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.
If Klay doesn't go down, the series is headed back to Ontario.
Golden State finished 0-3 at Oracle Arena in the NBA Finals.
Hard to fathom.
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.
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.
Golden State finished 0-3 at Oracle Arena in the NBA Finals.
Hard to fathom.
This past season's version of LeBron doesn't deserve a Top 3 billing, IMHO.
And I appreciate LeBron's amazing skill and career.
This past season's version of LeBron doesn't deserve a Top 3 billing, IMHO.
And I appreciate LeBron's amazing skill and career.
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.
Recency bias.
VanVleet hit another three and then was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws to tie the game at 99.
Five-and-a-half minutes to go.
Credit Toronto president Masai Ujiri for finding little Fred VanVleet and long Pascal Siakam from Wichita State and New Mexico State, respectively.
He had cramps.
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.
Golden State finished 0-3 at Oracle Arena in the NBA Finals.
Hard to fathom.
I wonder what DeMar DeRozan was thinking when his Toronto Raptors were celebrating an NBA title without him.
So with no Durant and no Klay for 2019-20, wonder if the Warriors will make a run for Kawhi? Why not?
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.
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.
Last team to win with one star - Dallas, then Detroit with Billips.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.
Last team to win with one star - Dallas, then Detroit with Billips.
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.
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.
Last team to win with one star - Dallas, then Detroit with Billips.
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, 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.
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
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