LeBron Passes Kobe in MVP Race

[kingfish]

A portion of a game is not nearly enough of a sample size to grade or evaluate their cast. Again, this team would not be anywhere near the playoffs without LeBron James. The Lakers would easily be in the playoffs without Kobe, probably not a high seed but they would still be right there, but the Cavaliers record is still comparable. I say this only for the sake of the LBJ-Kobe argument for MVP.

 

You must be joking right? The Lakers would be a borderline lottery team without Kobe. What do you honestly think would happen if our guard rotation was Vujacic/Brown/Farmar/Fisher? I can tell you have not watched very many Laker games. As soon as Kobe hits the bench, the other team goes on a huge run, we blow a huge lead, or we fall behind by 20 (once again, Cleveland game is an example). I know there is talent on the Lakers but outside of Kobe our guards are completely pathetic. Not to mention if you take Kobe off the Lakers you are left with ONE good defensive player, which is Artest. We would give up 110 PPG without Kobe. Not to mention the last second buzzer beaters and clutch overtime shots Kobe has given us this year, you could add 4 or 5 more losses just based on where we would be without his clutch performances.

 

It still amazes me how Cavs players outside of Lebron are still so underrated. Did you forget Mo Williams was an all star last year? Hes playing even better this year, for most of their wins lately its been Mo Williams leading them to it. Not to mention how good of a defensive team they are, and they still have Shaq to throw the ball inside to. They also have shooters all over the court, everyone on their team is money on an open shot. Have you seen the Lakers shooters? Nobody outside of Kobe can hit an open shot this year, if you watched the games you would notice teams packing it in the paint and leaving guys wide open for bricks. It shows up in the numbers too, with Farmar, Vujacic, Fisher, Artest, all shooting extremely low percentages. Take Lebron off the Cavs, you have an athletic team who is terrific defensively and have guys that can create their own shot or make open 3's. Look at the Rockets for example, they are a playoff team in the West without a star player, but they play defense and make hustle plays. The Cavs would easily make the playoffs without Lebron, especially in the East. The Lakers would be in the lottery in the West without Kobe.

[Legacy]

If the MVP is going to go to whose team would be worst without them, it be go to Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade or even Monta Ellis.

 

But if you go by how the NBA does it, the MVP should go to the team with a top 2 record and you pick the better player. The top two records will be the Lakers and Celtics therefore the award should go to either Kobe Bryant or a Boston Celtic, most likely Bryant.

[Check my Stats]

You are telling me a team with two 7 footers who can average 20-10 and a shut down wing in Artest, would not make the playoffs? I don't need to watch the team nightly to know they are talented enough to make the playoffs, not to mention they have a superb coach while the Cavaliers coach is nothing special at all IMO. He is great at instilling defense into his team but the offense is just -_- I can't imagine their offense without their only 'watch LeBron' play. I am not saying the Lakers would be contenders, but their coach should be fired if they didn't win 40 games, that team is basically as talented as the Raptors are, if not mores so.....

 

On the other hand the Cavaliers have Mo Williams who is at best a 3rd option player on a normal contending team, Shaq is actually not that good anymore, and a bunch of role players. Sorry but I am confident the Cavaliers would not be near the playoffs, they were horrible pre-LeBron, and if he leaves, they will be horrible post-LeBron. Who on the Cavs can create their own shot off the dribble? Mo Will on occasion, that is probably it. Mo is a good player but he was an all-star because the best team in the league only had one, he should not have even been in the game. He is a 15 point or so scorer.

 

I would be curious as to how many of the Cavaliers buckets, in a percentage or something, come as a result of LeBron. I bet it would be around 75%.

 

Sorry but if you are trying to tell me the Cavaliers would win 40 games with Mo Williams and Shaq as their best players then you are sadly mistaken sir. The Cavs have 3 players above 10 PPG right now, take LeBron out of the mix they have two. Who is going to step up? Varejao? Z? Delonte? AP? All role players, can't be relied on for 20 a game. All the Cavaliers have outside LeBron and Mo really are spot up shooters, spot up shooters and defenders won't win you 40 games.

[kingfish]

Look at the Rockets. Are they on pace for over 40 wins? I think so. You are still underrating the Cavs team, a team with solid defense and slashers CAN make the playoffs. And I said the Lakers wouldnt make the playoffs in the WEST, in the East they could because of how poorly that conference is.

 

Part of your argument was the Cavs were horrible pre-Lebron..........seriously? Like 6 years ago with none of the players they have now except for maybe Z .

[Check my Stats]

Who on the Cavaliers is a slasher?

[kingfish]

Delonte West, Jamario Moon, even Mo Williams, Anthony Parker. Another thing I forgot to mention, the Cavs are much deeper then the Lakers without Kobe and Lebron. In case you havent noticed the Lakers havent been healthy at all this year. We were without Pau for a while, didnt matter cause we had Kobe. Imagine a Kobe less Lakers without Pau. Bynum also has injury problems. Artest just had a concussion. Walton is injured. Your assuming that the Lakers team would stay healthy for 82 games. If someone like Varajao gets injured, you have Hickson who can be an adequate replacement. Parker or West goes down, you still have Moon and Gibson, and vice versa. Factor in injurys and you get a Lakers team that would be a sure lottery team in the West.