Storyline: James Harden should have been named the League’s MVP.
I know this topic has been talked about in Barbershops across the country and dissected by various media analysts and journalists. Still, I can’t help but feel uneasy regarding the way we view a player’s overall value in today’s sports world. It especially applies when we’re talking about naming a league M.V.P.
Courtesy: LA Times
I’ve heard all of the stories and theories and read tons of fodder. I’m still probably the last person alive that disagrees with Stephen Curry being named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
Sure, he was the best player on the best team in the league, but pay close attention to that statement. The best player on the Best TEAM! That’s not how we’ve judged M.V.P.’s in the past. Unlike baseball, the NBA awards a guy for outstanding athletic achievement across the entire league, not just a conference. Sure, Curry had a heck of a season and his team ran the table in the tough Western Conference.
But, at the other end of the spectrum, is this: How much success would Curry have enjoyed if he had to carry the Warriors? By “carry” I mean literally put a team on his back and still secure the #2 overall seed in the postseason.
This guy has not one, but two, former All-Star players sitting on his bench!
He plays alongside one of if not the best pure shooting guards in the league, Klay Thompson!
His team’s roster goes at least 9 players deep!
How can a guy with Curry’s talent–with all of those weapons at his disposal–not be effective and successful? In my opinion that’s not what makes you the M.V.P. Most Valuable Player means just that! He’s not only the Most Valuable Player on his team, but throughout the entire NBA.
Courtesy: nbapassion.com
James Harden took a Rockets team that was missing its All-Star center, Dwight Howard, for 40 games.
James Harden took a Rockets team that was missing its starting point guard and resident “pest” on defense, Patrick Beverly, for 28 games.
James Harden took a Rockets team that was missing its starting power forward, Terrence Jones, for 32 games.
James Harden took a Rockets team that was missing its resident European, Donatas Montiejunas, for 24 games.
Harden guided his patchwork squad to the #2-seed in the Playoffs while averaging a career high 28.7 ppg and nearly 7 assists. And he upped his assist number to an astonishing 8 per game during postseason play.
Let’s not forget that he was his team’s number #1 option on offense. He averaged 24 shots per game and still found the time to dish out 8 dimes per game! Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 10 to 15 years, that’s an impressive feat for a bonafide NBA scoring guard.
Let’s rewind to last season. Kevin Durant won the M.V.P. award … and I kept relatively quiet, even though I didn’t agree with that decision, either. We look at what Lebron James does, year-in and year-out, and act like it’s NOTHING! We tend to marginalize him as if we can do what he does on a daily basis. Here’s a guy that has averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists for the duration of his career … yet we act like it’s a boring feat? Are you serious?
Courtesy: probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com
The sports world has to get back to doing due diligence and rewarding the deserving, and not the popular, choice. While Kevin Durant had an OUTSTANDING season last year, I feel like his 41 consecutive games of scoring 25 points or more secured him the M.V.P. trophy. While that’s an amazing feat, scoring doesn’t make you the league’s Most Valuable Player. Lebron lost the trophy because, as Jalen Rose put it: “Lebron gets punished for being great and CONSISTENT year in and year out.”
UNFAIR! Since when do we frown upon consistency in the world of sports? If we want to bring back the purity and beauty of sports, we have to make changes ALL around the board–start from the bottom and work our way back to the top. Until then, we’ll be stuck in a continuous pattern of mediocrity and uncertainty.
Let’s get back to real sports and real stats making a difference.
Courtesy: kevin_tmac
