to bother LBJ except for Iggy. IMO if he wasn't on the roster we lose the series for sure.

But to answer your questions:

James scored at an astronomical rate (35.8 points per game, albeit on 40 percent shooting) in these Finals. But with Iguodala as his primary defender, James shot just 35.1 percent from the field, according to ESPN Stats & Information data. That's worse than James shot when guarded by Jimmy Butler, an NBA All-Defense second-team selection this season, in the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals (39.3 percent) and against Kawhi Leonard, this season's defensive player of the year, in the 2014 Finals (57.6 percent).

"Guarding LeBron James has to be the hardest job in basketball," Kerr said. "So after the first three games we decided to start Andre because he was by far doing the best job on LeBron."

James also shot just 30 percent on shots contested by Iguodala. When contested by anyone else, James shot 42 percent.

Moreover, when Iguodala was in the game, James shot 38 percent from the field and the Cavaliers were minus-55. When he sat, James shot 44 percent and the Cavs were plus-30.

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/201...andre-iguodala-game-finds-acceptance-warriors

 

[rig]

You say carry, I say held back.

No team has ever been "carried" to the NBA Finals by one player.

Not even Jordan could do it. He had to be paired with other top-tier players and some very solid role players AND THEN he still had to find ways to help each of them play at their fullest potential.

This is what Curry has done.

LeBron overshadows players and reduces their opportunities to contribute, then badmouths them while claiming he's the best. I can't think of a single player that is a better player because of LeBron.

Really? There is no question Cleveland would not have made the Finals if LeBron wasn't there. They didn't exactly light up the weak eastern conference with a healthy Kyrie and the cast the last few seasons...did they even make the playoffs..?

Whilst LeBron shot an awful lot in this series, it's not like the role players contributed greatly when he deferred. JR and Shump missed an awful lot of wide open shots generated off of Lebron, which is no fault of his own.

 

[Run BJM]

You're right. I oversimplified and overstated it to make a point. This is about the Finals MVP. In my opinion, the only thing that matters at that stage is winning. It's not like the regular season and early playoff rounds where you're jockeying for position or advancement. In the Finals, you either won or you lost. Therefore, in simplistic terms, a losing team's player shouldn't merit MVP consideration because they didn't do the one thing of utmost importance: win.

Its been interesting to hear the different arguments and different rationalizations. Wouldn't have been upset if any of the LeBron, Dre, or Curry won it. I would have voted Andre with LeBron as a close second and Curry third.

 

[rig]

I understand the Iggy MVP, I think he was the most influential player on the winning side. It was the whole team that won them the ring, including the massive boost they got from their bench, but without Iggy's defense on LBJ I doubt they win the series. But still, without LBJ, Cavs clearly lose 4 zip. This series was only close due to LeBron. Losing and all, he was clearly the most valuable player in the series IMO.

 

[LameR]

Bron's %'s vs. Iggy were abysmal, Iggy earned it. Cool to see they weren't blinded by PPG RPG APG. LeBron did great for his situation, but Iggy earned this 100%

 

[jlprk]

So the MVP earned his MVP by slowing the superstar a tad. Wow. He sure earned it.

LeBron was inefficient because he was on a 1-man team, not because of what Igoudala did.

If the Warriors had been missing 2 of their top 3 players, would Igoudala have carried them to close games in all the Finals games, as the Player of the Decade did?

No, but he might have slowed the true star down. Whoopee.

 

[barfo]

LeBron chose his team, so he doesn't get to use 'my teammates suck' as an excuse. He's a loser, burn him.

I don't know about Iggy Azalea winning, I think she's kind of unpleasant to listen to, but kids these days, they don't appreciate good music.

barfo

 

[BBert]

I wonder if many of you even watched the series. No one on the Warriors could do anything to bother LBJ except for Iggy. IMO if he wasn't on the roster we lose the series for sure.

But to answer your questions:


http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/201...andre-iguodala-game-finds-acceptance-warriors

Would you have won the series if Curry wasn't on the team?

 

[BBert]

You're right. I oversimplified and overstated it to make a point. This is about the Finals MVP. In my opinion, the only thing that matters at that stage is winning. It's not like the regular season and early playoff rounds where you're jockeying for position or advancement. In the Finals, you either won or you lost. Therefore, in simplistic terms, a losing team's player shouldn't merit MVP consideration because they didn't do the one thing of utmost importance: win.

In that case, I'd vote for Curry.

 

[BBert]

I understand the Iggy MVP, I think he was the most influential player on the winning side. It was the whole team that won them the ring, including the massive boost they got from their bench, but without Iggy's defense on LBJ I doubt they win the series. But still, without LBJ, Cavs clearly lose 4 zip. This series was only close due to LeBron. Losing and all, he was clearly the most valuable player in the series IMO.

I agree.

And without Curry, the Cavs win 4 zip.

Without Iggy, who knows?

Oh, well. I'm not a fan of either team, so phooey.

 

[blue9]

Would you have won the series if Curry wasn't on the team?

Would GSW have even MADE the Playoffs without Curry? No.

 

[jlprk]

How can anyone defend that little pest Igoudala? LeBron swatted him away like a fly.

 

[jlprk]

Andre Miller played with the Philly Iggy 2 1/2 seasons and the Nuggy Iggy 1 season. These analytics show what formed Iguodala and that we should have kept Miller.