Nowitzki to be named MVP

[Stephen Colbert]

Barkley scored 44 points and had 20+ rebounds against Seattle in Game 7 of the conference finals that year. To go along with his 25 ppg and 12 rpg, I don't think you can make the argument that Charles was "undeserving" that year, though obviously Jordan could have won the thing every year. Nowitzki averaged 24 and 9 rpg. He's a good player, often a great shooter, but he simply is not an MVP.

Was Barkley a better player than Dirk? Yes. Did Barkley in 93 have a better season than Dirk did this year? Yes. Was there someone who was much more deserving that Barkley in 93? Yes, Jordan averaged 32.6 ppg 6.7 rpg and 5.5 apg to Barkley's 25 and 12. Was there someone who was much more deserving than Dirk in 2007? I say no. I think Dirk is a weak MVP in terms of talent, but I think this was a year that there was no clear cut winner.

Furthermore, in regards to Barkley's postseason that year, as has been said in defense of Dirk what happened in the postseason shouldn't count. You really don't want to go there anyhow as Jordan averaged 41 a game in the finals against Barkley and the Suns...

 

[exhawg]

Personally I think they should give it to someone that is still in the playoffs. Perhaps they should take the MVP votes and give the award to the highest vote getter that makes it to the second round of the playoffs.

 

[JohnnyCockfight]

The argument against that is the situation involving Kenyon Martin in his senior season in college. KMart is the runaway candidate for player of the year and then breaks his leg in the conference tournament game, and the Bearcats go nowhere in the NCAA tourney. KMart is still given the player of the year awards, and deservedly so.

The same type of thing could happen in the NBA. The theory that the MVP's team should make it to at least the second round of the playoffs would automatically disqualify someone who got injured at the end of the regular season or in the first round of the playoffs and his team stopped winning.

The existing argument against the NBA counting the playoffs is that the MVP should not be punished for the quality, or lack thereof, of his teammates.

There is a lot of Monday morning QBing on this message board whining about Dirk. The fact is that Dirk was amazing all year long, and led his team to one of the best records in the history of the NBA. He may not have been the best in the playoff series against Golden State, but his teammates were terrible. There was always an open man due to the way the defense was playing Dirk. Tim Duncan doesn't have all of his championships if "Big Shot Bob" didn't make his many game-saving 3s. Dirk didn't have a "Big Shot Bob," but he did have a couple of teammates who were just the opposite.

 

[jwinslow]

Something for Tibor's memorabilia wall:

 

[Big Papa]

I bet he would trade that trophy for still being in the playoffs in a heart beat. I still think LeBron deserved it last year over Nash. I have no problem with Dirk winning it this year, he was the best player on the best team (until the playoffs).

 

[OH10]

I really don't think you can call Marion overrated. He does all the little things for that team. He's like a middle class version of Pippen when he was with the Bulls. Does all the dirty work. He usually guards the other teams best player(or hottest player). He doesn't get a whole lot of plays called for him. He's a terrific rebounder and he's a good finisher and shooter. He's the ultimate role player in the game today.

Middle class version of Scottie Pippen? That's basically saying he's as good as Scottie Pippen. I honestly can't think of one aspect of Marion's game that is equal to or superior than that of Pippen. And Scottie is the runaway winner for most overrated player of the last 25 years IMO.

 

[melrun78]

And Scottie is the runaway winner for most overrated player of the last 25 years IMO.

Dude are you serious? Lets just think about what you are saying here: you think a guy who helped the bulls win 6 titles and performed quite well when Jordan first retired is overrated? He never claimed to be the savior, he never claimed he was going to be the next great thing.

Do you really think Pippen is anywhere near these guys:
Stephon Marbury
Steve Francis
Allen Iverson
Vince Carter
Tracy McGrady

All of these guys have fallen well short of their projections and most of them have made promises they have never filled. Sure Pippen is past his prime and probably shouldn't have considered coming back this year but when he was in his prime, he was head and shoulders above these guys.

 

[jwinslow]

Do you really think Pippen is anywhere near these guys:
Stephon Marbury
Steve Francis
Allen Iverson
Vince Carter
Tracy McGrady

Sure Pippen is past his prime and probably shouldn't have considered coming back this year but when he was in his prime there is no way he even compares to these guys.

Very true. Pippen does not compare to Iverson, Carter & McGrady (not nearly as talented/productive)... and Starbury & Franchise aren't that highly regarded so it's hard for them to be as overrated.

 

[BB73]

Very true. Pippen does not compare to Iverson, Carter & McGrady (not nearly as talented/productive)... and Starbury & Franchise aren't that highly regarded so it's hard for them to be as overrated.

Scottie not nearly as talented/productive as Carter and McGrady - seriously?

Pippen was 1st -team all-NBA 7 times (and received the most votes of anyone in 1994), and 1st-team all-defense 7 times. It looks like T-Mac has been 1st-team all-NBA twice, and Vince has yet to make it.

Pippen has a 3rd place in the MVP voting ('94) and an All-Star MVP. When MJ was around he deferred to him offensively and won 6 rings. He might not have the scoring average of those other 2 guys, but I base productivity on some things beside scoring average.

 

[jwinslow]

How do you feel Scottie would do on the Rockets? Or the Raptors? Perhaps the post-jordan years weigh too heavily on my mind.

Do you feel Pippen was worthy of his top-50 alltime selection?

 

[BB73]

How do you feel Scottie would do on the Rockets? Or the Raptors? Perhaps the post-jordan years weigh too heavily on my mind.

Do you feel Pippen was worthy of his top-50 alltime selection?

That's why 1994 is so important in evaluating Pippen. It was the only full year in Pippen's prime that MJ wasn't around. He finished third in the MVP voting, and everybody else in the top-5 was a center (Olajuwan, Robinson, Shaq, Ewing). Pippen was better than Barkley, Malone, or Drexler that year.

Scottie was the equal of Carter and McGrady offensively when MJ wasn't there, and was a much better defensive player.

T-Mac career: 22.4 pts, 4.6 A, 1.4 steals, 1.0 blks, 6.3 reb, 2.3 TO, .439 shooting %
VinceC career: 24.1 pts, 4.1 A, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blks, 5.4 reb, 2.4 TO, .447 shooting %
Pippen career: 16.1 pts, 5.2 A, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blks, 6.4 reb, 2.8 TO, .473 shooting %

He definitely deserved the top-50 selection. 7 times 1st-team all-NBA is huge.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Oh hell no.

I have said this from the second people realized Kobe Bryant was good: Scottie Pippen while playing with Jordan > Kobe.

 

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

It's a joke that Kobe didn't win MVP, he's by far the best player in the league.