NBA.com MVP Ladder 2014/2015 (27.2.2015)

[ArbitraryWater]

I update it each week here http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=359474

but I thought it's newest addition should get some extra recognition.

Harden now has overtaken the first spot, and LeBron has jumped by Curry.

It's now:

1- Harden
2- LeBron
3- Curry

And Westbrook 4th.

This Cavaliers/Rockets game in 2 days (@ Houston) will be MAJOR. LeBron may completely outplay his next candidate (again) and take the top spot.

[JerrySeinfeld]

The Warriors have half the losses of Cleveland and 7 more wins than them... How is LeBron ahead of Curry in the MVP race?

[SexSymbol]

But Curry is the clear leader right now....
Bias only gets you so far man.
And even if Cavs win against Houston, how is he higher than Harden again? He missed 10 straight games for crying out loud and would still have a worse record in a much weaker conference

[christian1923]

The Warriors have half the losses of Cleveland and 7 more wins than them... How is LeBron ahead of Curry in the MVP race?
Cause he beat curry at home I guess lol

[imdaman99]

Cause he beat curry at home I guess lol
Head to head losses between contending MVPs means shit unless you are in the same conference and overtake that team in the standings. I'm sure Lebron pulling within 7 games means a lot to OP though :roll:

[ArbitraryWater]

But Curry is the clear leader right now....
Bias only gets you so far man.
And even if Cavs win against Houston, how is he higher than Harden again? He missed 10 straight games for crying out loud and would still have a worse record in a much weaker conference

You say "he missed 10 games and still has a worse record", like they won during his absence and not because of the record actually being bad BECAUSE he missed those games and was injured :oldlol:

Since his return from injury and the trades they've been 18-3 (86%), 71 win pace, and his impact trumps any individual statistics as he's sat out numerous 4th quarters in blowout W's.

Y'all getting nervous.

[NumberSix]

I'm not exactly a huge LeBron fan these days, but he's clearly the most valuable player in the NBA.

[JerrySeinfeld]

You say "he missed 10 games and still has a worse record", like they won during his absence and not because of the record actually being bad BECAUSE he missed those games and was injured :oldlol:

Since his return from injury and the trades they've been 18-3 (86%), 71 win pace, and his impact trumps any individual statistics as he's sat out numerous 4th quarters in blowout W's.

Y'all getting nervous.

He was injured? You mean him basically taking a vacation in the middle of the NBA season while guys like Curry and Harden have dominated all season in the West?

I never realized this forum was so bad with LeBron stans... It's becoming like Real GM here...

[SilkkTheShocker]

Laker fans are a bunch of crying ass b.itches :lol

[Lebron23]

Cause he beat curry at home I guess lol

Cavaliers would also beat them in the Finals if the Warriors are good enough to beat OKC in the first round.

[kshutts1]

I'm not exactly a huge LeBron fan these days, but he's clearly the most valuable player in the NBA.
He's clearly the best. Not sure as to value.

[christian1923]

Cavaliers would also beat them in the Finals if the Warriors are good enough to beat OKC in the first round.
Doubt it

GS would have home court advantage

[kennethgriffin]

Lebron basically voided everything curry did all year because he beat him one game


Sounds fair

[Prime_Shaq]

LeBron is the best player but Harden/Curry are the MVP for me.

[NumberSix]

LeBron is the best player but Harden/Curry are the MVP for me.
Curry just doesn't cut it defensively. At least harden is putting some effort on defense this season and we already LeBron's defensive ability.

[Roundball_Rock]

The Warriors have half the losses of Cleveland and 7 more wins than them... How is LeBron ahead of Curry in the MVP race?

The Cavs went 2-8 without LeBron. I don't see how that can be counted against LeBron.

[dubnation]

The Cavs went 2-8 without LeBron. I don't see how that can be counted against LeBron.

So we're rewarding guys for missing games now? btw I consider Lebron to clearly be the best in the league, but I still think Curry and Harden should be ahead of him in the MVP race... for now. If the Cavs keep streaking and he plays like he did last night, I can definitely see him winning.

[kshutts1]

So we're rewarding guys for missing games now? btw I consider Lebron to clearly be the best in the league, but I still think Curry and Harden should be ahead of him in the MVP race... for now. If the Cavs keep streaking and he plays like he did last night, I can definitely see him winning.
In a sense, players should be "rewarded" for missing games.

A star player missing games is, quite literally, the epitome of "proof" of their value.

We always try to discuss "value" in a subjective/theoretical way... what if Player X was not there? Team Y is better without their star. etc etc.

A star player missing games takes the subjective/theoretical quality out of the conversation.

[dubnation]

In a sense, players should be "rewarded" for missing games.

A star player missing games is, quite literally, the epitome of "proof" of their value.

We always try to discuss "value" in a subjective/theoretical way... what if Player X was not there? Team Y is better without their star. etc etc.

A star player missing games takes the subjective/theoretical quality out of the conversation.

I mean, in a hypothetical sense, sure. But real, tangible impact can't be made while suited up on the pine.

[mehyaM24]

i still think curry is the league's mvp, but last night proved he isn't even in the same tier as lebron (e.g. dominance, impact and overall as players).

is there anyone in the league that is?

[kshutts1]

I mean, in a hypothetical sense, sure. But real, tangible impact can't be made while suited up on the pine.
It may not be MADE but it is SHOWN.

Big difference there, IMO.

[Lebron23]

i still think curry is the league's mvp, but last night proved he isn't even in the same tier as lebron (e.g. dominance, impact and overall as players).

is there anyone in the league that is?

He's going to be expose in the playoffs again much worst than 2011 Derrick Rose. FYI 2011 Derrick Rose >>> 2015 Stephen Curry.

I don't even like DR.

[Roundball_Rock]

So we're rewarding guys for missing games now? btw I consider Lebron to clearly be the best in the league, but I still think Curry and Harden should be ahead of him in the MVP race... for now. If the Cavs keep streaking and he plays like he did last night, I can definitely see him winning.

No but we should not be looking at the Cavs' W-L record when discussing the MVP and not factor in they collapsed without LeBron. Their W-L record when he plays is elite.

For LeBron to have a shot they would have to keep rolling like this and finish with 55-58 wins. It is possible but will be tough. What happens with Houston and GS will be important. If Memphis surpasses Golden State Curry loses the "best player on the best team" argument and if Houston does not finish with HCA that essentially eliminates Harden from winning it, although he would still finish in the top 3. Westbrook is not going to win because OKC simply will not get high enough in the standings. 6th or 7th does not cut it.

Another thing is if the Cavs keep rolling and are clearly the best team for half the season and going in the playoffs does that weaken Curry's "best player on the best team" argument? Golden State may finish with the best record but not clearly be the best team by the end of the season. If Golden State has 62 wins and Cleveland 57 are the 5 games enough to overcame LeBron's individual superiority and Cleveland's second half superiority? (Yes the MVP is a season long award but voters are human and recency matters. The Bulls surge post the ASG in 11' is what propelled Rose to #1.)

[mehyaM24]

He's going to be expose in the playoffs again much worst than 2011 Derrick Rose. FYI 2011 Derrick Rose >>> 2015 Stephen Curry.

I don't even like DR.
i dont think he'll be, because curry actually has a really good midrange and 3PT shot. i do agree that he'll have his struggles, and that his game and the warriors as a team are too reliant on chucking beyond the arc.

the cavs and healthy bulls team beats them in a 7 game series.

[SexSymbol]

You say "he missed 10 games and still has a worse record", like they won during his absence and not because of the record actually being bad BECAUSE he missed those games and was injured :oldlol:

Since his return from injury and the trades they've been 18-3 (86%), 71 win pace, and his impact trumps any individual statistics as he's sat out numerous 4th quarters in blowout W's.

Y'all getting nervous.
That doesn't help him, at all. He literally took a vacation in the middle of the season, there's no redeeming point about that, leaving your team to lose when you could try and help contributing is stupid and selfish.

[Le Shaqtus]

I'm not exactly a huge LeBron fan these days, but he's clearly the most valuable player in the NBA.

He's absolutely valuable, but it can be argued thatthere are players more valuable to their team than LeBron.

Without a doubt he's the best though, which helps.

[ArbitraryWater]

That doesn't help him, at all. He literally took a vacation in the middle of the season, there's no redeeming point about that, leaving your team to lose when you could try and help contributing is stupid and selfish.

except this is just something you put together for yourself, you say this like its a fact when its really just you rambling and typing up trash.

Tell me LeBron hasn't looked noticeably better since his return, his back clearly bothered him, a timeout was needed and it did the team good.

[24-Inch_Chrome]

That doesn't help him, at all. He literally took a vacation in the middle of the season, there's no redeeming point about that, leaving your team to lose when you could try and help contributing is stupid and selfish.

They've gone 18-3 since he came back and will contend for the #2 spot in the East. He's been much better since returning and has been a large part of the reason for their resurgence (some great trades being the other part).

You can call it selfish but him taking some time off to come back healthy has helped his team more than anything else this season.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

LOL haters are shook, badly

[Beastmode88]

LOL haters are shook, badly

Yup its reflected on your rep bar.

[BigTicket]

People over-react to much to individual games. Lebron was great last night, but that doesn't make him the MVP, it just means he had a good night.

I would still put Lebron either 3rd or 4th, and I don't think he is really close to the top 2. You should count the whole season, not just the latest games, and he was subpar for the first couple of months.

Also, while Lebron has been the biggest reason for the Cavs good play lately, he is far from the only reason, so people are giving him too much credit.

He deserved all of his previous 4 MVPs, and you could argue that he was also the MVP in 06, but he is not the MVP this year.

[Lebron23]

i dont think he'll be, because curry actually has a really good midrange and 3PT shot. i do agree that he'll have his struggles, and that his game and the warriors as a team are too reliant on chucking beyond the arc.

the cavs and healthy bulls team beats them in a 7 game series.


He relies too much on his 3 points shooting. It went cold last night. At least Prime Rose was a terrific athlete, and a great slasher.

http://warriorsworld.bayareaballllc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Steph-and-Lebron.jpg

"You are gonna get Derrick Rose'd in the 2015 NBA Finals."

[SexSymbol]

They've gone 18-3 since he came back and will contend for the #2 spot in the East. He's been much better since returning and has been a large part of the reason for their resurgence (some great trades being the other part).

You can call it selfish but him taking some time off to come back healthy has helped his team more than anything else this season.
Yes, but it pretty much took him out of the MVP race for any level headed basketball fan

[GreggPopazit]

Lebron basically voided everything curry did all year because he beat him one game


Sounds fair

Yeah, ridiculous.

[SexSymbol]

except this is just something you put together for yourself, you say this like its a fact when its really just you rambling and typing up trash.

Tell me LeBron hasn't looked noticeably better since his return, his back clearly bothered him, a timeout was needed and it did the team good.
He looks much better since he came back, at least for the first 10 games for sure, but those 10 that he missed is a huge minus and cannot in any dimension or universe be counted in his favor. Missing games is never a plus, simple basketball. It did the team good, it did him good, but he took himself out of the MVP race

[24-Inch_Chrome]

Yes, but it pretty much took him out of the MVP race for any level headed basketball fan

I'd say it was a setback. There are still 20 games left to play, if Cleveland finishes 2nd in the East then LeBron would be a deserving MVP candidate.

[Lebron23]

Stephen curry = 2006 and 2007 Steve Nash, At least he won't win an NBA title unless he elevates his game into the playoffs.

And 2005 and 2006 Nash > Stephen Curry.

[Heavincent]

Curry just doesn't cut it defensively. At least harden is putting some effort on defense this season and we already LeBron's defensive ability.

You obviously haven't watched many Warriors games. Curry has been a very good defender this year.

Ignorant fool.

[BigTicket]

I'd say it was a setback. There are still 20 games left to play, if Cleveland finishes 2nd in the East then LeBron would be a deserving MVP candidate.

If Houston has a better record than Cleveland, which they probably will, then why would you vote for Lebron over Harden ? Harden has been at least as good individually as Lebron, which is something I never thought I would say, but he's really stepped up this year.

[Budadiiii]

You obviously haven't watched many Warriors games. Curry has been a very good defender this year.

Ignorant fool.
Forreal.

[Spurs5Rings2014]

People over-react to much to individual games. Lebron was great last night, but that doesn't make him the MVP, it just means he had a good night.

I would still put Lebron either 3rd or 4th, and I don't think he is really close to the top 2. You should count the whole season, not just the latest games, and he was subpar for the first couple of months.

Also, while Lebron has been the biggest reason for the Cavs good play lately, he is far from the only reason, so people are giving him too much credit.

Spot on. :applause:

[Budadiiii]

Why are LeBron dick riders so interested in the MVP all of a sudden?

You guys care that much about a regular season award? He's not going to win so why even get your hopes up? Just a sad bunch of people. ESPN says something and you flock like sheep.

[24-Inch_Chrome]

If Houston has a better record than Cleveland, which they probably will, then why would you vote for Lebron over Harden ? Harden has been at least as good individually as Lebron, which is something I never thought I would say, but he's really stepped up this year.

I don't think Harden has been as good individually as LeBron, though he probably has been more valuable to his team throughout the season so far. When I said that LeBron would be a deserving MVP I meant that if he won I'd give him credit for it...personally I'm pulling for Westbrook, as unlikely as that might currently be.

[Heavincent]

Lebron23 is a piece of shit.

[Lebron23]

Lebron23 is a piece of shit.


You and the Warriors = Pieces of $hit.

[Budadiiii]

Lebron23 is a piece of shit.
He's 37 and still lives with his parents in the Philippines. Knows nothing about the sport even though all he does is watch basketball and post on here. :lol

[jimmy77x]

People over-react to much to individual games. Lebron was great last night, but that doesn't make him the MVP, it just means he had a good night.

I would still put Lebron either 3rd or 4th, and I don't think he is really close to the top 2. You should count the whole season, not just the latest games, and he was subpar for the first couple of months.

Also, while Lebron has been the biggest reason for the Cavs good play lately, he is far from the only reason, so people are giving him too much credit.

He deserved all of his previous 4 MVPs, and you could argue that he was also the MVP in 06, but he is not the MVP this year.

Thats the sacrifice you make playing with the media darling Bran crybaby always gets his way James. No matter what you do good he will always get the credit for it. When things go bad its your fault not his :lol

[Lebron23]

He's 37 and still lives with his parents in the Philippines. Knows nothing about the sport even though all he does is watch basketball and post on here. :lol


I am only 5 years older than you Simon.

[JerrySeinfeld]

Didn't this MVP ladder actually put LeBron over Durant at some point last year, even though Durant had better numbers and his team had a better record?

I'd take this guys list with a grain of salt.

[J Shuttlesworth]

The Cavs play the Rockets on Sunday. I'm expecting a huge game from LeBron, and spots 1 and 2 might change

[T_L_P]

Didn't this MVP ladder actually put LeBron over Durant at some point last year, even though Durant had better numbers and his team had a better record?

I'd take this guys list with a grain of salt.

They had Tony Parker on there earlier in the season even though he was a net negative.

[UK2K]

Curry just doesn't cut it defensively. At least harden is putting some effort on defense this season and we already LeBron's defensive ability.
Curry leads the league in steals.

[Roundball_Rock]

If Houston has a better record than Cleveland, which they probably will, then why would you vote for Lebron over Harden ? Harden has been at least as good individually as Lebron, which is something I never thought I would say, but he's really stepped up this year.

Houston is only 3 games ahead of Cleveland right now. The way the Cavs are playing they are more likely to finish ahead of Houston than vice versa.

[UK2K]

Houston is only 3 games ahead of Cleveland right now. The way the Cavs are playing they are more likely to finish ahead of Houston than vice versa.
You mean the way the Western conference is ridiculously stacked.

[Solefade]

The Warriors have half the losses of Cleveland and 7 more wins than them... How is LeBron ahead of Curry in the MVP race?


because there's another guy named Klay Thompson among the top 6 for MVP candidates lol

[Solefade]

The Cavs play the Rockets on Sunday. I'm expecting a huge game from LeBron, and spots 1 and 2 might change


LeBron is about to make his "beat down the mvp candidates ahead of me" tour in the next couple of weeks

[ArbitraryWater]

They had Tony Parker on there earlier in the season even though he was a net negative.

Let go, it was like the fift week and he was just in the "next five" :lol

Anyway, LeBron will solidify that top spot in 2 days.. well deserved, having a fabulous season.

[Budadiiii]

Let go, it was like the fift week and he was just in the "next five" :lol

Anyway, LeBron will solidify that top spot in 2 days.. well deserved, having a fabulous season.
He's not even top 5 in PER. Fabulous season my ass.

Derrick Rose won the award with a 24 PER and that's because his team won 60 games. LeBron winning with such a shitty ass PER would be an even bigger joke than Rose winning. It would go down as the worst MVP ever.

[Lebronxrings]

dam JT was right with his ladder :eek:

[24-Inch_Chrome]

He's not even top 5 in PER. Fabulous season my ass.

Derrick Rose won the award with a 24 PER and that's because his team won 60 games. LeBron winning with such a shitty ass PER would be an even bigger joke than Rose winning. It would go down as the worst MVP ever.

Rose was 9th in the league in PER that season, only 3 players posted 25+ (James, Howard, Wade).

LeBron is 7th this year, 7 players have posted a 25+ so far (Davis, Westbrook, Durant, Curry, Whiteside, Harden, James).

If PER is going to be the basis of your argument don't pretend that the two seasons are the same.

[Budadiiii]

Rose was 9th in the league in PER that season, only 3 players posted 25+ (James, Howard, Wade).

LeBron is 7th this year, 7 players have posted a 25+ so far (Davis, Westbrook, Durant, Curry, Whiteside, Harden, James).

If PER is going to be the basis of your argument don't pretend that the two seasons are the same.
You're right, they're not the same. LeBron is 6 points away from the leader and rose was only 4.

Plus Rose played on a 60 win team and they were the 1 seed.

The east this year is arguably the weakest it's ever been and the Cavs won't match the 2011 Bulls record.

Why would LeBron get the MVP? Shitty PER, and his team won't have the best record in his conference let alone the league.

[SexSymbol]

Let go, it was like the fift week and he was just in the "next five" :lol

Anyway, LeBron will solidify that top spot in 2 days.. well deserved, having a fabulous season.
What the ****? He's as shitty defensively as he's been in his first 6 seasons, has a huge turnover rate, and there's been A LOT of times where he hasn't been the best player on the cavs this season.
He's having a solid year statistically, though Curry's and Harden's are better in that regard and considering the circumstances of missing 10 games just to rest, playing in a shitty conference where the main offensive guy from the Bulls just went down, it's pretty funny that he could be considered a legit MVP candidate AT THIS POINT. He may do something ridicoulous and totally redeem himself in the last months, but it's doubtful

[JerrySeinfeld]

What the ****? He's as shitty defensively as he's been in his first 6 seasons, has a huge turnover rate, and there's been A LOT of times where he hasn't been the best player on the cavs this season.
He's having a solid year statistically, though Curry's and Harden's are better in that regard and considering the circumstances of missing 10 games just to rest, playing in a shitty conference where the main offensive guy from the Bulls just went down, it's pretty funny that he could be considered a legit MVP candidate AT THIS POINT. He may do something ridicoulous and totally redeem himself in the last months, but it's doubtful


yeah thats about how I feel. For whatever reason people in the media are pulling for Bron to win it instead of a new face though. Whenever he has a 40pt game (which Curry, Harden, even Westbrook are having with regularity) it suddenly changes everything but whenever he has a bad game with almost 10 TO's and lazy defense they ignore it.

[24-Inch_Chrome]

You're right, they're not the same. LeBron is 6 points away from the leader and rose was only 4.

Plus Rose played on a 60 win team and they were the 1 seed.

The east this year is arguably the weakest it's ever been and the Cavs won't match the 2011 Bulls record.

Why would LeBron get the MVP? Shitty PER, and his team won't have the best record in his conference let alone the league.

Now you're actually getting somewhere. If you've got an argument put the whole thing out there, citing PER out of context isn't nearly enough.

As far as why he might win: first, a 25+ PER isn't shitty, it's not necessarily MVP worthy but it's not shitty. Second, he's been playing healthy for 21 games this season, during which Cleveland has gone 18-3. If he can take the Cavs to 2nd in the conference I think he'll have a legitimate shot at the MVP. Although he hasn't played at his best for the whole season his value to the team has been established; Cleveland went 2-8 without him and have gone 18-3 since his return.

Will he actually deserve it if he wins? It's too early to tell, a lot can happen in 20 games. For all we know he could drop 35/7/7 the rest of the way and Cleveland will win all the games they have left, can't pass judgement until the end of the season.

All that said I'm still rooting for Westbrook from a personal standpoint, as unrealistic as that may be.

[Lebronxrings]

curry has never really impressed me. Just a shooter, miniature durant.

[SexSymbol]

curry has never really impressed me. Just a shooter, miniature durant.
idiot

[mehyaM24]

i'm still confused @ how lebron over took curry but NOT harden?
don't get me wrong. i have curry as league mvp.. i'm just curious as to why the media voters continuously shift narratives & criteria.

[chazzy]

Curry and Harden still have the better overall numbers, record, and durability on their side. No surprise that one game swayed the ladder, it's more of a week to week thing

[Prime_Shaq]

Curry just doesn't cut it defensively. At least harden is putting some effort on defense this season and we already LeBron's defensive ability.
While I disagree, what does it gotta do with winning MVP? Steve fking Nash has 2 MVPs while playing abysmal defense.

[GOBB]

Curry, Harden then everyone else.

[Solefade]

While I disagree, what does it gotta do with winning MVP? Steve fking Nash has 2 MVPs while playing abysmal defense.


Shows that LeBron is a bigger impact to his respective team than Curry is. Cavs are literally shit w/o LeBron, think GSW w/o Curry can still make the playoffs in the West

[Solefade]

this probably doesn't hold a lot of weight to you guys but..

http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/sekou_smith/02/27/kia-race-to-the-mvp-ladder-four-worthy-mvp-candidates/index.html

[GOBB]

this probably doesn't hold a lot of weight to you guys but..

http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/sekou_smith/02/27/kia-race-to-the-mvp-ladder-four-worthy-mvp-candidates/index.html

Bron and the oscar finish might happen. It would definitely take such a performance.

Westbrook has no shot. I dont know why people include him as if he has a legitimate shot.

2 man race with a 3rd that could ketchup

[K Xerxes]

Westbrook is there individually, but team record too low in the WC. He'll finish 4th.

Curry and Harden obviously make up the top 2 right now. If Cavs finish with 54-57 wins and Bron continues to dominate opponents (which is unlikely but not outside the realms of possibility), then he may launch himself as a legit candidate. I don't see it happening as the end of the season is usually reserved for resting star players and I don't think it'd be worth it.

Harden's probably my pick right now.

[DaSeba5]

LeBron is clearly the best player in the league, but Harden is most valuable to his team. He's my pick for MVP right now.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Seriously though, I don't think he's the MVP at this point. He's definitely top 3, but i would still vote for Curry...To win it he needs to finish ridiculously strong like 55 wins at the minimum..

[supermechasonic]

if Bron can finish with a 55+ record and outplay harden then I give him a solid shot at MVP.

[nba_55]

Lebron to #2! Soon, he'll be #1.

https://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8f30kKrEn1rbw6bto1_500.gif

[sd3035]

Leβron isn't even in the race at the moment

[Solefade]

big statement game for LeBron on sunday in Houston

[Budadiiii]

big statement game for LeBron on sunday in Houston
Just another game.

No matter what happens in the game his season still wouldn't be MVP worthy. 1 or 2 games in February mean very little, if if you wan't to delude yourself into think they mean something. Statement game? :sleeping

Make a statement EVERY GAME and not just the ones that get national exposure, then I'll pay attention.