Lillard MVP

[illmatic99]

bball reference has a good formula that usually predicts the way the voters will vote. They agree with my rankings.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/mvp.html

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Its not that much of a reach, the best “record” + best player on that team. Well Milwuakee comes west they wouldnt be the best record, so that arguement wouldnt work. It should go to Harden and I really dislike Hardens game, but he’s in a tougher conference averaging crazy points, but winning and carrying a team that doesnt have a ton going for it outside of the odd moments cp3 isnt hurt.

Take Milwaukee's record against each conference and flip the number of games against each, they still have the best record in the league.

Also, Houston has a bigger plus/minus dropoff when CP3 is out than when Harden is.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

bball reference has a good formula that usually predicts the way the voters will vote. They agree with my rankings.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/mvp.html

Well how the "voters" vote isn't part of the conversation. They'll vote for Giannis. They decided that a long time ago, they like Giannis, their pushing Giannis.

 

[illmatic99]

Well how the "voters" vote isn't part of the conversation. They'll vote for Giannis. They decided that a long time ago, they like Giannis, their pushing Giannis.

Yes, he is most deserving but pretty much ever metric except for your admitted bias.

 

[Minstrel]

Its not that much of a reach, the best “record” + best player on that team. Well Milwuakee comes west they wouldnt be the best record, so that arguement wouldnt work.

That argument isn't even necessary for Antetokounmpo to win the MVP. He should win it because he's been the most dominant player in basketball. He's the most valuable player in the league because, this year, he's provided the most value towards helping his team succeed--by virtue of being the best player.

 

[blue9]

Against the west, he is averaging:

26.6 pts, 12.7 rebs, 5.5 asts. 1.3 stl, 1 blk in only 32 mpg.

His team is also 22-9 against the west, which would be #1 in the conference.

So, I'm not sure why you need salt.

So across the board his numbers against WC teams are down from his season averages? (For the record, I am joking. They are down, but not by any significant amount.)

I'm not arguing against Giannis as MVP, I was just saying that I agree with Tortured when he takes into account how much easier it is to play in the east.

 

[kjironman1]

Gainnis has Pat Con helping him.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

So across the board his numbers against WC teams are down from his season averages? (For the record, I am joking. They are down, but not by any significant amount.)

I'm not arguing against Giannis as MVP, I was just saying that I agree with Tortured when he takes into account how much easier it is to play in the east.

The existence of the difference is inarguable. The significance of the difference is the question.

 

[kjironman1]

The existence of the difference is inarguable. The significance of the difference is the question.

Now if that isn’t a conservative answer if I ever heard one?

 

[hoopsjock]

bball reference has a good formula that usually predicts the way the voters will vote. They agree with my rankings.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/mvp.html

The OP was talking about if Portland finishes as the #2 seed. If that happened would you still put Dame 7th and have Jokic in 3rd?

 

[KingSpeed]

Dame has a chance of finishing third since PG and OKC have fallen off a cliff this month.

 

[KingSpeed]

1st. Giannis
2nd. PG13
3rd. Harden
4th. Dame


Dame will make 1st team all NBA again though.

No ge won’t. Curry/Harden will be first team. Dame is definite 2nd team.

 

[Minstrel]

He's not going to win MVP, but I hope no one thinks Russell Westbrook is a more valuable player than Lillard anymore.

 

[Propagandist]

I'm with @TorturedBlazerFan. Not in regards to PG13, but in that I can't stand the way Giannis plays.

 

[illmatic99]

I'm with @TorturedBlazerFan. Not in regards to PG13, but in that I can't stand the way Giannis plays.

Why? He plays like a young Shaq. Bullies people inside, spins a few times, and jams in their face. And he's become a terrific playmaker for his size.

Harden is the one I hate watching play. Dribbles around for 15 seconds and either flops his way to the rim or takes a stepback. It's annoying how effective he is.

 

[KingSpeed]

Why? He plays like a young Shaq. Bullies people inside, spins a few times, and jams in their face. And he's become a terrific playmaker for his size.

Harden is the one I hate watching play. Dribbles around for 15 seconds and either flops his way to the rim or takes a stepback. It's annoying how effective he is.

And his stepback is a travel

 

[Orion Bailey]

Gainnis has Pat Con helping him.

I dont know why but that one got a real outloud laugh! Lol

 

[Minstrel]

Why? He plays like a young Shaq. Bullies people inside, spins a few times, and jams in their face. And he's become a terrific playmaker for his size.

Exactly--take Shaq, give him point guard skill and the ability to defend any position and you have Giannis. How is that not fun to watch?

 

[Propagandist]

Why? He plays like a young Shaq. Bullies people inside, spins a few times, and jams in their face. And he's become a terrific playmaker for his size.

Harden is the one I hate watching play. Dribbles around for 15 seconds and either flops his way to the rim or takes a stepback. It's annoying how effective he is.

The travels and the faces.

 

[Orion Bailey]

To me, Giannis is what would be the outcome of taking rookie Lbj with rookie Hakeem the dream and smashing them into one.

Neither had a great outside shot coming into the league but got better and i expect Giannis to do the same.

 

[H.C.]

To me, Giannis is what would be the outcome of taking rookie Lbj with rookie Hakeem the dream and smashing them into one.

Neither had a great outside shot coming into the league but got better and i expect Giannis to do the same.

Pfft this is wrong, Giannis is clearly McGee 2.0

 

[Orion Bailey]

Pfft this is wrong, Giannis is clearly McGee 2.0

Pfft this is wrong, Giannis is clearly McGee 2.0

Javaal McGee of the Lakers?

 

[H.C.]

Javaal McGee of the Lakers?

 

[Orion Bailey]

Hahaha. Nice. Had me for a sec.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Why? He plays like a young Shaq. Bullies people inside, spins a few times, and jams in their face. And he's become a terrific playmaker for his size.

Harden is the one I hate watching play. Dribbles around for 15 seconds and either flops his way to the rim or takes a stepback. It's annoying how effective he is.

Probably the three most annoying NBA “stars” to me are Giannis, Simmons and Harden cant stand watching any of them...

 

[SharpesTriumph]

James has been just about as dominant this season, maybe with a bit of decline due to age. His supporting cast has been trash. I don't think anyone's overall performance has much to do with the conference they're in. If you want to argue that the Bucks wouldn't have the same record in the West, that's maybe a bit more arguable than that Giannis would personally be less dominant in the West.

LeBron saying he wants to trade away teammates for AD in the season is his own fault. He gets some of the blame for that horrible chemistry there. They were better last year with Julius Randle and Brook Lopez in place of LeBron.

LeBron isnt the leader Dame is.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Blazers have a better record vs the east than any east team.

If Bucks were in the West would they even have HCA?

 

[Minstrel]

Blazers have a better record vs the east than any east team.

If Bucks were in the West would they even have HCA?

Well, the Bucks are 20-9 against the West, which is a .690 winning percentage. The Warriors are currently the West's top-seed with a .684 winning percentage. That's effectively a tie.

But that undersells the Bucks, since the Warriors' record includes games against the East. If you applied the Bucks' Western winning percentage to the number of games they've played against their conference (.690 x 49 = 34 wins) and their Eastern winning percentage to their number of out of conference games (.776 x 29 = 22 wins) you get 56 wins. That's 2 wins less than their current 58 and 4 wins more than the Warriors' 54. They'd have a 3 game lead on the Warriors (4 more wins and 2 less losses than the Warriors)

So yeah, they'd probably have the #1 seed if they played in the West. They've been great, regardless of their schedule.

 

[DDolla]

Not after last night lol... MVP don’t take days off.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Well, the Bucks are 20-9 against the West, which is a .690 winning percentage. The Warriors are currently the West's top-seed with a .684 winning percentage. That's effectively a tie.

But that undersells the Bucks, since the Warriors' record includes games against the East. If you applied the Bucks' Western winning percentage to the number of games they've played against their conference (.690 x 49 = 34 wins) and their Eastern winning percentage to their number of out of conference games (.776 x 29 = 22 wins) you get 56 wins. That's 2 wins less than their current 58 and 4 wins more than the Warriors' 54. They'd have a 3 game lead on the Warriors (4 more wins and 2 less losses than the Warriors)

So yeah, they'd probably have the #1 seed if they played in the West. They've been great, regardless of their schedule.

The math works, but I think we all know that's not really how it works... If they had to play in the west they would have more tough games, which means a lot of wear and tear, a harder season in general, less games they can coast through. Seeing better players more often, etc all that would add up. It's an interesting NBA year though, I think the best Milwaukee can do is 61 wins, which historically speaking isn't anything all that special. It's just that their conference falls flat after Toronto. I think there are legit questions to be asked about if Philly, Boston, or Indy would even make the playoffs out west. I dunno, the more I've thought about it, the more It's like yeah Giannis will win and I really dislike his game but he probably should win. What's crazy about the east is not only the playoff teams aren't even close to the west even the BOTTOM of the conference in the west is better, then the bottom of the east. East has two teams with under 20 wins, West has one. East has 4 teams under 30, the West has 1.