Please not on our court: While We’re Waiting
June 16, 2015Johnny Wrasslin: Manziel featured, taunted on WWE Raw
June 16, 2015It’s unanimous: LeBron James for 2015 NBA Finals MVP.
Unanimous among a selected voting group, anyway: Six of Sports Illustrated’s NBA writers — including Lee Jenkins, to whom LeBron broke the news that he was returning to Cleveland — said that they would pick James for Finals MVP, regardless of which teams wins the series.
James has been superhuman during these Finals, averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in 45.6 minutes per game. The Cavs trail Golden State three games to two, with Game 6 in Cleveland tonight at 9 p.m.
If those numbers weren’t reason enough, here’s more on why the SI crowd would vote James for Finals MVP:
Lee Jenkins: If LeBron James doesn’t win MVP, that’s essentially an admission that a player on the losing team can’t win the award, which is fine, except then the name should probably be changed. But if a player on the losing team can win the award, then James is the obvious choice, because he has clearly been the most productive, most consistent and most crucial performer throughout this series. In cases when the race is at all close, the MVP should go to a player on the winning team, because the championship is more important than any stat. But in this case, the race is not close.
Chris Mannix: It takes unique circumstances to give the MVP award to a player on a losing team, but this is a unique situation. Even in defeat, James has been the most overwhelmingly dominant player. He has single-handedly dictated the pace of the game offensively and has spearheaded Cleveland’s strong defensive effort.
Michael Rosenberg: The title is “Most Valuable Player,” not “Most Valuable Player On The Winning Team,” and anybody watching this series understands James has been far more valuable than Steph Curry, Andre Iguodala or anybody else on Golden State’s roster.
Chris Ballard: It’s LeBron, and it’s not even close right now. Curry and Iguodala are both worthy candidates in any other year but if we’re trying to measure a player’s “value”, well, just look at the rare stretches in this series when James has sat, forcing the J.R. Smith Traveling All-Stars to muck about until David Blatt looks as if he might have an aneurysm.
Ben Golliver: If Stephen Curry had been more consistent throughout the Finals I could see making an argument in his favor, but his struggles in Games 2 and 3, particularly, make me inclined to give James the Bill Russell Trophy, even if Curry and company bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to the Bay Area.
Rob Mahoney: As much as I respect the cases of both Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry, LeBron has them beat in volume, consistency, and responsibility. The very idea that a superstar could carry the weight that James has is astounding. He is the only player on his team that can run an NBA-level offense, much less a Finals-worthy offense.
It would surely make for an awkward trophy presentation if the Cavs did not win. They have a chance to render that point moot, starting with tonight’s Game 6.
11 Comments
Of course SI would.
But, ESPN won’t. 😉
If we lose (which we won’t), the “spectacle” will drive who gets the award more than anything else. There doesn’t “have” to be an awards ceremony; but that’s the bill of goods that we come to expect with the spectacle of modern sport. If we lose (which we won’t), the right thing to do would be to quietly present the trophy to LeBron in private in the Cavs locker room. The spectacle shouldn’t matter (but it will, though it won’t matter, because we won’t lose).
If this scenario played out part of me would love to see LBJ refuse the award with someone saying, “Let it go to the other MVP.” I know that wouldn’t happen because of poor sportsmanship and the media would go crazy but really LBJ would have a valid point. His team didn’t win so how could he be the MVP because clearly he didn’t do enough even though what he did do was unbelievable.
It won’t happen, it can’t happen not tonight!
It SHOULD be LeBron, of course. But this feels like Steph Curry is about to join Peyton Manning with a “most hyped star on the winning team” championship MVP, regardless of whether or not it was earned.
Should have been Bob Sanders
I would also have accepted Dominic Rhodes or Joseph Addai. Any of those were better choices than giving it to Manning out of obligation to his reputation.
In all fairness, I only wanted it to be Sanders because he went to my high school and could have arguably won it.
I don’t get the whole “refuse the award” thing. Take the trophy and go quietly about the rest of your business, if you are the MVP on a losing team.
LBJ holds himself to another standard he already answered this today saying he was more interested in the team trophy. It also sends a message to all of the dopes who voted for the regular season MVP that they should give their new poster child another one. Both Harden and LBJ got screwed.
The Jobs Site on the net @mk9
….
PlutoNetMoneyHosts/skills/help…