Comments on: Winderman: NBA awards should not ignore the playoffs

By: ED

ED — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:12:35 +0000

Championship ring is what it is all about! I am sure Rondo could care less about some improved trophy!
Bill Russell cannot wear all his rings at one time because he has more than ten!

By: mike b.

mike b. — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:39:31 +0000

i dont know about that surfer dude, these guys are like high priced call girls.he will go to the highest bidder, and eventually win a very compromised ring, all the ny yankee fan should know what im talking about.

By: SurferDude

SurferDude — Thu, 20 May 2010 02:03:08 +0000

Obviously a Legone James fan who is a perennial overhyped both in the regular and playoff season. This guy will never wear a ring, except the one that gets pierced in the nose.
Grit your teeth, for Legone James will never win a championship. EVER.

By: Umm No They Don't

Umm No They Don't — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:49:10 +0000

No, they don’t have a “playoffs MVP”, and they don’t have one for each series. Where did you get that from. They have the Regular Season MVP, and then they have the Finals MVP, nothing in between, and no otehr award either (6th Man, Most Improved, etc.)

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:07:56 +0000

You people are sadly mistaken… The award is for the whole season, not the playoffs where you are basing your comments right now on. As for LeBron, his post season numbers are better than anyone else, it is not his fault his entire team turned to mush. Are you going to tell me that in baseball, if you have a triple crown winner who’s team does not make the World Series, you are going to say he didn’t deserve the MVP??
This is an individual award and you are trying to base it on team results. They have post season awards for a reason, and if your beloved Kobe takes the lakers to the title, I am sure he will get the Finals MVP. Or Maybe it will be Rondo leading the Celts, who knows

By: jonnymac

jonnymac — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:57:07 +0000

I agree with most of the above comments…..the post-season play of some of these award winners has been/was atrocious…..and Kobe is definitely MVPier than LeBrick….but just like the year he scored 81 points in a game (a phenomenal achievement considering today’s game and playing style) they robbed him and gave it to Nash…Now don;t get me wrong….I like Nash but Kobe was robbed.
On a side note…what’s the deal with all the Kobe/rapist posts?….come on! every day some idiot posts the Kobe/Rape comment….come on people its’ inexcusable he cheated on his wife…but she forgave him and he’s now trying (and apparently succeeding) to forge a life with her and their two lovely daughters…..and keep in mind unless Gasol and Bynum were there….there were two other types of sperm on her panties when the ER did the rape-kit. 3 sperm samples on your undies in less than 48 hours….as Chad Ochocinco would say…”CHILD PLEASE”!

By: geo59

geo59 — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:44:48 +0000

Hi Ira, I agree with you completely. The MVP, COY, etc. awards should be awarded after the playoffs are over so that all the data can be included. Had that been the case, Rondo would win MIP, Doc Rivers would win COY, Pau would have been 2nd, and really, come on, let’s be real, 1st team All-NBA, and of course, truth and justice would prevail and Kobe would be MVP. I hear the Lebron lovers screaming. Okay, they should have an award for “Most Hyped Player”. Lebron wins that one the last 4 or 5 years in a row, at least. How about “Second-Best Player in the World Most Likely to Choke in the Playoffs”? Lebron would win that one for the 2nd straight year.

By: Raj

Raj — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:15:25 +0000

They do consider the playoffs Ira, you D-Bag. It’s called the playoffs MVP. They have one for each series. Helloooooooo

By: SJ

SJ — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:45:17 +0000

Hey were you there? The case was settled, get over it.

By: Agrees

Agrees — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:32:08 +0000

I agree with Ira. Not to take away from the regular season but judging should be made using the most amount of data as possible. I found it funny that after Lebron was declared MVP, Cleveland lost the next two games and were kicked out of the playoffs. And no, there shouldn’t be to sets of awards, it takes away from their glory and respect…that’s like having two champions in the same year (team with best regular season record vs. team that won playoffs).

By: Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:09:49 +0000

Are there awards handed out for the best rapist in the league? Kobe could win THAT!

By: Junior

Junior — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:41:17 +0000

Hey Ira, two terms you may not be familiar with: Day-in and day-out and consistency. MVPs and all the awards are not designed for the push at the end of the season and post-season, it is intended for the drive and determination displayed throughout the entire season; and two months of over-the-top performances won’t erase what others did for 6 months. It looks like you are a die hard LA fan…

By: Junior

Junior — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:39:02 +0000

By: Christopher

Christopher — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:39:33 +0000

I really like your idea about two sets of awards. Might allow the NBA to get more out of the playoffs than they do already.
You’re right about how the awards would be voted. I just see so many instances where, say, coach of the year goes to “The best coach to make a big jump in wins from last year” Instead of “The Best Coach In The NBA This Year” How does Jerry Sloan not have one COY award?
I suppose if you’re aware of the fact that the post-season would be more heavily “weighted” and the voter’s understand and are fine with this, then by all means make the change. I just wouldn’t want this fact to get lost in the idea that yes, the post-season should probably count too.
E, I understand your point as well I just felt that for some, not all, all awards choices would essentially be narrowed down to the 16 post-season teams. League awards should pick from the whole league, right?

By: Lakers4Lyfe

Lakers4Lyfe — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:31:58 +0000

How can you be league MVP and not even advance to the conference finals? Kobe doesn’t even shift into 3rd gear until the playoffs … totally agree. No awards until the playoffs are over.

By: e

Wed, 19 May 2010 13:27:07 +0000

If a League MVP is not involved in the playoffs, do you think that player really deserves to be mentioned in the MVP voting?

By: Joshua

Joshua — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:12:47 +0000

Good point Christopher, MIP is something that should depend on a players improvement from one season to the next, not within the season. But like Ira points out, Doc’s strategy of keeping his guys fresh for the playoffs was completely misunderstood by voters because at the time they voted the Celtics just looked bad. And honestly, the best coaches are guys like Popovitch, Sloan, Phil Jackson, guys who save their best stuff for the playoffs yet get ignored season after season by awards. And when is the last time the MVP was a player who did not make the playoffs?
However I have to disagree that only players/coaches in the playoffs would get votes. I think you discredit the voters. The voters are drawn from guys who work with every team, not just playoff teams, and I don’t think everybody would be as swayed by playoff success as you think. I think the point is that the playoffs are a part of the season, just as much as the first two months and the last two months of the regular season, and deserve to be taken into consideration for every award. Would they get more weight with voters because they happen to be the most important two months of the season? Probably, but there is a reason for that. But I also think most voters would be intelligent enough to take the entire season into account.
Here is a side-thought: what about two sets of awards? Keep the awards we have now for the regular season, then vote on the same awards for post-season only. MVP of the entire playoffs. MIP would be someone like Rondo who really stepped their game up. Might be a way to cover all bases.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:49:39 +0000

Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely correct. And having a post-playoffs award show would be awesome, I would definitely tune in and you are right that the NBA would be able to turn it into a spectacle. Because honestly baseball bores the crap out of me and I would love to see some basketball highlight reels in July. They could have TNT do it like they did the all-decade awards, with Ernie, Chuck and Kenny presenting. Come on Stern!

By: Christopher

Christopher — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:23:08 +0000

While I agree the the spirit of the arguments Winderman makes, those statements are basically doing the opposite of the MBA Regular Season Awards; Basing the decision on people play strictly in the post-season. While I understand the point would be to include the performance of player all the way from regular season tip-off to post-season conclusion, people would be voting on only players in the play off, because those are the performances freshest in our minds.
If basing the majority of the awards on the post-season is the point then so be it. It can’t be dismissed that Coach of the Year would always be a Playoff coach, and MVP would always be a Playoff player and Most Improved Player would always be the Most Improved Player On A Playoff Team.
Just something to think about.