Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

[platic]

The official NBA votes for league MVP have already been cast, but will not be announced until sometime next month. I'd like to start a poll of Operation Sports forum members for the 2006-7 NBA MVP --- and see how it will compare to the official results when they are made public.

Please remember that this is NOT a vote for the best player in the NBA. It's a vote for MVP of the 2006-7 season only. Accomplishments, accolades, and/or failures from previous seasons should not be in consideration.




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[Kashanova]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

im not gonna vote for him but tmac should be up there, yao was injuried for a while and the rox still got 50 wins plus home court in the first round, i think tmac had a stretch of going 30 7 7

[SteelersFreak]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

LeBron? I'm trying to figure out why someone voted for him.

Obviously it's your opinion but the guy hasn't even done as well as he did last season. Not too mention the fact that his team almost seemed to do better when he was injured than they did with him.

[platic]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

im not gonna vote for him but tmac should be up there, yao was injuried for a while and the rox still got 50 wins plus home court in the first round, i think tmac had a stretch of going 30 7 7

Yeah, I forgot about TMac.

But in all honesty, I think this is a simple 2-man race this year. The Dallas Morning news polled 25% of the NBA voters who had already cast their votes for MVP. Every single one of them had voted for either Nash, or Nowitzki.

Nash is having a better year now than he did during either of his previous MVP seasons. But my feeling is that there is a league-wide backlash against awarding 3 MVPs in a row to the same person. If Shaq in his prime didn't deserve it, and Jordan in his prime didn't deserve it... why would Steve Nash deserve it? It's a very flawed way of thinking, but nonetheless that's the thought process of many voters.

I think Dirk Nowitzki will win it this year. But I feel Nash deserves the MVP just as much as Nowitzki.

Those two guys played together in Dallas for seven years, but the team was never in serious contention for an NBA title under Don Nelson. Don Nelson is the 2nd most winningest coach in league history. He has accepted only 4 headcoaching jobs in his career, and taken all 4 downtrodden franchises from awful cellar dwellers to playoff contenders (not including: his disastrous half-year stint with the Knicks). He's one of only 2 coaches to win "Coach of the Year" three times in his career. Was voted as coach in the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team. But in nearly 3 decades as NBA coach, he has never reached the NBA Finals. Not even once. Kinda makes you wonder about Don Nelson's run-n-gun system.

[Johnny_87]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

Yeah, I forgot about TMac.

But in all honesty, I think this is a simple 2-man race this year. The Dallas Morning news polled 25% of the NBA voters who had already cast their votes for MVP. Every single one of them had voted for either Nash, or Nowitzki.

Nash is having a better year now than he did during either of his previous MVP seasons. But my feeling is that there is a league-wide backlash against awarding 3 MVPs in a row to the same person. If Shaq in his prime didn't deserve it, and Jordan in his prime didn't deserve it... why would Steve Nash deserve it? It's a very flawed way of thinking, but nonetheless that's the thought process of many voters.

I think Dirk Nowitzki will win it this year. But I feel Nash deserves the MVP just as much as Nowitzki.

Those two guys played together in Dallas for seven years, but the team was never in serious contention for an NBA title under Don Nelson. Don Nelson is the 2nd most winningest coach in league history. He has accepted only 4 headcoaching jobs in his career, and taken all 4 downtrodden franchises from awful cellar dwellers to playoff contenders (not including: his disastrous half-year stint with the Knicks). He's one of only 2 coaches to win "Coach of the Year" three times in his career. Was voted as coach in the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team. But in nearly 3 decades as NBA coach, he has never reached the NBA Finals. Not even once. Kinda makes you wonder about Don Nelson's run-n-gun system.

Solid post man, I been around OS for awhile now, so you all can probaly guess who I voted for.

[Gibbz]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

What the hell does Bryant have to do? Average 60 a game?

[DaNextPhenom25]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

no MVP will go to Kobe, his third scoring title of his career

Steve Nash does not deserve MVP because Kobe carries his team to the playoffs when his team is hard hit with injuries. Nash just operates and commands the Suns.

[Macar91]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

What the hell does Bryant have to do? Average 60 a game?

If that's what it takes for his team to get to 50 wins, then yes. The games he was having earlier in the year (27 pts, 8 ast, 7 reb) when his team was winning consistently would've put him in the thick of the race this year though.

I still say Nash. I don't care that he's won it the past two years, I just think that they wouldn't sniff 50 wins without him on the court. He gets the ball to Amare, Marion, Bell, etc. in a good spot to shoot or drive and he always seems to hit that open three. But it's obviously only a two man race this year and I wouldn't complain if Dirk ends up winning it.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

What the hell does Bryant have to do? Average 60 a game?

His team needs to win more than 42 games and improve on a mediocre record before he receives consideration.

I'd much rather see a Kobe statline of 30 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds, before watching him rack up points by the dozen in a losing effort.

[Rocky]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

Dirk has less talent on a better team. Maybe Dirk should get hurt and the Mavs drop a few games to see Dirk's value because I don't even think it was a discussion until that stretch where Nash got hurt.

[nkhera1]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

Dirk has less talent on a better team. Maybe Dirk should get hurt and the Mavs drop a few games to see Dirk's value because I don't even think it was a discussion until that stretch where Nash got hurt.

Didn't Dallas win all the games Dirk missed? (excluding when they rested Howard along with him)

[ZB9]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

Didn't Dallas win all the games Dirk missed? (excluding when they rested Howard along with him)

they were 3-1. but the Mavs only held Dirk out against bad teams. He didnt miss games against good teams, so the record without him doesnt mean much.

btw, the Suns were 0-2 without Marion. and the Warriors were 2-7 without Arenas. perhaps those two should be in consideration? or maybe Michael Redd?

[ZB9]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

here's a pretty good article. This writer makes some good points.

http://www.nysun.com/article/52801

MVP Case for Nowitzki Is Open and Shut
Basketball

By MARTIN JOHNSON
April 19, 2007


Dirk Nowitzki's numbers have been better in the past, but Avery Johnson's Mavericks get fewer possessions a game.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

In my travels through the sports pages across this great nation of ours, I've noticed a surprising amount of hand wringing over the upcoming selection of the NBA Most Valuable Player award. It seems like everyone has an opinion on why it shouldn't go to Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki. The complaints range from the fact that giving the award to Dirk isn't controversial to that it isn't highlight-clip friendly to it not being a sexy pick.

This is all true, but the award is for the most valuable player, and Nowitzki has been the leading player on the best team and of the players who haven't missed substantial time with injuries he's accomplished the most.

Nowitzki's Mavericks had won 66 games going into last night's action. Although he's the best player on that team, the arguments go deeper. He's scoring 24.6 points a game on a team that averages 99.9. Or put another way, he scores 24.5% of his team's points in 15.1% of his team's minutes — a pretty nice return on their investment. Then consider the rest of his résumé: 8.9 rebounds a game, 50.1% shooting percentage, 41.9% from behind the arc (an asset that discombobulates most opposing defenses by forcing their one of their best interior defenders away from the paint), and 3.4 assists. Nowtizki's accomplishments are as well rounded and efficient as any player in the league not named Dwyane Wade, and Dirk didn't miss a third of the season with a shoulder injury.

Some critics have noted that Nowtizki's points per game average is low for an MVP candidate, but it isn't. Kevin Garnett, another player with a well-rounded skill set, averaged 24.2 points a game in his MVP season. Tim Duncan averaged 23.3 in the most recent of his two MVP campaigns. Even as prolific a scorer as Karl Malone averaged only 23.8 points per game during his last MVP season.

Nowtizki's point total may seem down compared with his tallies earlier in his career, but that's where pace and minutes per contest need to be factored in. The Avery Johnson-coached Mavericks teams are typically near the bottom of the league in possessions per game; this year's team ranks 28th in Pace Factor, which measures possessions per game. The Don Nelson teams that Nowitzki starred on a few years ago were typically in the top five in that category. Also, Dirk is playing fewer minutes now than he did earlier in his career, which also distorts the comparisons of his points per game average.

The most frequently repeated barb tossed at Nowitzki's candidacy is that he's not clutch. I wonder if the people who claim this saw last season's San Antonio- Dallas playoff series, particularly Game 7 when Nowitzki's drive to the hoop and foul tied the game with seconds to go. This season, Nowitzki missed a potential game-tying shot in the second overtime against Phoenix on March 14, but he also made a gamewinner on December 28 against the Suns. Dirk started out poorly in last-shot situations, but he has nailed four of his last five game-winning/game-tying attempts.

Nowitzki should be given credit for the fact that those situations don't arise often. Dallas is pummeling opponents by almost seven points per game. Some players often have to take big shots because their team is frequently involved in close games, but Nowitzki's Mavericks usually have closed out their opponents by late in the fourth quarter. This sort of highlight reel analysis is the parallel to voting a gold glove for a baseball player who makes diving stops all the time rather than the player who makes plays on comparably hit balls without leaving his feet.

What about the other candidates? Although Kobe Bryant's leagueleading 31.6 points per game is impressive as is his run of 50-point games, he's maintained this level for less than half the season and has failed to rescue his team from a tailspin that took the Lakers from middle of the pack to just barely qualifying for the playoffs. Were it not for his shoulder injury and his teammates, I might be arguing for Dwayne Wade in this piece. His per game averages are superb, but it's hard to support someone's whose best team accomplishment is keeping the defending champions out of the lottery. Although referee Joey Crawford obviously doesn't think so, Tim Duncan has a nice case for MVP, but his key metrics don't measure up to Nowitzki's. Last, Steve Nash, the winner of the last two MVP's, has improved his numbers across the board, but I didn't support either of his previous awards (my choices were Amare Stoudemire two seasons ago and LeBron James last year), but I actually like his case this season. But again Nash's overall statistical portfolio isn't as strong as Nowitzki's, particularly when you consider that Nash plays on a team with nearly eight more possessions per game.

I agree with the critics that Dirk isn't an especially iconic figure in the way that the other MVP candidates are, but that isn't a qualification for the award. It should go to the best player in the league. This season, it should be readily apparent that Nowitzki has had the best year of any NBA player.

[email protected]

[timid]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

I'm going with Nash.......

[nkhera1]

Re: Vote for 2006-7 MVP Here

they were 3-1. but the Mavs only held Dirk out against bad teams. He didnt miss games against good teams, so the record without him doesnt mean much.

btw, the Suns were 0-2 without Marion. and the Warriors were 2-7 without Arenas. perhaps those two should be in consideration? or maybe Michael Redd?

The Bucks didn't play well enough with Redd for him to win the MVP, otherwise Kobe would be the undisputed MVP. One of the games the Suns lost with Marion was when Nash did not play. The Wizards did go 2-7 without Arenas, but they were also missing Caron Butler.