2015 NBA Mar |OT| 1-2-3...6 Weeks!

By rodeoclown Go To Post Honestly, I like Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe. I want to hear their opinions about basketball, even if I might dismiss some things, like Simmons's love of reading body language.

rodeoclown

By psychintellect Go To Post

yeah, not sure what rbk meant by that.

9/15 of the last MVP awards were unable to make the Finals.  3/15 of the last MVP awards actually went on to win the title.

By psychintellect Go To Post

but you just said...

........?

By Moris Go To Post

...wait...

...whut

#1 seed, #1 offense/defense or whatever they're ranked.

By psychintellect Go To Post

rodeoclown

I do not lie to myself about appreciating Simmons. Yeah, he has some dumb opinions and everything comes back to the Celtics and I've heard more about 2010 Finals than I'd like, but he's entertaining. Grantland is cool, I like his podcasts.

By Vahagn Go To Post

I side with Kobe and I've always sided with Kobe when he said ESPN are a bunch of idiots. As long as they keep having these rankings done by journalists and business school students, they're going to be idiotic. 

there is literally not a single person at ESPN whose opinions or writings I've respected for years now. 

Zach Lowe kinda, but even he says tons of stupid shit. 

What's wrong with Fisher and Scott being at the bottom of the list? 

By psychintellect Go To Post

Rockets may very well have the 2nd seed before the season's end.

I'd pick Harden for MVP. I mean, I don't even think I had Houston making the playoffs and he's managed to keep his team in the upper echelon of the whole league, and doing it with his second best player being either Josh Smith, Ariza, Montiejunas or Brewer for the majority of the season. 

Curry leading GSW to 65+ wins is amazing. I know how great he is and what he does is wizardry and I wouldn't offer too much resistance to him winning the award but at the same time, it's undeniable that he has a whole lot more help than Harden.

I just hope nobody decides not to vote for Harden because of the way he plays his game.

Right, I acknowledged he may get the 2nd seed.  I'm just pointing out the media bias in the MVP voting.  

Curry is having an amazing year.  I think Curry, Harden, AD, Westbrook, and Lebron are all putting up numbers that would warrant MVP in most seasons.  WB and Lebron missed a bunch of games, though (and Lebron's earlier part of the year wasn't MVP esque).  AD has both missed games and might miss the playoffs.  For me, personally, that puts Curry and harden at the top.

Personally, I think they're equally as deserving.  Harden has carried his team.  There's no doubt.  Curry has also been phenomenal.  I believe the Warriors have been outscored when Curry is on the bench which is pretty remarkable given the so-called talent.  I'm sure there's some blowout bench playing weak going on there but still, just weird.  

I wouldn't argue against either player.  Both deserve it.  Both have been the MVP.  

But the media loves "best player on best team," (or close to best team) especially if that player never won before (see:  Rose, Nash).  It's just how it is.  I think if Warriors win 65+, Curry wins easily.

By RBK Go To Post

http://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/2j2oen/a_look_at_the_seeding_of_past_mvps/" target="_blank">Karl Malone.

Let Curry win it, just going by the numbers there's a good chance Warriors don't make the Finals.

Thank you for this, but it's wrong.  malone was the 2 seed and tied for the same record as #1 spurs.  In a lockout year.  Not the 3rd seed.

It was 1988 and MJ won as a 3 seed.  And MJs numbers were insane.

By psychintellect Go To Post I've been thinking, could Monroe put up DMC numbers if he was the first option on a team? I think he could dfinitely average 20/10. He's really skilled.

and his max is going to be 15 mil next year cause he took his QO from detroit. I keep telling people he is going to be the sleeper FA signing this year for a team.

By ratcliffja Go To Post Even if the Rockets win out, I don't see Harden winning MVP this year.  I think his reputation for poor defense is hurting him some, even if it's much improved this year.  If I were a Houston fan, though, I'd be more concerned about making it out of the first round instead of whether or not Harden can win MVP.  This is their best chance in a long, long time, but it's far from a given.

How do you figure? Dwight just came back and is on a minutes restriction, leaving Dorsey in our rotation. Jones is out with a collapsed lung. Beverley might be out for the season (his offense is stinky but I'd rather have him than Terry on the other side of the ball). Plus McHale is still our coach. 

I've already submitted to the notion we weren't going to make it far into the playoffs, but when Atlanta was on top, there was at least a glimmer that Harden's season would go rewarded. Getting the Southwest division title gets him in the conversation, but he's not even going to get the scoring title at this point. 

Curry would be a deserving winner. I just think he's pulled away to the point where the discussion about MVP is less interesting than it was around mid-season. 

By Adam Blade Go To Post

What's wrong with Fisher and Scott being at the bottom of the list? 

How is your coaching judged when your team is openly tanking? How are people who don't know the difference between playbooks judging coaching in the first place? 

Look, I don't mind if fans make lists. They're fans. They're allowed to be unqualified and have opinions. But what the shit gives 95% of ESPN writers qualifications to accurately judge basketball. Their journalism degrees? If ESPN took all of the coaches and former players on their payroll and exclusively surveyed them. That might be interesting to listen to or read. But Colin Cowherd's opinions? Arash Markazi's? Henry Abbott's? No thank you. 

I've said this before and I'll say it again. When they present information through reporting about what's happening (like Woj or Shelbourne) or they pore through data for hours on end to compile together the data and present it in a clear concise way so that the average fan doesn't have to. They're doing their job. 

When they start ranking things, inputting their own opinion on things, that's when I just ignore them. They're fundamentally not qualified in my eyes. If ESPN was doing their job right, everyone would know what the Zipper series was. How it's run. What makes it unique. What makes it hard to run. Ditto for D'Antoni's system. Golden States. Everyone would know what Thibs does with his defense, and why it was so revolutionary. 

I can go to basketball reference myself and look up RPM or PPG or Win Shares. I need them to take the coaches they're paying 6 or 7 figures to, to better explain the game rather than give shitty, watered down, generic answers to everything. 

By Vahagn Go To Post

I side with Kobe and I've always sided with Kobe

Shocking news of the day.

By Vahagn Go To Post

How is your coaching judged when your team is openly tanking? How are people who don't know the difference between playbooks judging coaching in the first place? 

Look, I don't mind if fans make lists. They're fans. They're allowed to be unqualified and have opinions. But what the shit gives 95% of ESPN writers qualifications to accurately judge basketball. Their journalism degrees? If ESPN took all of the coaches and former players on their payroll and exclusively surveyed them. That might be interesting to listen to or read. But Colin Cowherd's opinions? Arash Markazi's? Henry Abbott's? No thank you. 

to reiterate what vahagn said this same list had spo at six.

By reilo Go To Post

Shocking news of the day.

I meant on ESPN being stupid. I've always believed that. C'mon, you know what I was trying to say. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjDrWT3D2Ro">Cavs amazing third quarter against Memphis

Apparently Cavs haven't lost a game with two days rest since November.  Don't know if that says something about being well rested or how well Blatt does with practice time with the team.

#getmilked

By Vahagn Go To Post

I meant on ESPN being stupid. I've always believed that. C'mon, you know what I was trying to say. 

I know what you meant to say better than even you do. Don't deny it.

By rodeoclown Go To Post Though Adrian Wojnorowski posts draft picks before Adam Silver announces them, I wouldn't hold him up as some kind of journalistic standard. He is always doing hit pieces on dudes at the behest of his sources (Agents!) to the point where I don't even read his opinion articles and haven't for some time.

literally only go to him for reporting/breaking news as he's the absolute best in the business as that.

His columns? yuck

By etiolation Go To Post

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBD0-ziUIAAe6_r.png:large">

#getmilked

i watch too much porn

By psychintellect Go To Post

i watch too much porn

http://static.slaent.com.s3.amazonaws.com/images/uploads/psychintellect/1426893686.7926834_thumbnail_240x240_90_0_0_0_.jpg">

By psychintellect Go To Post

literally only go to him for reporting/breaking news as he's the absolute best in the business as that.

His columns? yuck

Oh, he's the best at breaking news. He always gets trades, picks, injuries first. But he gets them becuase he'll go and write "Michael Jordan is the fucking worst" in 2000 words because Rob Pelinka told him to.

That doesn't make him any kind of writer to me. But you do what you have to do to beat Marc Stein with a trade report by a minute, I guess.

By psychintellect Go To Post

i watch too much porn

Me too :(

By rodeoclown Go To Post

I do not lie to myself about appreciating Simmons. Yeah, he has some dumb opinions and everything comes back to the Celtics and I've heard more about 2010 Finals than I'd like, but he's entertaining. Grantland is cool, I like his podcasts.

It's okay, I've got your back.  He's hilarious and a lot of his insight is actually on point.  He's connected.

Why is there only one game on tonight, and it's something nobody will watch?   Is there a hidden second Superbowl I didn't know about or something?

While Woj's columns are often times hit pieces, at the very least I can trust he's got valid sources. He's also good at getting certain stars to open up to him after games with more than just your aveage post game generic stuff. But yea, everyone in the industry has an agenda. When readers forget that and view them as being objective, that's when weird stuff happens. 

I guess this is why the Players Tribune is so interesting. Why Coach Daniel and Coach Nick are pretty well respected. 

By livefromkyoto Go To Post

It's okay, I've got your back.  He's hilarious and a lot of his insight is actually on point.  He's connected.

Why is there only one game on tonight, and it's something nobody will watch?   Is there a hidden second Superbowl I didn't know about or something?

Kentucky's only favored by 13 tonight.

By giririsss Go To Post McHale the 14th best coach? Vogel a top 10 coach?Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The lowest I'll go for McHale is maybe 16th or 17th.  SVG would probably be ranked higher if the "Josh Smith" effect lasted the rest of the season and Karl is in a new situation.  Don't have problem with Vogel in the top 10 either, considering who he's ahead of.

By giririsss Go To Post McHale the 14th best coach? Vogel a top 10 coach?Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Vogel's coaching job this season has been good.  I have no idea how that team's going to win about 35 games this year.  It should be closer to 25.

Woj gets some stuff from agents, but I don't find his columns to be drivel. I feel they just appear very different from the standard stuff we get and that causes people to question his pieces instead of questioning the constant parroting and real drivel we get every day. 

I M O

I like his stuff, and I like the Player's Tribune even if Jeter is about everything I despite about professionalism. 

By thekad Go To Post It's funny how much Harden and Curry's seasons are being underrated when they're right up there with Durant's historically great season last year. The media has real trouble recognizing talent they haven't already anointed.

Not really, especially in Curry's case.

By thekad Go To Post It's funny how much Harden and Curry's seasons are being underrated when they're right up there with Durant's historically great season last year. The media has real trouble recognizing talent they haven't already anointed.

Thats true. sorta like how they make DPOTY the person who played the best defense LAST season.

By thekad Go To Post It's funny how much Harden and Curry's seasons are being underrated when they're right up there with Durant's historically great season last year. The media has real trouble recognizing talent they haven't already anointed.

Disagree

Last year's Durant was in conversation with 09/13 LeBron, prime Shaq and some Jordan seasons. We're talking individual production, right?

By psychintellect Go To Post

Disagree

Last year's Durant was in conversation with 09/13 LeBron, prime Shaq and some Jordan seasons. We're talking individual production, right?

It's really going to be hard to judge Curry's season as an individual because of how historically great its been, and the team around him too. I mean, the guy plays less 4th quarter minutes than DJ Augustin. He hasn't played in 20 4q's at all, or something insane like that.

They got their work done early, rekt people, held their leads, and with a deep bench and good coaching, most of them are going to be healthy and fresh for the play offs.

I wonder if something's wrong with imgur links as I've had to use manual img tags for those.

By psychintellect Go To Post

Disagree

Last year's Durant was in conversation with 09/13 LeBron, prime Shaq and some Jordan seasons. We're talking individual production, right?

Lol Durant's season wasn't on par with Lebron, Shaq or Jordan's bests. It was probably a tier or two below with peak Kobe, CP3, etc. That's around where I would put Curry and Harden this season.

By thekad Go To Post

Lol Durant's season wasn't on par with Lebron, Shaq or Jordan's bests. It was probably a tier or two below with peak Kobe, CP3, etc. That's around where I would put Curry and Harden this season.

Didn't say on par but definitely in conversation with those guys though. Most definitely a level above what Curry and Harden are doing.

32PPG/5.5APG/7RPG on almost 64%TS?????

.295 WS/48? 19.2 win shares? 58 wins while missing Westbrook for the majority of the seasons in the west? Had some insane streak of 25+ points too IIRC.

http://i.imgur.com/nEB6Jpg.png"> this is a section of the best seasons by win shares, '14 Durant is literally right there with some of Bron and Jordan's best indivdual seasons.

here's WS/48:

http://i.imgur.com/XzEA1ku.png">

Even without the stats talk, KD is unguardable regardless but last season he was destroying teams every which way. Dude had 47 games with 30 point or more.

why is there only one game tonight?

on a thursday too?

shit scheduling.

NCAA tournament.

Shit sucks.

By viakado Go To Post

why is there only one game tonight?

on a thursday too?

shit scheduling.

Still better than college ball.

Tried watching a little tonight.... Uggghhhh