Twelve people vote for the NBA Finals MVP award.
Kawhi Leonard earned 11 of the 12 votes.
The other vote went to Fred VanVleet.
Kawhi Leonard earned 11 of the 12 votes.
The other vote went to Fred VanVleet.
And now Klay Thompson goes down (UPDATE: Torn ACL)
- Thread starter John Kelly
- Start date
Credit Toronto president Masai Ujiri for finding little Fred VanVleet and long Pascal Siakam from Wichita State and New Mexico State, respectively.
I wonder what DeMar DeRozan was thinking when his Toronto Raptors were celebrating an NBA title without him.
FairWarning
Bells Beer Connoisseur
If there ever was a champion who should have an asterisk, it’s Toronto, thanks to the GS injuries. Leonard will cash in big, but I’m not sure he’s a top 5-8 player. GS lost 2 of them in this series.
Viejo Dinosaur
EOG Master
Easy to understand.....injuries, injuries, and injuries....that kid Cook should have seen zero minutes but injuries forced him off the bench....
Not sure he's a Top 5-8 player?
I respectfully disagree, FW.
Kawhi's improved outside shooting makes him one of the top three players in the league.
Durant, Harden and Leonard, in no particular order.
And we know which one of the above three is the best defender.
BigDeemer
EOG Dedicated
Lets not forget LeBron
This past season's version of LeBron doesn't deserve a Top 3 billing, IMHO.
And I appreciate LeBron's amazing skill and career.
And I appreciate LeBron's amazing skill and career.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
I don't think so in context, they were so beset by injuries even I started to feel a little bad for those Nerds.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
You're fucking insane, he was an MVP candidate before he went down. I watched these playoffs off and on, no one is good as him, no one. It was like watching a different league in a small way because I am so used to watching LBJ crush.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
He's coming off the greatest VORP performance EVER, in last years playoffs and goes on to bring his NEW Team to w/in 2 games of the 1st seed before he goes down but becuase you haven't seen him in a week, he's now not even Top-5? Listen, he may temporarily not be viewed as Universally the games best player but that's because people are strange.
Who the fuck did you see in this years Playoffs that is better than him? You can;t name 1, much less 4.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
You gotta stop this shit, right now. Harden isn't even in the same LG as LBJ. I'll give you a pass on the other two because you can make an argument, not a credible one IMO, but it's not crazy. Harden > LBJ? That's just stupid and you're better than that.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
That's exactly what it is and my comment about not having seen LBJ in a week speaks to that. It's silly. I saw no one as good as LBJ in these playoffs, later on, I wasn't even concerned. Now, LBJ may lose his crown by next years All-Star break, IMO, but it's far less probable than I once thought. You can't honorably steal the man's crown because shit went a little sideways this year. Just as there is alot to GS going 0-3 at Oracle in the Finals, there is alot to the Lakers Season Saga.
DrunkenGoon
EOG Dedicated
That was the first foul on a 3 point attempt in the series against the Warriors. The Raptors were called for 12.
Wichita St still being underrated during that run. Van Vleet is a Rockford kid. I wonder if Illinois even tried to recruit him? Probably not.
kane
EOG master
Cramps? As soon as he went down he immediately grabbed his knee, on the replay you can see his knee bend awkwardly, another PED related injury for him
kane
EOG master
I respectfully disagree, Kawhi is a stud and is in the top 2 imo
kane
EOG master
I heard GS lost more home playoff games this year than the previous four years combined
kane
EOG master
He was probably thinking, the year LeBron leaves the East the Raptors trade me, FML
kane
EOG master
No chance he goes there, I think he's headed to the Clippers, should be a crazy offseason to see where all these stars eventually land
kane
EOG master
As you know, I'm a big LeBron fan, imo he's the GOAT, but in these playoffs Kawhi played like the best player in the game, offensively and defensively he played like a fucking beast, and he wasn't even 100% healthy dealing with a knee. Kawhi won a championship without another star, I can't recall the last team to win a title with only one star, typically it takes at least two if not three stars to win, but he did it by putting on one of the best playoff performances you'll ever see.
FairWarning
Bells Beer Connoisseur
Top 3 players don’t miss the playoffs. That rules out Lebrun.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
That's fine. I'll submit LBJ's last playoff historic run after 8 straight years of being in the Finals.
Let's not get crazy here. Kawhi joined a #1 seeded team, faced a decimated team in the Finals and had a lot of help. Kawhi is fucking awesome but he ain't no LBJ.
FairWarning
Bells Beer Connoisseur
Last team to win with one star - Dallas, then Detroit with Billips.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
Kyle Lowry is a multiple All-Star team selection, is he not? Didn't Gasol make it a few times? I know Gasol won DPOY because he stole it from LBJ that year.
This narrative of Kawhi having no help is funny. I watched several of their playoff games, the deck wasn't stacked against Kawhi.
kane
EOG master
It wasn't just the finals, Kawhi was great during the entire playoffs, and that shot he hit against Philly will go down as one of the greatest shots in playoff history, of course he got help, but there isn't another player on that team anyone would consider to be a star. I saw somewhere that he scored the third most points in a single playoffs in NBA history, and he's the best two way player in the game, that's not even debatable, the GOAT is still the GOAT, but he's not the same defensively as he used to be, that's where there's been some slippage in his game, which given his age and how many miles are on his tires, it's understandable
kane
EOG master
There's a difference between making an all star game and being a star, Lowry is a good player, but if you ask someone to start naming star players, his name won't be mentioned, and Gasol is also a good player, but he's no longer in his prime and he won the DPOY in 2012. Kawhi is a great player surrounded by a bunch of good ones, but he's the only star on that team
kane
EOG master
Good catch, I forgot about Dirk
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
You can certainly make the argument, I don't think it's out of bounds at all (Harden, via JK, is fucking insane). All I can tell you is that I watched him play and I was like, LBJ is better than this guy (I saw LBJ play all season). LBJ's defense was fine this year, like I said, I watched him play although he is nowhere near Kawhi, which is your best argument. I just think as an individual , his overall impact is just bigger.
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
Kane, Kawhi has also played like 65 games in the past 2 years (need that fact checked) He had a bad knee, ok, you don't think a 34-year old LBJ, making his 8th straight appearance in the Finals wasn't banged up? Guys are blowing their knees and achilles out from the wear-and-tear of long NBA Seasons and LBJ keeps on ticking.
kane
EOG master
I believe Kawhi missed about 20 games this year, which helped him be fresher for the playoffs. I'm even not sure what we're arguing about, but if I were ranking the players going into next season, I would put Kawhi ahead of the GOAT, and the main reason for this is defensively, the GOAT is still a good defender, but not the same guy that was named to the NBA's all defensive first team 5 straight times, Kawhi is an elite defender, that's why I would put him ahead, nothing but respect for the GOAT, but imo Kawhi right now is the better overall player, and like I said, it's on the defensive end on the court why I feel this way
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
I said over 2 years ago, Kawhi was the 2nd best player in the NBA (wasn't very confident in that opinon though). We are just flipping spots
GameBred
I Trade Therefore I Am
I said over 2 years ago, Kawhi was the 2nd best player in the NBA (wasn't very confident in that opinon though). We are just flipping spots
I'm still not that confident
AD is right there and Giannis is growing but you can argue Kawhi is #1, unsuccesfully, IMO, but I think he's got the 2-spot locked up... for now!!!!!!!!!!
Giannis?
GIANNIS?
GIANNIS??????????
Did you watch the postseason?
GIANNIS?
GIANNIS??????????
Did you watch the postseason?
Circular arguments which virtually never getting solved.
That's one of the beauties of sports betting.
Arguments with an answer.
Toronto +3.5 was a pointspread winner last night.
The right team at the right price.
That said, the Klay Thompson injury aided Toronto's cause.
That's one of the beauties of sports betting.
Arguments with an answer.
Toronto +3.5 was a pointspread winner last night.
The right team at the right price.
That said, the Klay Thompson injury aided Toronto's cause
.