NBA Basketball Sports News in Philippines: Most Valuable Player

Showing posts with label Most Valuable Player. Show all posts

Saturday, May 12, 2012

NBA News 2012: LeBron James is the NBA’s Most Valuable Player

NBA player LeBron James answers questions during a press conference after a preseason practice session Sept. 28, 2010, at the Aderholt Fitness Center at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The Miami Heat used the fitness center for their week-long training camp. James is a forward for the Heat. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
All apologies for making this so stupidly simple, but this truly is a simple award. You give the Most Valuable Player award to the player that has played the best basketball during the regular season, and LeBron James clearly played the best basketball of any player in the NBA this year. This is why, according to the Associated Press, he will be awarded the MVP trophy on Saturday. Gotta get it in before the Indiana Pacers sweep LeBron's Miami Heat out of the playoffs, y'know.

To consider any other candidate was to be charitable to that runner-up at best. Other NBA players have had MVP-level seasons in terms of production, and there certainly have been several players this season that have been just about invaluable to their respective franchises, but James was so far and away the best player in the NBA that even L.B.J. fatigue -- James has won the award three times in four years -- couldn't sway the vote.

James averaged 27.1 points this season on just 18.9 shot attempts a game, which is nearly (by .1 of a shot) a career-low. To put that in perspective, Kevin Durant averaged 28 points on 19.7 shots a night, and Kobe Bryant managed 27.9 on 23 shots a contest — and we don't want to hear about Heat helpers in comparison to teams that feature Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. James also contributed 14.1 rebounds/assists and 2.7 steals/blocks, numbers that far outpace his contemporaries in whatever the hell position James plays these days.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/lebron-james-nba-most-valuable-player-033257767.html;_ylt=Agkqkyow8RZYr8MCnS9RVSm8vLYF

Thursday, November 18, 2010

NBA News 2010: Phil Jackson wants 'nice guy' Pau Gasol to get more physical

Image via Wikipedia

Gasol is averaging 22.9 points per game (12th best in the league), 12.2 rebounds (3rd) and 1.5 blocks (21st). He leads the NBA in double-doubles (10) and leads all big men in assists (3.9), and he's shooting 55% from the field.

Jackson, however, wants to see Gasol become more physical. Jackson said Gasol is "such a nice guy and such a well-meaning person" that he won't become the aggressor.

"I told him there is a way to do that, where the player you're going against, he'll understand that you have to take care of your own territorial rights," Jackson said. "But you have to inflict some pain sometimes. And that's just the warrior mentality that you have to have.

"It's not anything that's wrong and it's not anything that makes you a bad person to do. It's the code of behavior we have in this game. That's where he has to take the next step [for Gasol] to be considered" an MVP candidate.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-fyi-20101119,0,4374903.story

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

NBA News 2010: Who'll Be the MVP? Can LeBron Complete The Three-Peat?

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

LeBron James, two-time defending MVP, would have entered the season as the runaway favorite for a MVP three-peat had he stayed in Cleveland this summer. However, by deciding to join two uber-talented teammates in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, logic stands to say that the opportunities for each individual player will decrease.

Currently, Bodog.com has Durant leading the preseason MVP race at 5/2 odds, then Bryant at 3/1 odds, James at 9/2 odds, Dwight Howard with 13/2 odds, and D-Wade in fifth place at 9/1 odds. Deron Williams at 40/1 odds could be a sneaky good play if you're looking to throw down $20 on a long-shot…

Thursday, September 2, 2010

WNBA 2010: Lauren Jackson wins WNBA MVP

Image via Wikipedia

Seattle Storm center/forward Lauren Jackson on Thursday was named the WNBA's most valuable player for the third time and Seattle coach Brian Agler the league's coach of the year.

"The award itself, I never would have got it if we hadn't achieved what we had," Jackson told the Seattle Times. "And I know for a fact that if Sue [Bird] wasn't my point guard, I would have never got the award. Everybody played such a huge part and I'm really fortunate I got to play with these guys this year and that everyone is so focused on winning."

Jackson, who also won the MVP in 2003 and 2007, helped the Storm to the conference finals. She averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds a game this season.

The Storm finished with a 28-6 record, the best in the league. They were 17-0 at home.

Jackson scored 20 or more points in 16 of her 32 games this season, sitting out twice simply for rest as the Storm raced to a 22-3 start and coasted to the finish. Jackson finished fourth in the league in scoring.

Jackson was previously league MVP in 2007 when she averaged a career-best 23.8 points, and in 2003 when she was the first international player and youngest player to ever receive the award.

Jackson is the youngest player, and fastest, in WNBA history to score 3,000 and 4,000 career points and was voted to the WNBA's All-Decade Team. She has averaged 19.5 points and 7.9 rebounds over her nine-year career.

http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/news/story?id=5521878