Blogger MVP/ROY Rankings Round 8
TWolvesBlog was honored to host this round’s NBA MVP and ROY Blogpoll. The rankings are comprised of votes by a highly esteemed panel of bloggers who throw darts to determine their picks every two weeks. Points are granted for each vote in a descending scale thus a first place vote in the MVP rankings counted for ten points, second place was good for nine points, third place counted for eight and so on. In the ROY rankings a first place vote counted for five points as only five rookies are ranked. Second place gets four points, and so on.
Our esteemed panel:
College Wolf from TWolves Blog (Bonk from TWolvesblog is voting and commenting in my stead for this edition, being that I am running things.)
Lee and Dave from The Dream Shake
David from 20 Second Time Out
Adam from Raptors HQ
Spartacus from 3 Shades of Blue
Seth from Posting and Toasting
Don from With Malice…
Tom from Sactown Royalty
Josh from Dinosty
Steve and Tom from CelticsBlog
Mike from Bullets Forever
Ben from Third Quarter Collapse
Jeremy from Pick Axe and Roll
Brett from Queen City Hoops
The scholars from We Rite Goode
Matt and Corndogg from Hardwood Paroxysm
Tom from Indy Cornrows
Jeramey from The Bratwurst
Ricky from Sixers 4 Guidos (He tried to participate but his votes/emails kept getting swallowed up in a mystic blogospherial void.)
The man, the myth, the legend… Alex from Brew Hoop
MVP voting is done on a 10 point scale, for the rookies its 5 points. We had a total of 20 participants for this eighth edition.
To check out previous rounds of voting, and the results:
Round 1: Hosted by Brewhoop
Round 2: Hosted by Clips Nation
Round 3: Hosted by 3 Shades of Blue
Round 4: Hosted by Sixers 4 Guidos
Round 5: Hosted by Pick Axe and Roll
Round 6: Hosted by Hardwood Paroxysm
Round 7: Hosted by Celticsblog
(Click on the "Read More…" button to view the rankings and results for this Eighth Edition of the MVP/ROY Rankings)
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We’re gonna keep the goods until the end, so let’s start off the meal with a light appetizer course of ROY Rankings. K-Rant? Kevin-D? KD? Whatever you want to call him, he’s been leading this thing from the get go. Are times a-changing? If so, I’d be honored to be running things when the ROY mantle changes hands:
Rookie of the Year:
5. Joakim Noah / Al Thornton: (12 points each. 6th and 8th place, respectively, last edition.)
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ3y5hTHuP4" – Bonk, TWolvesBlog
(CW Says: Of all the people to vote for Noah, he was the only one to actually leave a comment. That’s fine with me because I was going to post that awesome video regardless of any other comments. It just needs to be seen.)
"Hey, what do you know? A guy {Thornton] that score in a multitude of ways who’s shooting doesn’t make us vomit. Neat!" – Hardwood Paroxysm
4. Jamario Moon: (18 points. 25 points last edition.)
"How about some love for the Raptors’ own diamond in the rough. Based on his unbelievable journey to the league alone he should get top consideration. He still needs to stop settling for jump shots and improve his man-to-man defence, but he’s been one of the most consistent rookies this season." – Adam, Raptors HQ
"The Raptors look to be headed back to the playoffs and the play of this 27-year old rookie is a big reason for it." – Spartacus, 3 Shades of Blue
(CW Says: This years Dunk Contest is the only thing that Jamario Moon will ever lose to Gerald Green in… related to basketball that is.)
3. Luis Scola: (49.5 points. 3 first place votes. 45 points last edition.)
"Put him and Carl Landry together, and you’ve got Tim Duncan." – We Rite Goode
"Playing very solid ball for the streaking Rockets. Hopefully, little Rocket fans are not growing up thinking it is cool to have their hair like his though." – Jeremy, Pick Axe And Roll
(CW Says: Adam from Raptors HQ and Spartacus had nearly identical comments pondering why exactly the Spurs gave up on Scola. That, my friends, I could not tell you. Perhaps it was because he’s so ugly… no?)
2. Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso: (77 points. 7 first place votes. 80 points last edition.)
"To follow the recent theme of nick-naming people by their first initial and first few letters of their last name (J-Lo, K-Fed), I suggest we do the same here, by calling him A-Ho or A-Hor." – Bonk, TWolvesBlog
"His scoring comes and goes, but he’s 15th in the NBA in rebounding, ahead of All-Stars Amare Stoudemire, David West and Dirk Nowitzki." – Spartacus, 3 Shades of Blue
"Has done better than Durant, amazingly given the hype. Is a contributor at both ends of the floor, unlike Durant." – Don, With Malice…
(CW Says: I’m just disappointed that the changing of the guard did NOT occur on my watch. 1 damn vote difference! So close… yet so very far.)
1. Kevin Durant: (78 points. 8 first place votes. 83 points last edition.)
"He shot .492 from the field in the first four games of March. His overall production still warrants putting him in the top spot, even though he is not yet as good as some "experts" expected him to be." – David, 20 Second Timeout.
"By a nose over Horford. While we thought Horford had the bigger impact on his team, Durant has been the overall better player. Yeah, not sure that makes any sense either…" – Adam, Raptors HQ
"Still putting up impressive numbers, but who among us would not like a chance to shoot as many times as we want every time we play? I feel guilty for shooting over and over at Pop a Shot." – Jeremy, Pick Axe and Roll
"Duh, but like a vote for Clinton, we’re not excited about it." – We Rite Goode
(CW Says: I have already spoken… git him next time A-Hor.)
Others receiving votes. Point totals in parenthesis: Thaddeus Young (11), Carl Landry (10.5), Sean Williams (5), Yiiiiiiiii (3), Glen "Extremely Large Child" Davis (3), Greg Oden (3), Juan Carlos Navarro (2), Aaron "Freight Train" Gray (1).
Well… that was exciting. I was really pulling for Alfred JHR to usurp Durant, but it looks like he fell this short. I assure you the formulas in my spreadsheet were operating infallibly. Maybe next time.
Let’s move on to the main course. The man-child LeBron James has been leading the past few rounds, but Chris Paul has been moving up very quickly… and KG still lies in wait. However, I think Mr. Kobe Bryant may have something to say about all this.
Most Valuable Player:
10. Chauncey Billups: (25 points. 1 fourth place vote. 27 points last edition.)
"Ho hum, ho hum. Going to the Eastern Conference Finals. Again. All-around player, leader, and go-to guy. Yawn." – Hardwood Paroxysm
"Insert requisite Detroit Piston here." – Mike, Bullets Forever
(CW Says: Wonderful brevity guys. Short and sweet, just like CB’s T-Wolves career.)
9. Deron Williams: (28 points. 3 sixth place votes. 15th place last edition.)
"They have backslid a tiny bit, but not because of him, bonus points for repeatedly destroying CP3, loses points for getting taken out last go round. Utah still sucks." – David, Dream Shake
"The catalyst for Utah’s second-ranked offense." – Steve, Celticsblog
(CW Says: On top of his all-around awesomeness, Utah is nearly unstoppable at home. That should count for something.)
8. Steve Nash: (36 points. 1 sixth place vote. 67 points last edition.)
"He’s ugly, he’s short, he’s pasty white, and he’s ugly. But he sure can ball. Oh… and he’s ugly." – Bonk, TWolvesBlog
"As I mentioned in my comments for the last poll, he is within striking distance of putting up another .500-.400-.900 shooting season, a feat that he accomplished in ’06 and narrowly missed in ’07." – David, 20 Second Timeout
(CW Says: Don’t worry, I didn’t alter the votes even though I think he’s the most overrated multiple MVP winner in league history.)
7. Manu Ginobili: (42 points. 4 fifth place votes. 47 points last edition.)
"Yeah, Tim Duncan has slowly rounded back into form, but Ginobili is the better, more valuable player at this point because of his explosive scoring on a team that’s otherwise offensively anemic." – Ben, Third Quarter Collapse
"Give us three things Manu Ginobili could be doing more for his team right now. Go on. We’ll wait." – Hardwood Paroxysm
(CW Says: To borrow from The Scholars at We Rite Good… is there any way the MVP is a guy that comes off the bench? Or even a guy that came off the bench at any point during the season? I don’t think so.)
6. Tim Duncan: (54 points. 1 third place vote. 63 points last edition.)
"Once again, no one talks about the Big Fundamental…and while Manu has been a close 1A to Duncan this year, Timmy keeps this team running at a high level once again." – Adam, Raptors HQ
"Did you know the Big Yawn…err….Big Fundamental was posting his highest rebounding average since the 2003/04 season? His FT% is also almost 10 points higher than the previous two seasons. That means that Timmy is focused, which is bad news for the rest of the West. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have both been huge this year, but Duncan is still the biggest cog in the Spurs title machine." – Spartacus, 3 Shades of Blue
(CW Says: He may be "boring", but you can’t argue with the results.)
5. Dwight Howard: (103 points. 4 fourth place votes. 104 points last edition.)
"How much of a beast is this guy? 21.6 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.33 blocks per game and 60.4 percent shooting. And a 9-game lead in the Southeast for the Magic. That’s how much." – Steve, Celticsblog
"KG should give him an autographed picture of him from that season they made the Western Conference Finals that just reads "Believe in your dreams, kid. Believe in your dreams. Not while I’m around with Paul Pierce, but believe in your dreams after that. Love, KG" – Hardwood Paroxysm
"I can’t put the man-child higher on this list until his defensive effort improves (blocks aside) and he starts hitting free throws…but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t rather have him than almost anyone else on this list…" – Adam, Raptors HQ
(CW Says: I’ve always been a big Dwight Howard fan. Man, did that kid ever eat his Wheaties.)
4. Kevin Garnett: (135 points. 1 first place vote. 139 points last edition.)
"Going to Wolves games just is not the same without him. 30some home games into the season, I still think it all the time." – Bonk, TWolvesBlog
"Best.Record.IntheLeague. Defensive Player of the Year. Leader." – Tom, Celticsblog
"KG’s numbers are not MVP worthy, but his presence has made Boston a championship contender and isn’t that what the MVP award is all about? Well, I guess no one really knows what the MVP award is all about and that is why we all argue about it." – Jeremy, Pick Axe And Roll
"It speaks to what an insane season it is that Kevin Garnett is on the best team in the league (record-wise) and not the MVP favorite." – Hardwood Paroxysm
(CW Says: Ok… here’s my take on the situation in regards to the MVP being the "best" player in the league, or who is perceived to being the best player on the best team in the league. Look at the players on this list. Are they all not in winning teams? In fact, they are all on the best teams in the league. Therefore, isn’t this list alone enough to disprove the "KG shouldn’t win simply because the Celtics have the best record" argument? However, even I will admit that LeBron’s stats are so far out of this universe he deserves to win the MVP regardless of the Cavs record this season. Still, I think KG should be second or third, provided the Celtics finish with the best overall record.
3. Chris Paul: (155 points. 1 first place vote. 170 points last edition.)
"Which Western Conference team has the best record against the West? The Hornets at 28-13, with CP3 leading the charge. He likes playing the East too, as evidenced by the 34 assists he dropped in his last two games against the Hawks and Nets. You can’t stop him….and you cannot really contain him either. Just pray he gets bored at some point, so that your team can die peacefully." – Spartacus, 3 Shades of Blue
"[Paul] has done more to make New Orleans a legitimate contender than James has at Cleveland. Paul has changed the entire ethos in New Orleans. And sorry – New Orleans are a far better team than Cleveland." – Don, With Malice…
"Steve Nash has never had a better season than the one Chris Paul is having. Doesn’t mean we need to give him an MVP or two, but it does mean he deserves a lot of credit. Paul and the MVP-winning Nash are pretty similar when you consider the effect they’ve had on players around them, scoring, and rebounding. The real difference comes when you look at assist/turnover ratio and steals, where Paul proves he’s far superior at taking care of the ball and taking the ball away from others than Nash ever has been." – Alex, Brew Hoop
(CW Says: He’s a meast. That is all.)
2. Kobe Bryant: (165.5 points. 4.5 first place votes. 138 points last edition.)
"Now everyone wants to crown him as the MVP? His game may be a little prettier than Lebron’s, but I still think LBJ is better. I can’t see Kobe single-handedly carrying his team to the Finals like Bron did last year. It took the trade for Gasol and the emergence of Bynum for Kobe’s team to excel. Why Kobe is Not MVP. " – Bonk, TWolvesBlog
"Because otherwise the guys at HP [Hardwood Paroxysm] might have an aneurysm." – David, Dream Shake
"The Black Mamba surely deserves to be in the conversation — no one can deny that. But for everyone who says that "he should have won one by now, so he deserves it this year", I say this: His 2002/03 season was better….and still would have fallen short of what LeBron is doing this year. Also, the last time I checked, it isn’t a Career Achievement Award, so who cares about anything other than this year?" – Spartacus, 3 Shades of Blue
"This was a tough decision, and so many writers are going to give him the nod because "he’s due," but as much as he should have won a couple times earlier in his career, LeBron is better by a whisker this time." – Mike, Bullets Forever
(CW Says: Kobe is good, don’t get me wrong. I don’t even like the dude and I’ll admit that. However, look at his supporting cast versus LeBron’s… If you switched Kobe to the Cavs and LeBron to the Lakers, what would their respective records look like? I think the LeBron led Lakers would be just as good (if not better), and the Cavs would be even worse.)
1. LeBron James (177.5 points. 12.5 first place votes. 187 points last edition.)
"He gets the nod over Kobe, but only by a whisker, thanks to doing more, with less, on a slower-paced team." – Ben, Third Quarter Collapse
"The numbers are too good to deny at this point." – Tom, Celticsblog
"Bow down to the King you insolent peasants! The last time he failed to score 20+ was his first game back from injury……on December 11 when he only played 23 minutes. How do you fail to recognize the greatness of 30.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 7.5 apg, 2.0 spg and 1.0 bpg?" – Spartacus, 3 Shades of Blue
"Kobe’s the league’s best pure scorer and defender, but LeBron has him beat in practically every category, all while playing for a team with less all-around talent that plays at a far slower pace." – Mike, Bullets Forever
"Duh" – We Rite Goode
(CW Says: The people have spoken.)
Others receiving votes. Point totals in parenthesis: T-Mac (24), Dirk (21), Baron Davis (15), YAO (11), Chris Bosh (11), Amare Stoudamire (8), Carlos Boozer (7), Brandon Roy (5), Rasheed Wallace (5), Allen Iverson (3), Paul Pierce (3), Marcus Camby (2), Pau Gasol (2), Lee Grammier’s Wife (2), Jeff McInnis (2), Caron Butler (1), Michael Redd (1), Kevin McHale (0.5), and Chris Wallace (0.5)
Well… there wasn’t a whole lot of movement from last week’s Edition 7. LeBron is still the Lead Dawg, but the gap is getting narrower. It sure seems that Kobe has some solid momentum behind his MVP push. It should be interesting to see how/if this changes going into the final few editions of the Blogger MVP/ROY Rankings.
Thanks again to everyone that participated and sent in votes.
Lastly, a round of applause for the fella’s at Brew Hoop for starting this crazy bi-weekly tradition. I’m really going to miss sending in my votes when the basketball season is over. I guess I’ll still be able to vote for our nation’s leaders, but somehow… it’s just not the same.
College Wolf
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