[tjmartin23Participant]

So I was reading the Kevin Love Myth thread and saw something about "Around the Horn" discussing whether he deserves the MVP. I think the NBA currently has the MVP award all wrong. They usually give it to the best player on the best team. Shouldn’t it be called the "bests teams best player" award then. 

In my opinion team record should not determine the award. It should be somewhat of a factor, because you can’t give it to a player who’s stats are inflated because his team is so bad, but it also should not go to the best player on the team with the best record either. Kevin Love deserves the award just as much as Lebron or KD because he has his team overachieving even though they are only .500, and the numbers he is putting up this year are amazing. 

How do y’all think the award should be given out? Should it go to the best player on the best team, or should it go to a guy like K-Love if he is performing like he is this season. 

[Hi its BenParticipant]

 MVP means Most Valuable Player.. duh. lol im kidding but honestly it should be between Durant, Bron, and the Darkhorse is Kobe. That should be it.

[TheLastWordParticipant]

Team record should not matter? Are you dumb or something? The whole point of being valuable means your team wins…that is the point of the game. Rose, Howard, Lebron all are worth 20+ wins to their team. We saw what happened to Cleveland when James left, it was more than a 20 win differential. Love might get the Wolves 10 more wins a year at best. A nice all star talent, but only plays one side of the court.

[tjmartin23Participant]

 I didn’t say it should not matter, but it should not mean everything for the award. I’m just saying no one has had the season Love is having in a long time, so he should be considered. 

[NbanflguyParticipant]

Love should definatly be in the discussion and considered, but he should only be in the like 8th place to 5th place range. I dont think it should even be a debate about who in winning it this year. Lebron is having a season for the ages as well

[darkman97Participant]

 kevin love only equals ten wins??? Without Love you think the wolves still win fifteen  games this year?  I highly doubt that. who you predict will lead the team?

 

as far as the mvp maybe not the top player on the top team but you have to be in that top tier of teams 

[bloodshyParticipant]

Although Love should not be in the top-3 contenders for the MVP discussion, I do agree w/the premise of the thread.  The MVP award places far too much focus on being on the team w/the best record.  I understand that winning is the point of the game–got it. 

My point is that using that standard causes players w/better supporting casts to unfairly get higher praise than players on weaker teams.  In today’s NBA a player usually has no shot at this INDIVIDUAL award unless he has an elite supporting cast (subtract LBJ on the Cavs from this analysis).  Using the inverse standard is also bad: Without LBJ/Rose the Heat/Bulls are easily in the playoffs, but the Lakers would go nowhere w/o Kobe and Minn would be hard pressed to win 15 games w/o Love.  Clearly, arguing from that angle fails too.  Players who carry inflated stats because they get abnormal deference caused by a crappy supporting cast should not always win the day either. 

Clearly this year KD and LBJ are the only players to consider for this award, though I still believe too much of the MVP conversation is currently focused on their respective teams.  KD is hardly responsible for Westbrook shredding everyone lately and LBJ is not the reason Wade’s averaging 24 ppg–both major factors of their teams’ success.

IMO the focus needs to go back to the PLAYER, his INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION, an assessment of the IMPACT ON TEAMATES and his ability to close out BIG MOMENTS during the current year’s regular season.  We need to get away from putting team record as the opening criteria in this conversation.

[river09Participant]

 Would the wolves win 10 games this year without kevin love? I mean if he’s not a valuable player that helps them fight to almost .500 this year… To me it’s all a matter of who is playing the best basketball and helping their team the most. You don’t think Kevin Love would win playing next to Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh? Or with Westbrook and Harden? People refer to the Heat as "the Heat", the Thunder as "The Thunder. But in Minnesota’s case, Kevin Love is the Minnesota Timberwolves. I’m not disputing the point that Lebron and Durant are great players, because they are both awesomely talented, and definitely deserve a shot at MVP. But to say Love doesn’t even deserve consideration because of his "inflated" stats is a shame, if he puts up 20 ppg the wolves would still be at 15 wins right now.

 

He’s challenging Lebron in scoring right now, Dwight in rebounding and with All of Minnesota’s players dropping like flys (pekovic, rubio, barea, beasley have all missed time) he has really picked it up, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in the top 3 in scoring at the end of the year (he’s only a tenth behind Lebron right now). He’s averaged 31.3 ppg in March to go along with his always tough and consistent rebounding numbers and I see no reason for it to slow down. The wolves could go on a run here and make the playoffs and if they do there is absolutely no reason for him not to be considered for MVP.

 

As a wolves fan I will admit that I am incredibly biased. But I still think the fact people won’t even consider Love a top 5 contender for MVP is insulting. He doesn’t play a flashy/explosive game, but gawd it is effective. 

[TruettParticipant]

Ther absolute minimum for MVP is that your team is in the playoffs. Winning teams play a different style of basketball than losing ones. Good players on losings teams go for their stats because they want to be traded or get big contracts when they get out… coaches let them because they are the best players and the coaches do not want the team to turn against them and get fired…winning teams generally have more talent and thus more players capable of making plays/ getting stats that might go to one player on a bad team.

 

[Steven]

 yikes. i know lebron is having a great season, but im giving it to Durant far and away. they are the best team, with a great player. yet the heat arent even the best team, with 2 of the greatest players. 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

If you put Lebron on the Bobcats, would they make the playoffs?  No.  KG missed the playoffs a few times. So did Sir Charles.  Pretty much everyone but Jordan, Magic, Bird and the elite Centers missed it a time or two. 

That said, Love is at best third for MVP behind Lebron and Durant, but realisitically more like fifth behind Howard and Kobe.  People crediting Adelman utterly miss the point – NO great player succeeds without a great coach. 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

Lebron’s having a historically great year. Sorry, but KD settles for second.

[Andrew1984Participant]

For the most part, NFL, NBA MVPs and Heisman have been reduced to this: Find the best team in the country, and then identify the best player on that team.

It’s a completely retarded system.

[Jlv2012]

but Durant will win it.  Love will probably get one eventually.

[Critically ThinkingParticipant]

 i think the bobcats would make the playoffs with lebron…look what he did with cleveland

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

I think Love should be 3rd in voting behind only KD and LeBron.  If his team suddenly catches fire and makes the playoffs then it would be a closer race.

I would have Kobe a close 4th.  He is playing well but the team still has one of the best centers in the league in Andrew Bynum and Kobe is being somewhat childish and selfish.  … not sure if he is making his teammates better this year.

It’s a shame that Kevin Love won’t even make the All NBA first team this year since Durant and LeBron will take up the forward spots (unless they can sneak Love into the center spot).

I honestly think that this year we could get a tie between Durant and LeBron.  Both guys are doing great.  OKC has the better record, not sure how much that will matter.

It’s an interesting MVP race this year.   

Here is my Top 10:

 

1.  Kevin Durant

2.  LeBron James

3.  Kevin Love

4.  Kobe Bryant

5.  Dwight Howard

6.  Chris Paul

7.   Dwyane Wade

8.  Russell Westbrook

9.   Andrew Bynum

10.  Rajon Rondo

 

 

 

[kngojcParticipant]

 Kevin Love, while I love him as a player, is wayyyy too high on your list. As for a top 10:

1a. Kevin Durant

1b. Lebron James

3. Kobe Bryant

4. Dwight Howard

5. Russel Westbrook

6. Kevin Love

7. Chris Paul

8. Andrew Bynum

9. Tony Parker

10. Rajon Rondo (or maybe Steve Nash)

[NbanflguyParticipant]

If you put Lebron on the Bobcats, would they make the playoffs? No.

Yes they would.

[midwestbbscoutParticipant]

to me MVP has always meant what would a team be w/out that player…..if it was who is the best player than the same player would win every year….

[Future_Scout Mockdraft]

 ^…. and no1 wants to see lebron with 6 MVPs lol

 

[river09Participant]

 How can you put Westbrook ahead of Love? Sure he plays on a winning team and is super athletic and posts numbers but he isn’t the reason the Thunder win games. Just because he’s flashy and makes top 10 every other week and he puts up solid (not the top 5 in any category) stats doesn’t mean he’s an MVP candidate (who would be close to leading the league in turnovers).. I’d sooner give the MVP to Tony Parker or Rajon Rondo.. 

[midwestbbscoutParticipant]

if Lebron was on the Bobcats they most certainly would make the playoffs…. he made the Cavs the best team in the league lol….

[DurantsWingspan]

I agree. LeBron would defnitley take the Bobcats to the playoffs. Atleast a 4 seed. He is that good. They are just as good as his shit as Cleveland teams.

[midwestbbscoutParticipant]

the Cavs…..THE f*cking CAVS he made THE BEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE

[Jlv2012]

him no farther than Love.  0 rings people and a whole city hates him.

[HaleParticipant]

Yeah because the whole making the playoffs every year except his rookie year, making a finals and usually being a top 2 seed can compare to Love being on the verge of 0/4 for making the playoffs at all.

[midwestbbscoutParticipant]

please people we all know Lebron has no rings and Kevin Love is awesome……

[db24kb24Participant]

I’d say the MVP award can only be given to a player whose team finishes at .500 or above. The NBA is a winners league and if you don’t win nobody cares. KL scored 50 some odd pts the other week!, Barea had a triple dub!…. and they lost so…

I’d flip a coin and give the MVP to either Lebron or Durant. There is nobody else close considering their team records (it’s a team game), their body of work THIS Season, and they are the best/most consistent/#1 featured player on their teams, yes I know Wade and Russ are very close. If the coin landed on lebron i’d flip it again for good measure. 

Dwight has played very well, but IMO he’s been to eratic w/ the media, he’s putting his coaches job in the air, and there too many times when he calls out his teammates publically, which shouldnt happen as much as it has.

Kobe Bryant should not be on anybody’s list. First, he is not the most productive player on the team. He is the most selfish player playing basketball right now, and for as many GW’s he makes (very few) he frequently shoots his team out of games. He plays for personal glory and individual achievement/accomplishment. 

Love would be a great pick but he doesn’t fit my criteria of being .500

[NbanflguyParticipant]

Idk how Kobe can be in the mvp discussion this year. The Lakers are not that dominant of a team this year, Kobe is shooting his lowest shooting % in 16 years, and is clearly trying to win the scoring title and it is hurting his team

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

I think you’re underestimating just how bad the Bobcats were and how decent the Cavs are.  With Varajeo and without Mo (their third best player at the time) and Lebron (but with, Kyrie, of course) they were quite solid and nearly in the playoff hunt this year.  It’s a well-coached team that competes hard.  The Bobcats are absolutely historically bad and no amount of LBJ is going to give them the interiod defense or outside shooting of those Cavs teams for Lebron to play off of.

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