Was Garnett the true MVP of 08?

[Nowitness]

Title.

[livinglegend]

No, the true MVP is the guy who convinced the voters with his on/off court performance to vote for him.

[CJ Mustard]

Of the league? Depends on the criteria, which seems to change year to year. He was the best/most valuable player on by far the best regular season team and led the biggest turnaround. On some years, that's enough to get the award. If we're basing it on statistical dominance, Paul shoulda got it. Kobe getting it was a blatant lifetime achievement decision.

[dubnation]

Chris Paul.

[Nowitness]

Of the league? Depends on the criteria, which seems to change year to year. He was the best/most valuable player on by far the best regular season team and led the biggest turnaround. On some years, that's enough to get the award. If we're basing it on statistical dominance, Paul shoulda got it. Kobe getting it was a blatant lifetime achievement decision.

Agree 100% with this.

[SugarHill]

Of the league? Depends on the criteria, which seems to change year to year. He was the best/most valuable player on by far the best regular season team and led the biggest turnaround. On some years, that's enough to get the award. If we're basing it on statistical dominance, Paul shoulda got it. Kobe getting it was a blatant lifetime achievement decision.
LeBron had better stats than Paul

[livinglegend]

Of the league? Depends on the criteria, which seems to change year to year. He was the best/most valuable player on by far the best regular season team and led the biggest turnaround. On some years, that's enough to get the award. If we're basing it on statistical dominance, Paul shoulda got it. Kobe getting it was a blatant lifetime achievement decision.

Kobe did a great job using the media to gain votes in his favor.

[Magic 32]

The guy who had the best record in the best conference and only played with an all-star the last 36 games of the season.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

Agree 100% with this.

Agreeing with an idiot makes you an idiot as well

[Smoke117]

No, Chris Paul was.

[ImKobe]

How? Look at the amount of help he had :kobe: and he wasn't statistically even the best big man...

Kobe on the other hand was leading the Lakers to the top of the West before the Gasol trade and Bynum went down 35 games into the season, Lakers had zero all-stars outside of Kobe that season + Kobe in the last 2 months of the season averaged 30/7/5 on 45/40/82 shooting.

CP3 is the only other player with an argument, but he had a better supporting cast and finished behind the Lakers in the standings.

[Heavincent]

Kobe was the clear cut MVP in 08.

- His team was 1st in the West, even in the first half of the season without Pau.

- Best player in the game.

- Followed up his regular season dominance with an amazing 30/6/6 (47%) playoff run, which validated his MVP.

It's a ****ing joke when people say he didn't earn it. That was a pretty obvious MVP. Best player in the league, playing on the number 1 seed in the West despite playing with a shit roster with half of the season.

Only a bitter Kobe detractor would say he didn't deserve it.

[MP.Trey]

Kobe was the clear cut MVP in 08.

- His team was 1st in the West, even in the first half of the season without Pau.

- Best player in the game.

- Followed up his regular season dominance with an amazing 30/6/6 (47%) playoff run, which validated his MVP.

It's a ****ing joke when people say he didn't earn it. That was a pretty obvious MVP. Best player in the league, playing on the number 1 seed in the West despite playing with a shit roster with half of the season.

Only a bitter Kobe detractor would say he didn't deserve it.
I don't know if you can go that far. I admittedly am not a big fan of Bryant, but CP3 was playing out of his mind on the 2nd seeded team in the West, averaging 21/11.5/4 with 3 steals on 49/37/81 percentages on a team that didn't even break .500 a year prior and I always thought he deserved the MVP more than Kobe. Only 65% of the voters gave Kobe Bryant their first place votes that year, do you believe 35% of the voters are/were "bitter Kobe detractors"

[fpliii]

Missed too many games.

[Smoke117]

I don't know if you can go that far. I admittedly am not a big fan of Bryant, but CP3 was playing out of his mind on the 2nd seeded team in the West, averaging 21/11.5/4 with 3 steals on 49/37/81 percentages on a team that didn't even break .500 a year prior and I always thought he deserved the MVP more than Kobe. Only 65% of the voters gave Kobe Bryant their first place votes that year, do you believe 35% of the voters are/were "bitter Kobe detractors"

http://i.imgur.com/dhMeAzK.gif

[ImKobe]

I don't know if you can go that far. I admittedly am not a big fan of Bryant, but CP3 was playing out of his mind on the 2nd seeded team in the West, averaging 21/11.5/4 with 3 steals on 49/37/81 percentages on a team that didn't even break .500 a year prior and I always thought he deserved the MVP more than Kobe. Only 65% of the voters gave Kobe Bryant their first place votes that year, do you believe 35% of the voters are/were "bitter Kobe detractors"

CP3 put up better fantasy numbers, but Kobe was a more valuable player to his team, as he had less help and zero other all-stars on the roster and despite that finished with a better record.

West, Chandler, Peja > 35 games of Bynum + 27 games of Pau, Odom

Playoffs proved that Kobe deserved it more. CP3 lost a Game 7 on his home floor while Kobe dominated the same team in 5 games. David West put up 20 & 9 on 45% shooting against the Spurs (CP3's second option) while Pau put up 13 & 10 on 45% shooting + Peja put up better numbers than Odom and shot 48% from deep, not to mention that Duncan had a far better series against the Lakers. There's just no excuses.

just goes to show you how little impact CP3's efficiency had.

[TheMarkMadsen]

I don't know if you can go that far. I admittedly am not a big fan of Bryant, but CP3 was playing out of his mind on the 2nd seeded team in the West, averaging 21/11.5/4 with 3 steals on 49/37/81 percentages on a team that didn't even break .500 a year prior and I always thought he deserved the MVP more than Kobe. Only 65% of the voters gave Kobe Bryant their first place votes that year, do you believe 35% of the voters are/were "bitter Kobe detractors"

Some MVP voters also left Kobe completely off the ballot in 2006 so yes two years later I'm sure there were some bitter Kobe detractors voting for MVP.

[Roundball_Rock]

Yes he was imo. Not only due to his play but his role in changing the culture of Boston.

[Young X]

CP3 put up better fantasy numbers, but Kobe was a more valuable player to his team, as he had less help and zero other all-stars on the roster and despite that finished with a better record.

West, Chandler, Peja > 35 games of Bynum + 27 games of Pau, Odom

Playoffs proved that Kobe deserved it more. CP3 lost a Game 7 on his home floor while Kobe dominated the same team in 5 games. David West put up 20 & 9 on 45% shooting against the Spurs (CP3's second option) while Pau put up 13 & 10 on 45% shooting + Peja put up better numbers than Odom and shot 48% from deep, not to mention that Duncan had a far better series against the Lakers. There's just no excuses.

just goes to show you how little impact CP3's efficiency had.NOH played better with CP on the court than the Lakers with Kobe and worse without him than the Lakers without Kobe. Don't see how he had "little impact".

And wasn't Manu injured against the Lakers? You don't think his difference in health in both series had anything to do with that? Besides, the playoffs are irrelevant to the MVP award, not like CP didn't have a great playoff run himself.

[ImKobe]

NOH played better with CP on the court than the Lakers with Kobe and worse with him on the bench than the Lakers with Kobe. Don't see how he had "little impact".

And wasn't Manu injured against the Lakers? You don't think his difference in health in both series had anything to do with that? Besides, the playoffs are irrelevant to the MVP award, not like CP didn't have a great playoff run himself.

Manu played 32 mpg in that series, that excuse doesn't fly because Duncan beasted on the Lakers offensively plus Pau and Odom played below-average compared to how well West and Peja played for the Hornets.

CP3 didn't have a great Playoff run. His team lost to a lower seed in a Game 7 at home...in the 2nd round. Kobe led his team to the Finals and took a stacked Boston team to 6 games (7 if they don't blow that huge lead in one of those games)...

CP3 had better regular season numbers but Kobe led his team to the #1 seed with less help, Lakers had to play 20 games where they had neither Pau nor Bynum, NO's starting 5 was healthy all season. There's no telling how much better Kobe might have looked if Bynum and Pau were both playing together + Ariza actually got minutes..maybe he would have been more efficient as well?

[SamuraiSWISH]

2008:

1) Kobe
2) CP3 (had a STRONG argument)
3) LeBron

then KG ... I mean dude had close to prime Pierce, and Ray Allen on his squad at the same damn time.

[Lamar Odumbb]

I don't know if you can go that far. I admittedly am not a big fan of Bryant, but CP3 was playing out of his mind on the 2nd seeded team in the West, averaging 21/11.5/4 with 3 steals on 49/37/81 percentages on a team that didn't even break .500 a year prior and I always thought he deserved the MVP more than Kobe. Only 65% of the voters gave Kobe Bryant their first place votes that year, do you believe 35% of the voters are/were "bitter Kobe detractors"

It was so close that year that everyone was hyping their final head 2 head meeting and the one who shined would likely win the MVP.

Lakers won the game 107-104

Kobe's stas 29 pts 10 rebounds 8 assists on .53 %

Chris Pauls stats 15 points 6 rebounds 17 assists on .31 % FG

4th quarter stats

Kobe 9 points 2 rebounds 4 assists

CP3 2 points 1 rebound 3 assists

[Odinn]

ISH. Where teaming up with Wade and Bosh hurts your case for mvp race, but teaming up with Allen and Pierce does NOT.
That double standard...
I know what OP is talking about but being the mvp and having a huge impact isn't the same thing on this particular case.
Kobe deserved his MVP. The other legit name was Chris Paul. LeBron was the 3rd. Then you can talk about KG.

Edit: fplii has a point. KG missed 11 games. Shaq missed 8 games in 2000-01 season and he got punished for that. [and Shaq was far more legit for the mvp in 2001 compared to KG in 2008.]

[MP.Trey]

It was so close that year that everyone was hyping their final head 2 head meeting and the one who shined would likely win the MVP.

Lakers won the game 107-104

Kobe's stas 29 pts 10 rebounds 8 assists on .53 %

Chris Pauls stats 15 points 6 rebounds 17 assists on .31 % FG

4th quarter stats

Kobe 9 points 2 rebounds 4 assists

CP3 2 points 1 rebound 3 assists
Yes I do remember this. That one individual game probably had a lot more to do with the votes than some people think. I can definitely see the argument for Kobe, he was fantastic that year and kept his team on top of the West despite numerous injuries to key guys but part of what made CP3's run so remarkable was nobody really saw it coming, they were plagued with injuries the year before but the team pretty much stayed the same and no one had the Hornets pegged as a HC advantage team in the playoffs or envisioned the type of statistical output/positive impact CP3 had. To say it was "clear cut" is just wrong, and I believe the people voting for MVP that year would back that up. There are arguments for both sides and LeBron and KG even had cases, although much smaller than CP3/Kobe's imo.

[sammichoffate]

ISH. Where teaming up with Wade and Bosh hurts your case for mvp race, but teaming up with Allen and Pierce does NOT.
That double standard...
I know what OP is talking about but being the mvp and having a huge impact isn't the same thing on this particular case.
Kobe deserved his MVP. The other legit name was Chris Paul. LeBron was the 3rd. Then you can talk about KG.

Edit: fplii has a point. KG missed 11 games. Shaq missed 8 games in 2000-01 season and he got punished for that. [and Shaq was far more legit for the mvp in 2001 compared to KG in 2008.]KG was traded, didn't sign in the off-season with Boston. He was also not in his prime, that was in Minnesota. http://memecrunch.com/meme/3XVBZ/but-that-s-none-of-my-business/image.png

[JohnFreeman]

Of the league? Depends on the criteria, which seems to change year to year. He was the best/most valuable player on by far the best regular season team and led the biggest turnaround. On some years, that's enough to get the award. If we're basing it on statistical dominance, Paul shoulda got it. Kobe getting it was a blatant lifetime achievement decision.
/t