Comments on: PBT’s NBA Mid-Season Awards: All hail Kevin Durant

By: kavika6

kavika6 — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:43:15 +0000

Right on savvybynature!

By: savvybynature

savvybynature — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:28:30 +0000

Someone isn’t a Spurs fan.

To give Kobe and ‘Melo MVP votes over Duncan is questionable, considering Duncan has a higher PER and has a w/s about 4X that of either, but to ignore him for DPOY? That’s just silly.

No love for Pop for COY either?

Do you even realize the Spurs have the 2nd best record in the league despite having played more total games, more road games, and tougher competition (based on SoS) than any of your 3 “title contenders”?

I know you were a former beat writer for the Lakers, but if you are going to run an NBA blog isn’t it time to at least attempt to be objective? Sure, it’s the hated Spurs and Duncan, who robbed the precious Kobe of his own dynasty and relegated him to 2nd best player of his generation (most heavily marketed though, by a long shot, that’s for sure!), but a quick look at the advanced stats shows you that you are wrong in ignoring the success of the Spurs this season.

By: boxingfan1019

boxingfan1019 — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:16:06 +0000

Putting Kobe on that list makes absolutely NO sense. Lebron should be first, but I can understand with the leadership Durant is showing. But outside of shooting, what does Kobe contribute? Certainly not leadership. It’s been shown throughout his career, he’s not a true leader. He does not make his teammates better. They have to add already established talent around him because he won’t help anyone else raise their game. He shouldnt be anywhere near consideration for the MVP.

By: pudgalvin

pudgalvin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:26:02 +0000

I’d love your hear your argument for Kobe being a better player than Durant at this point in their careers.

By: Kurt Helin

Kurt Helin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:22:30 +0000

I don’t think you watched a lot of Thunder games this year.

By: 00maltliquor

00maltliquor — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:24:11 +0000

LeBron could literally win MVP EVERY single fricken year, but he’s got too many so the votes gonna naturally swing in Durant’s favor since he deserves one too but will prolly never get one so as long as Bron is still in the league. “They” are just gonna try to get it out the way while they can since the race is close enough this year. Personally, I think it should be Chris Paul, but he doesn’t put up gaudy enough #s like the other two.

By: lyndseymarieee

lyndseymarieee — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:13:34 +0000

I think OKC is playing way better this season than last.

By: paleihe

paleihe — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:29:26 +0000

The MVP award is pretty ridiculous at this point. It’s useless and doesn’t mean much. It generally just goes to the best player on the best team. Wait til the season ends, see which team has the best record, and hand it over to their best player.

Not much thinking going on there.

Durant? Good choice, but was the team any different last year? They were one of the top teams throughout the year.
Lebron? Same thing. His team was one of the best throughout last year (I’m talking about regular season since that’s what the MVP is based on).

For my money, it’d be Chris Paul. He’s changed the entire organization over a two year period. Then, it’d be Carmelo because of his commitment to defense and how well NY has played. Then, it’d be Steph Curry.

By: sportsnut101

sportsnut101 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:10:23 +0000

Miami has a deeper team. Okc only has collision n Martin to count on
Miami has miller Ray Allen Haslem Lewis n just signed Birdman. N cole. Okc is winning cuz of durant n Westbrook n ebaka n Martin. Every other player on that team can’t be counted on

By: miamatt

miamatt — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:51:51 +0000

One statistical correction: LBJ is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, not 6.9.

I still give the MVP to LeBron, his game has improved as well. OKC has been a better, more consistent team this season than Miami (though the head to head result says otherwise) and that does play a role as this is a regular season award we’re talking about. Still, LeBron is Miami’s best scorer, rebounder, distributer, and defender. Not only that, he is the most versatile and perhaps best defensive palyer in the league. Durant is amazing, but LeBron is still superior in just about every.

Kobe doesn’t even belong on that list, he is jacking up shots on a truly bad team. Even on bad teams, SOMEBODY has to score.

By: aboogy123456

aboogy123456 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:07:39 +0000

More evidence why these awards are bs: Why is lebron not up for defensive player of the year? Because he’s good at offense? I think a big reason that he can be considered the MVP is because he’s the best defensive player in the whole league, and he has been for a couple years now. This is one reason why people who think Durant is the MVP are just wrong. Durant’s really good at defense, but he’s no where near the game changer on defense that lebron or even chris paul is.

By: soopreme

soopreme — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:50:39 +0000

The rational that this guy uses is completely absurd.
The team seems bored so he’s going to penalize Lebron but Lebron brings it every night and he is having arguably his best season.
Thats rediculous.
The team coasting is a coaches problem not Lebron he brings it every night.
I watch every game the Heat has played this year and he has not coasted any game this year.
You can’t penalize Lebron for that.
Secondly, you noticed he only talked about one side of the court.
Not only is Lebron having his most effecient season offensively, but again he is ARUGUABLY THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE but he is only considering offense.
Lets not forget Lebron was the top vote getter for all nba first team defense last year selected by the COACHES.
Can Durant make an all nba defensive team once in his life before we consider him the best player in the league?

By: cosanostra71

cosanostra71 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:32:21 +0000

No, the Lakers wouldn’t have won in 09 and 10 with Marc instead of Pau, but I am referring to right now.

By: fanofthegame79

fanofthegame79 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:28:19 +0000

So let’s say that LeBron and Durant cancel each other out. And same with Wade and Westbrook…and Bosh and Ibaka cancel out. With that said…look at the rosters. The Thunder still have Martin from the trade. They have Perkins, a legit center. They have Collison who is a big man that stretches the floor to the 3-point line. Who do the Heat have that is young and can rebound/shoot? Battier? Mike Miller? Ray Allen? Sure, they can shoot, but not rebound OR defend (although Battier is a decent defender). The Thunder have the deeper team on paper. I agree 100% that the Clippers probably have the deepest team in the league. I wouldn’t say the Knicks (injuries will kill the old guys on the team by time playoffs role around). And remember, ESPN is the network that crowned the Thunder last year (also said they’re the deepest team) and they’re on the bandwagon again this year.

By: fanofthegame79

fanofthegame79 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:23:41 +0000

I think Marc is better than Pau at this point – but would Marc have been the starting center for 2 NBA championship teams when they won? It took Marc this long to lose weight and grow into the player he was last season and this season. It’s a timing thing.

By: eventhorizon04

eventhorizon04 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:18:10 +0000

I’m a Heat fan, but I don’t get why some are getting worked up. Kurt is offering his opinion that the Thunder are playing better basketball than the Heat (which is true) and Kevin Durant is having a better season than LeBron (debatable but reasonable).

I personally believe the Heat are guilty of inconsistent effort, not lack of talent/ability, but the fact remains the Heat have been a worse team than than the Thunder this season so far except for the one close game against the Thunder that the Heat won (which proves nothing since it’s just 1 regular season game).

If you argue that “The Heat are better than the Thunder this year because the Heat beat the Thunder once in the regular season,” then I guess that means the NY Knicks HAVE to be much better than the Heat since the Knicks beat the Heat TWICE this regular season (once without Carmelo). A regular season game or two means nothing – looking at the season as a whole, OKC has been the better and more consistent team, with more wins despite playing in the more difficult conference (the West).

As for LeBron versus Durant:
Scoring:
Durant is having an absolutely nuts season shooting (52% FG – 42% 3PT- 91% FT) and scoring 29.6 points per game.
LeBron is having a great season (55% FG – 39% 3PT – 74% FT) shooting but has scored “only” 26.5 points per game.
Significant advantage to Durant.

Playmaking:
Durant has improved as a playmaker this season, as he is now averaging 4.4 assists per game. However, he is also averaging 3.3 turnovers per game.
LeBron continues to do LeBron-like things as a playmaker, averaging 7.1 assists per game compared to 2.8 turnovers per game.
Significant advantage to LeBron.

Rebounding:
Durant is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.
LeBron is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game.
Slight advantage to LeBron.

Defense:
Durant has improved defensively this season, but advanced stats show LeBron is the much better and more versatile wing-defender.

I still believe LeBron is the better player when it comes to everything except scoring (an area where nobody in the NBA beats Durant, which is scary given how young Durant is…), but a lot of people treat the MVP award as an award for “The Best Player on the Best Team,” as opposed to the “Best Player in the NBA.”

If you believe MVP is “Best Player on the Best Team,” the award goes to Durant.
If you believe MVP is “Best Player in the NBA” I still think the award to LeBron.

By: cosanostra71

cosanostra71 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:43:49 +0000

Hey remember when everyone said the Lakers ripped off Memphis for trading Marc Gasol and Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol? And here we are now and I think a lot of other Laker fans would agree we would rather have Marc at this point! Not that Pau is bad though. Marc has really turned into an excellent player.

By: bucrightoff

bucrightoff — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:34:05 +0000

Kobe more valuable than Tim Duncan? Not a freaking chance. Also Duncan not even considered defensive player of the year? Just don’t like the Spurs? I guess you must enjoy your success with extreme amounts of melodrama and not boring, consistent dominance.

By: airjunior23

airjunior23 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:30:50 +0000

I’m givng the nod to KD…For some reason people keep sayin OKC is a deeper team…I don’t hear that…they have a great starting five and them there’s a fall off. Kevin martin, a ridiculous downgrade, no chance of a sixth man award….ever. but I will say, you can never get mad at consistency…hes a shooter, that’s it, harden was a gamechanger. The roster is only an eight man rotation…that’s not deep. LA clippers are deep. Knicks are deep….OKC is ran by the clutchness of their star and westbrook and some pretty good overall defense. Miami’s team is waaaay deeper than OKC mane…have a look on espn.com or something

By: lemfaxx

lemfaxx — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:28:56 +0000

How bout vince for 6th man & duncan for defensive player…

By: borderline1988

borderline1988 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:11:58 +0000

There is no argument to say Kobe is a better player (at this point). The absolutely only stat that he measures up to Lebron and Durant is PPG. And that’s only because he shoots more…he’s no-where close in efficiency.

The thing about Lebron is that he’s not only giving you 27ppg, he’s rebounding, opening the court for others, assisting on other plays, leading fast breaks, playing exceptional defense at every position…he’s like a one-man basketball wrecking crew.
Durant is starting to become what Lebron already is, except he’s smoother on the offensive end so in a couple of years he may be better than Lebron.

By: kelsey412

kelsey412 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:04:35 +0000

Please take Kobe off that list. Watch the games. A black hole last 5 mins of any game. Jacks ups shots like crazy and misses all of them. He is out of control

By: fanofthegame79

fanofthegame79 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:04:11 +0000

Sorry for the extra “R’s” in Durant’s name…..don’t know what I was thinking.

By: shanbhu

shanbhu — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:58:11 +0000

Heat will turn up the defense in the playoffs, there is no need for them to do it right now. They have the best record in the east without doing so, when the time is right, we will see them what tey do

By: jaygott87

jaygott87 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:56:32 +0000

LeBron is the MVP, quit being biased and WITNESS the greatness.

By: willthedolphinseverwin

willthedolphinseverwin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:55:26 +0000

i agree with fanofthegame79 on the mvp. what gets me is the pick of the nba champs, still goes to OKC? really? Does anyone factor in the slug fest that the West winner will have to go through to just make it to the finals? The Heat may have to play the knicks in the ECF (big whoop) and will be rested and ready for the finals. I love Durant, second best player in the world, but hes gonna have to wait for LBJ to finish winning titles before his turn. and really how much longer will westbrook be willing to be #2. that is not gonna finish well.

By: aboogy123456

aboogy123456 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:48:47 +0000

The MVP is a popularity contest as always. Durant is having a great season but he’s not the best player in the league. I can easily make a case that chris paul, kobe, and lebron are all better players. But the MVP always has to do with winning and players around you, bs award.

By: fanofthegame79

fanofthegame79 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:44:08 +0000

I need a better explaination about the MVP. Bottom line: LeBron is having a slightly better year than Durrant. Durrant has a “deeper team” so they will be better…..and currently they have 2 less losses than the Heat. However, in the one head-to-head match up between the Thunder and Heat, the Heat won. So why do we have Durrant as the MVP and the Thunder winning it all? Just wait until the end of the season – if I’m wrong, I’ll eat crow. But I don’t think I’ll be wrong. LeBron James is the best BASKETBALL player in the world – not just a scorer. And while Durrant has improved his game, he still doesn’t have the PER that James does. It’s close….but close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. We still have a half of a season left – and LBJ’s PER will still be higher than Durrants by season’s end.