The 2015 Finals mvp voters explain themselves in full 7 years later.

[Kblaze8855]

Sports illustrated checked with them.





The Iguodala voters were:
Hubie Brown of ESPN
Sam Amick (then of USA Today, now with The Athletic)
Ken Berger (then of CBSSports.com)
Jason Lloyd (then of the Akron Beacon Journal, now with The Athletic)
Marc Spears (then of Yahoo Sports, now with ESPN’s Andscape)
Marc Stein (then of ESPN.com, now with Substack)
Rusty Simmons (then with the San Francisco Chronicle)
The James voters were:
Van Gundy
Zach Lowe (then of Grantland, now with ESPN)
Steve Aschburner of NBA.com
And me, Howard Beck (then with Bleacher Report)
How seriously did you consider Curry for MVP? Why was he ultimately not your choice?Stein: Very seriously. Those Warriors revolved around Steph and frankly they still do. But I ultimately went with Iguodala, because he changed the series (https://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/16/andre-iguodala-lebron-james-nba-finals-warriors-cavaliers) when he became a starter. People forget he scored 25 points in the clinching Game 6 win. People also forget that the Warriors were a shaky mess at 2–1, down against a heavy underdog that won TWO games without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to take a series lead. Iguodala changed the series, and that's why he got my vote.

Lowe: Very seriously. If I had voted for a Warrior, I’d have voted for Curry. I just thought what LeBron did, getting that Cavs team without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love a 2–1 lead—and keeping them competitive in all but one of their four losses—was pretty remarkable. Too many people focus on LeBron’s shooting percentages in that series, which were not great. They weren’t horrid either, and he was doing pretty much everything.
Spears: There was no other NBA Finals MVP, All-Star MVP or final season award vote that I have agonized over more than this one. There was not a lot of time to think about it, either. Ultimately, the defensive impact of Iguodala on LeBron swayed me. But it was by a nose.


Berger: For me, LeBron was the runaway leader in the clubhouse after the first three games. How could he not have been after putting up 44-8-6 in 45 minutes, 39-16-11 in 50 minutes, and 40-12-8-4 in 46 minutes? Steph was the best player on the Warriors through three games ... but not even close to the best player in the series. The series changed when Steve Kerr inserted Iguodala into the starting lineup in Game 4. In that pivotal game, LeBron was human (20-12-8 in 40 minutes) as the Warriors tied the series at 2–2 and avoided the dreaded 3–1 deficit. So at that point, Curry was a distant second to LeBron in my MVP thoughts. I wasn't thinking Iguodala ... yet.
Lloyd: If the Cavs had gotten it to a Game 7 and stretched the series as far as it could go (as Jerry West did the year he won it in a losing effort), LeBron would’ve gotten my vote, regardless. The fact the Cavs lost in six, and three straight to end the series, eliminated him from my ballot. So then it became Steph or Iggy. The fact remains the entire series swung on Iggy entering the Warriors’ starting lineup. When Iguodala was off the court in these Finals, LeBron shot 44% and the Cavs outscored the Warriors by 30 points. When Iguodala was on the court, he was James’s primary defender and LeBron shot 38%—and the Warriors outscored the Cavs by 55. Without Iguodala, the Cavs win the series. That’s pretty valuable to me, even if it doesn’t fit the narrative today.

[red1]

that series hurt my soul.


easy 5th finals MVP if the cavs had two more wing defenders to throw into the rotation.



these boys were gassed at the start of every 3rd quarter.

[Kblaze8855]

Aschburner: I considered Curry as seriously as any of the players in that series. I think I heard the Iguodala chatter, but wasn’t persuaded. My view of Curry was that he had been good, but not GREAT, and had had plenty of help at various points in the series. Meanwhile, LeBron had little or no help with Kyrie out after one game and Kevin Love not available at all.
Simmons: I barely considered Curry, but I definitely waffled on whether I was voting for the NBA Finals’ best player or most valuable player. LeBron James was clearly the best player in the series, and Andre Iguodala was clearly the most valuable player to the winning team in the series. Curry was ultimately not part of my choice, even with the understanding that he got the Warriors to a place that they hadn’t been for 40 years. He simply was not among the most impactful players in that best-of-seven series, and I believe that’s what I was called to vote on.
Amick: After three games, it just felt like LeBron was eviscerating the Warriors; and more importantly, that Steph was getting mauled in this matchup, and he had a really bad Game 2. Games 1 and 3 looked fine in the box score, but defensively, he was getting picked on a bit. The thing that gets overlooked a bit is that when (Andrew) Bogut was in there, it was inviting the Cavs to trap with Tristan Thompson and making life really tough on Steph. So when Iguodala entered the starting lineup in Game 4, it wasn’t just a case of slowing LeBron a little bit, it was also that on the offensive end, he was spacing the floor and making things easier on Steph.



Van Gundy: I thought it was clear cut (for James). And then the next clear-cut one was, if it was from the Warriors, it was Curry. But you’re also happy for a guy like Iguodala, who’s had a terrific career, and he played great. My second pick would have been Curry. Sometimes when you don’t play to the level—this incredibly high level of expectation that he’s created for himself—you get overscrutinized. And I think that’s been him a lot in his career.
Looking back, would you still vote the same way?Lowe: I would. As you recall, there was a lot of tension among the voters about whether anyone should vote for a player on the losing team—i.e., LeBron. I didn’t really have any qualms about it. I thought he was the best player in the series by a wide enough margin that I felt comfortable with it and would vote the same today.
Berger: I absolutely would. Golden State didn’t lose a game with Iguodala in the starting lineup, and LeBron’s numbers for the series dwarfed Curry’s. The calculation for me was: Do I vote for the best player in the series, even if he’s on the losing team? Or the player whose role, in my estimation, was most directly tied to a clear shift in the complexion of the series, not to mention its outcome? In the end, I went with B.


Lloyd:
I still believe we got the vote right, and I’d vote the same way today. A lot of the conversation that year was between LeBron and Iggy. Steph was a bit of an afterthought, which is why no one voted for him. I did have a member of the Cavs organization text me after the vote that he was surprised no one voted Curry, because the Cavs built their entire defense around slowing Steph. And when Steph got hot at the end of Game 3, which the Warriors lost, the Cavs were concerned that Steph had figured them out defensively. If that adds fuel to the Steph side of this, so be it.
Simmons: I still flip-flop in my head once a week about whether I was right to vote for Iguodala over James when the voting comes up on some shock-jock sports show. But I still don’t think Curry should be in that conversation, and it has never entered my mind. He was neither the best or most valuable player on the court during the best-of-seven series.
Amick: My takeaway was: LeBron was incredible, but agree or disagree, I did not feel comfortable voting for him without a Game 7. And then from there, I’m lying to myself if I think Steph Curry was the most impactful Warrior in the Finals. The Warriors were toast after three games, and Steph’s actual impact was not reflected in the box score.




Bit more

[warriorfan]

Sports illustrated checked with them.

Straight up clown shit. :lol

Those guys look more and more foolish with every passing year. It’s funny watching them try to save face and desperately double down. Low iq stuff.

[red1]

Utmost respect for these high-IQ voters :applause:

[Kblaze8855]

Aschburner: Yes, I’d still vote the same way. Look, I knew it was “historic” in the sense that only one previous Finals MVP had come from the losing side (Jerry West, in 1969). But James’s one-man show was remarkable. Three games of 40-plus points (none for Steph). Two triple-doubles. Five double-doubles. If not for James’s production, the Cavaliers would have been swept. The next biggest scorer on Cleveland: Timofey Mozgov, 14.0 ppg. J.R. Smith hoisted the second-most shots (77), averaged 11.5 ppg and shot 29.4% on three-pointers.
Stein: I’ve written it twice already, once as recently as last week: I’m as big a Stephen Curry admirer as you will find in the media but I have zero remorse about that vote. We only fixate on it all these years later because Kevin Durant became a Warrior and monopolized Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018.
Curry’s proponents argue that Iguodala was the beneficiary of everything Steph does. And that for all the praise of Iguodala’s defense, LeBron still put up big numbers. Are those arguments at all persuasive?Lowe: The first one is, though I think characterizing anyone as accomplished as Iguodala as a simple “beneficiary” of Curry’s talent on offense is a disservice to him. Everyone benefits playing next to great players, let alone the greatest shooter of all time, and the Warriors indeed won that series because Curry drew two defenders on pick-and-rolls and let the Warriors play 4-on-3 underneath—with a lot of those possessions ending in open threes for guys like Iguodala.

But you have to make those shots. Iguodala is also a wickedly creative passer in the half-court and in transition. Kerr introducing him into the starting five changed that series, and really kinda changed basketball. He defended LeBron well enough that the Warriors didn’t have to send too much help. I mean, we are talking about peak LeBron getting the ball every single time because of injuries to Irving and Love. You are going to give up numbers to that guy.
That said, Steph was the engine, and his ability to manufacture open looks as the fulcrum of Golden State’s offense is why I would have voted him over Iguodala.
Berger: LeBron scored 123 points in three games with Iguodala coming off the bench, and 92 points in the three games Iggy started. For me, that’s when the pendulum shifted from LeBron to Iguodala.
Stein: I am intimately familiar with this argument, because I used this exact reasoning as the only voter for Tim Duncan for Finals MVP at the 2007 Finals. Tony Parker won that vote by a 9–1 count, and I was the one. The difference: That San Antonio team was utterly dominant and swept the Cavs in LeBron’s first Finals ... and all that dominance flowed from Duncan’s immense presence at both ends. The Warriors were not dominating the 2015 Finals when Iguodala became a starter. Not even close. They were teetering.



Its actually even longer. They do a whole long thing on it but it’s not a game day and some of you really care about that topic so there’s most of the key elements and here’s the whole story:


https://www.si.com/nba/2022/06/12/stephen-curry-2015-nba-finals-mvp-voters-roundtable?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab

[Shogon]

Sports illustrated checked with them.

Yeah I mean if Kerr doesn't put Iguodala in the starting lineup, the Warriors might not win the series.

And without Curry's existence, not only do they not win the series, they don't make the Finals whatsoever in the first place. But that doesn't count for anything right?

Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but this, and that, and blah blah blah... such a stupid thing for people to still be discussing 7 years later.

Everyone is retarded.

LeBron was the best player in the series and he was the most valuable player in the series.

Anything else boils down to people arguing over stupid things and giving stupid reasons as to why they voted the stupid way they did.

[red1]

Its actually even longer. They do a whole long thing on it but it’s not a game day and some of you really care about that topic so there’s most of the key elements and here’s the whole story:


https://www.si.com/nba/2022/06/12/stephen-curry-2015-nba-finals-mvp-voters-roundtable?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab

I'm very biased and I'm very invested as a sports fan


Great posts as per usual from the GOAT kblaze :applause:

[red1]

they ran a 7-man rotation


dellavedova literally had an IV drip at half-time because he was expending that much more energy than he was used to

[And1AllDay]

Straight up clown shit. :lol

Those guys look more and more foolish with every passing year. It’s funny watching them try to save face and desperately double down. Low iq stuff.

some things never change with u. still crying about a 'alpha male fmvp' winner that hast gotten his dues becos of media amirite dude?

[warriorfan]

some things never change with u. still crying about a 'alpha male fmvp' winner that hast gotten his dues becos of media amirite dude?

No. Their takes are just super low iq and embarrassing.

[red1]

No. Their takes are just super low iq and embarrassing.

dude its math.


that was a well deserved ring for a well-deserved young team. congrats to your 2015 warriors.



your take back then was wrong though. curry's own coach came out two years later putting lebron above curry and kd with them all playing in the same series.

[warriorfan]

dude its math.


that was a well deserved ring for a well-deserved young team. congrats to your 2015 warriors.



your take back then was wrong though. curry's own coach came out two years later putting lebron above curry and kd with them all playing in the same series.

Thanks for the low iq take.

[Im Still Ballin]

Y'all remember warriorfan's thread? That was some funny shit.

[And1AllDay]

No. Their takes are just super low iq and embarrassing.

i mean lets be real they actually had well put out reasons for it, it wasnt some curry bashing or it wasnt like they screamed curry sux. he just wasnt doing enough when bran was missing kyrie and love. seems straightened out to me that it was iggy or bran and curry was never even a thought for no one

[warriorfan]

Y'all remember warriorfan's thread? That was some funny shit.

I was right.

:cheers:

[warriorfan]

i mean lets be real they actually had well put out reasons for it, it wasnt some curry bashing or it wasnt like they screamed curry sux. he just wasnt doing enough when bran was missing kyrie and love. seems straightened out to me that it was iggy or bran and curry was never even a thought for no one

Low iq

[red1]

Thanks for the low iq take.

what happened to 2-6 bro?


4-10 (including the GOAT finals MVP over your choking 2016 warriors team), that has a much nicer ring, no?

[warriorfan]

what happened to 2-6 bro?


4-10 (including the GOAT finals MVP over your choking 2016 warriors team), that has a much nicer ring, no?

Low iq meltdown.

[And1AllDay]

Low iq

me and the whole finals mvp voters panel right all twelve of us? and your the high iq right? :oldlol:

[warriorfan]

me and the whole finals mvp voters panel right all twelve of us? and your the high iq right? :oldlol:

Yes.

[red1]

just facts my guy.

[SouBeachTalents]

The claims it was some outrage Curry didn't win FMVP or that he was "robbed" is complete revisionist history, probably the biggest revisionist history I've seen about anything on here. At the time plenty of people believed if LeBron wasn't going to win FMVP, Iggy was the most deserving choice.

https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1392999&view=viewpoll

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?379344-Who-s-GSW-s-Finals-MVP-thus-far

[warriorfan]

The claims it was some outrage Curry didn't win FMVP or that he was "robbed" is complete revisionist history, probably the biggest revisionist history I've seen about anything on here. At the time plenty of people believed if LeBron wasn't going to win FMVP, Iggy was the most deserving choice.

https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1392999&view=viewpoll

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?379344-Who-s-GSW-s-Finals-MVP-thus-far

You can find a bunch of people who will claim 2+2 = 5

Doesn’t make it anymore true.

Low iq.

[And1AllDay]

You can find a bunch of people who will claim 2+2 = 5

Doesn’t make it anymore true.

Low iq.

but your the guy claiming 2+2 = 5

so your right its not true

[8Ball]

some things never change with u. still crying about a 'alpha male fmvp' winner that hast gotten his dues becos of media amirite dude?

You back!!

[And1AllDay]

You back!!

yo yo yo what it do cuh :cheers:

back in this bish for a bit welcome to see you again

[1987_Lakers]

I had no problems with Iggy winning it. He changed the series, people forget how bad they looked the first 3 games, they were shitting their pants. Once Iggy got put into the starting lineup the series changed, also helped that he had a huge game 6.

[And1AllDay]

I had no problems with Iggy winning it. He changed the series, people forget how bad they looked the first 3 games, they were shitting their pants. Once Iggy got put into the starting lineup the series changed, also helped that he had a huge game 6.

yup bran won 2 games in a row with no kyrie or love and then warriors got shooketh and inserted iggy to starter and they won three straight games..

like its written pretty clear iggy was huge unless your a retart

[warriorfan]

I had no problems with Iggy winning it. He changed the series, people forget how bad they looked the first 3 games, they were shitting their pants. Once Iggy got put into the starting lineup the series changed, also helped that he had a huge game 6.

Low iq

[tpols]

Watching that series.... Iggy was the veteran catalyst to victory. Everybody could feel the "virgin" vibe the warriors had.

That being said.... I don't think there's ever been a situation where a guy wins FMVP over another guy who scored 10+ ppg over him.

I think people were that impressed Iggy shut down peak LeBron in single coverage.

That's the only explanation.

[StrongLurk]

It's strange the voters gave Iggy the FMVP. Iggy was the X-FACTOR of the series...Steph was clearly the Warriors best player and should've won FMVP.

Since when did an X-FACTOR turn into a FMVP?

Shit I would've given the FMVP to Lebron before Iggy...

[Kblaze8855]

Watching that series.... Iggy was the veteran catalyst to victory. Everybody could feel the "virgin" vibe the warriors had.

That being said.... I don't think there's ever been a situation where a guy wins FMVP over another guy who scored 10+ ppg over him.

I think people were that impressed Iggy shut down peak LeBron in single coverage.

That's the only explanation.


Off the top of my head I know Unseld won it with 8-9 ppg while hayes no doubt did 20 or better. Unseld was probably his teams 5th leading scorer.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Giving Iguodala FMVP fukked with Steph's career.

Steph was easily and BY FAR the best player on that team. His offensive numbers and impact say it all.

Because of narratives that followed suit, Curry's got to win FMVP and kill that noise. Maybe 'got to' is strong, but doing so, he would obliterate every hater that exists. Plus a FMVP would look nice on the resume.

[rmt]

Watching that series.... Iggy was the veteran catalyst to victory. Everybody could feel the "virgin" vibe the warriors had.

That being said.... I don't think there's ever been a situation where a guy wins FMVP over another guy who scored 10+ ppg over him.

I think people were that impressed Iggy shut down peak LeBron in single coverage.

That's the only explanation.

Lebron fascination - over team's best player. Even Iggy (now) seems sheepish over it - considering how Curry's career turned out.

[Shooter]

Giving Iguodala FMVP fukked with Steph's career.

Steph was easily and BY FAR the best player on that team. His offensive numbers and impact say it all.

Because of narratives that followed suit, Curry's got to win FMVP and kill that noise. Maybe 'got to' is strong, but doing so, he would obliterate every hater that exists. Plus a FMVP would look nice on the resume.

They were DOWN 2-1 when LeBron was missing Kyrie and Love.

LeBron snatched two games off Curry, Klay, Dray, Iggy with...Dellevedova. Then Iggy gets inserted as a starter and Warriors win 3 straight to close the series out.

[Johnny32]

Watching that series.... Iggy was the veteran catalyst to victory. Everybody could feel the "virgin" vibe the warriors had.

That being said.... I don't think there's ever been a situation where a guy wins FMVP over another guy who scored 10+ ppg over him.

I think people were that impressed Iggy shut down peak LeBron in single coverage.

That's the only explanation.

1980. kareem missed gm 6 though.

[SouBeachTalents]

The series flat out changed when Kerr put Iggy in the starting lineup

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHvcF8dUAAAYevI.jpg

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

They were DOWN 2-1 when LeBron was missing Kyrie and Love.

LeBron snatched two games off Curry, Klay, Dray, Iggy with...Dellevedova. Then Iggy gets inserted as a starter and Warriors win 3 straight to close the series out.

Iguodala was important in their turnaround, and his defense was invaluable.

Without Curry's O, though, where are the Warriors?

Yeah, exactly. :lol

[plowking]

Probably one of the worst FMVP choices ever. The fact they still justify it is even more mind boggling.


Iggy may have done well, but did they consider that Bron was literally playing 45+ minutes and wearing himself ragged? Maybe that is a reason he dropped off a cliff in the second half of the series as well. Just ridiculous giving it to Iggy.

Narratives like this is what American fans eat up long after the fact. Like today, the narrative of championships being so important to define a player make people think that Magic was a better player than Bird. Kobe gets talked about as if he was a better player than Shaq... You see Twitter and Facebook comments telling Barkley to pipe down when talking about rings and players with rings as if he wasn't infinitely better than some of these guys that won.

[Shooter]

Iguodala was important in their turnaround, and his defense was invaluable.

Without Curry's O, though, where are the Warriors?

Yeah, exactly. :lol

LeBron James snatched TWO GAMES off of Curry, Klay, and Dray with Dellevedova as a #2 option

Then Iggy was inserted into the starting lineup and the Warriors won 3 straight.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

LeBron James snatched TWO GAMES off of Curry, Klay, and Dray with Dellevedova as a #2 option

Then Iggy was inserted into the starting lineup and the Warriors won 3 straight.

What is this? The spamball special? lol

You're repeating the same goofy narratives.

[Shooter]

What is this? The spamball special? lol

You're repeating the same goofy narratives.

Yes and you're ignoring it...You act like people didn't know Curry dropped 24 on 42% or whatever. Big deal :lol

If any team lost it's #2 and #3 option and you give up two games in a row you don't deserve FMVP as the #1 option.

[ArbitraryWater]

looks like it was very close to swinging LeBron with Simmons and Amick.

Ridiculous that Berger for games 5-6 then went with Iggy.

[ArbitraryWater]

As for going back, good vote then (Iggy over Curry), good vote now.


Nice to see they're sure of their pick.

That shit doesnt just in retrospect.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Yes and you're ignoring it...You act like people didn't know Curry dropped 24 on 42% or whatever. Big deal :lol

If any team lost it's #2 and #3 option and you give up two games in a row you don't deserve FMVP as the #1 option.

For the series, Curry averaged 26/6/5 on 59%TS.

That's more efficient than practically all of Kobe's finals.

That's more points and better efficiency than what Lebron did in the '13 finals - who was awarded a FMVP.

Big deal he says lol

[Shooter]

For the series, Curry averaged 26/6/5 on 59%TS.

That's more efficient than practically all of Kobe's finals.

That's more points and better efficiency than what Lebron did in the '13 finals - who was awarded a FMVP.

Big deal he says lol

You're so close now. Here it comes...And was the Spurs missing their #2 and #3 option?

Bonus question: Did Curry play ANY defense?

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

You're so close now. Here it comes...And was the Spurs missing their #2 and #3 option?

Another nice narrative... But injuries happen every year, my guy.

The last, what, 5 finals (?) have been 'decided' by a key injury.

By your own standards, no one is worthy.


Bonus question: Did Curry play ANY defense?

About the same as Magic. :lol

Just say you don't like Curry and move on bro. its cool.

[lilblingy]

The only thing putting Iguodala in the starting line up proved was that iguodala clearly made the warriors a better TEAM. With him, they were more athletic, their defense greatly improved. Plus iguodala was another playmaker that can take even more load off of curry. So yeah, warriors with iguodala in the starting line up is a better team than with him on the bench, that shouldn't have been a surprise to anybody. Plus what nobody ever mentions is that the team as a whole started defending lebron completely differently when iguodala was inserted in the starting line up. It was a team effort on lebron, iguodala DID NOT single handedly stop lebron.

With all the positives iguodala brought though, it still didn't surpass the impact curry had on that series. All the open shots iguodala had were because of Currys gravity (major credit to iguodala for stepping up and hitting the shots), curry averaged 26 on like 44/38 percentages and that's including the 1 really inefficient game he had in game 2.

[Shooter]

Another nice narrative... But injuries happen every year, my guy.

The last, what, 5 finals (?) have been 'decided' by a key injury.

By your own standards, no one is worthy.



About the same as Magic. :lol

Just say you don't like Curry and move on bro. its cool.

I actually don't mind Steph. I have him hovering around 12-15 and I think that's mostly universal ranking for him.

I guess I'll spell it out another way:

If you win game 1 and then your opponent's #2 option gets hurt (Kyrie) and they were already without their #3 option (Love) and you then proceed to lose two games in a row, that's on you. Curry left the door open for LeBron to win a couple of games with Timofey Mozgof bro. And if Iggy hadn't stepped in then Curry's 26/4/3 with zero defense would have been all for naught when LeBron's dropping 36/13/9

[DMAVS41]

I still kind of think Iggy deserved it. Maybe we put too much weight on Curry's terrible game 2...and maybe I was wrong at the time.

However, the whole Iggy thing was not just because of his defense...that part of the narrative now is just false. He actually played really well on offense and made a lot of big shots. It wasn't just some dude playing great individual defense...I think he was their second leading scorer iirc.

[dankok8]

Curry averaged 10 ppg more than Igoudala while also being a superior playmaker and creating open shots for others with his gravity. I don't buy for a second that Iggy's work on the other end can come close to making up for that kind of offensive gap. Curry was the best and most valuable Warrior in that series.

[L.Kizzle]

Curry was definitely the MVP of that series. Smh.

[hold this L]

Too many people focus on LeBron’s shooting percentages in that series, which were not great. They weren’t horrid either, and he was doing pretty much everything.
Lowe is f*cking idiot. How is 47% TS not horrid? :facepalm It's easily one of the worst shooting performances in NBA history.


I still kind of think Iggy deserved it. Maybe we put too much weight on Curry's terrible game 2...and maybe I was wrong at the time.

However, the whole Iggy thing was not just because of his defense...that part of the narrative now is just false. He actually played really well on offense and made a lot of big shots. It wasn't just some dude playing great individual defense...I think he was their second leading scorer iirc.
Most of his shots were wide opens 3s due to Curry, or cutting layup/dunks which once again.. was due to Curry. He wasn't creating his own offense in that series. Iggy has no case for the FMVP, it was just a story because the media is literally obsessed with Lebron. Who defended Lebron? Oh yeah, lets pick that guy! Lebron's 15 series is one of the most overrated series ever. It was a below average finals performance, where he won game 3. Steph was just abhorrent in game 2 to give a team that should have been iced in 5 an extra game.

[L.Kizzle]

The only other similar circumstance would be Wes Unseld over Elvin Hayes. Hayes had better numbers, but that was Wes team and he was a former MVP.
But, that was Stephs team but guess that didn't matter.
Cedric over Bird, Bird had two 8 point games in the Finals.

[SouBeachTalents]

The only other similar circumstance would be Wes Unseld over Elvin Hayes. Hayes had better numbers, but that was Wes team and he was a former MVP.
But, that was Stephs team but guess that didn't matter.
Cedric over Bird, Bird had two 8 point games in the Finals.
The worst selections imo were

Worthy over Magic in '88
Magic over Kareem in '80
Maxwell over Bird in '81

[Stephonit]

The real story they'd rather not acknowledge:


https://youtu.be/vhM5Fpmxu5A

[DMAVS41]

Lowe is f*cking idiot. How is 47% TS not horrid? :facepalm It's easily one of the worst shooting performances in NBA history.


Most of his shots were wide opens 3s due to Curry, or cutting layup/dunks which once again.. was due to Curry. He wasn't creating his own offense in that series. Iggy has no case for the FMVP, it was just a story because the media is literally obsessed with Lebron. Who defended Lebron? Oh yeah, lets pick that guy! Lebron's 15 series is one of the most overrated series ever. It was a below average finals performance, where he won game 3. Steph was just abhorrent in game 2 to give a team that should have been iced in 5 an extra game.

Yea, I think most of that is fair. I just remember watching and thinking Iggy was doing a great job on defense and also playing very well offensively.

I mean...I guess the determining factor is how great people think Lebron was at the time. What you say in the bolded above...if that is true...and one thinks Lebron in 15 was basically a top 5 player of all-time at his peak...and the player defending him one on one with pretty much no help held him to a below average finals why also playing well offensively.

I don't know...doesn't seem crazy to me.

[L.Kizzle]

The worst selections imo were

Worthy over Magic in '88
Magic over Kareem in '80
Maxwell over Bird in '81
He scored 8 points, twice in back to back games. You fine with that?
I can see why Magic got it, Kareem wasn't even there. He was back home on LA. He didn't play. It He suits up like Willis Reed and just plays the first 5 minutes they'd most likely given it to him.

[hold this L]

Yea, I think most of that is fair. I just remember watching and thinking Iggy was doing a great job on defense and also playing very well offensively.

I mean...I guess the determining factor is how great people think Lebron was at the time. What you say in the bolded above...if that is true...and one thinks Lebron in 15 was basically a top 5 player of all-time at his peak...and the player defending him one on one with pretty much no help held him to a below average finals why also playing well offensively.

I don't know...doesn't seem crazy to me.

Iggy did have a fantastic series.. as the secondary guy. He was treated with no respect as an offensive weapon and dominated. But without the traps, the 4v3s and him being targeted more, his offense would have fallen off a cliff. It's the same reason KD had a historic 2017 finals, the ability to score is significantly easier then. He also did a fantastic job defensively on Lebron.

Lebron had maybe his worst playoff scoring/shooting of his career. It wasn't just the finals. Some with his stars, others with 1 star in case people want to give the excuse of he had no help. It wasn't as if Lebron was averaging 60% TS and all of the sudden dominated. Steph had 59% vs the Raptors in 2019 and had a decimated squad while going against a box & 1 for comparion's sake. This is Lebron throughout the 2015 run:

47% - Finals, Warriors
50% - Hawks, ECF
53% - Celtics
46% - Bulls

[Axe]

If kong can't become a finals mvp with a losing team despite posting 'godly stats' due to his help's talent disparity that translated little in their team winning (like what happened in 2018), then so does chef in 2015 even if they won it all bt.

[TheGoatest]

Never seen so much revisionist b!tching about someone who wasn't even #2 in voting for an award, but that apparently "should've won" that award. :facepalm
And not only was he not #2, but he didn't even receive a single solitary vote.

[houston]

No. Their takes are just super low iq and embarrassing.

this true right here

[BigShotBob]

Curry had 19 points on 20% shooting in game 2....

In game 4 Iggy started and proceeded to score as many points as Curry (22) while playing STAUNCH defense against Lebron....

Curry erupted for 37 in game 5 and Iggy scored just as much as Curry in game 6....

All while statistically when he guarded Lebron, Lebron shot less than 30% outside of 6 ft....

Iggy was easily the Finals MVP

[Shogon]

Iggy was easily the Finals MVP

No, he wasn't. It was easily LeBron. You're just as much of a moron as the people who voted.

Switch LeBron & Iguodala and how does that series go?

I rest my case.

****ing idiots everywhere. I'll never escape it.


Take Steph off the Warriors and they get swept. Take Iguodala off of the Warriors and it's a coin toss of a series.


2015 Finals LeBron > 2015 Finals Steph > 2015 Finals Iguodala

I swear you people who have absolutely no analysis on what is happening other than surface level reactionary "this is what changed so this is automatically what it means" bullshit absolutely ****ing kill me.

Low IQ trash posting.

[hold this L]

Curry had 19 points on 20% shooting in game 2....

In game 4 Iggy started and proceeded to score as many points as Curry (22) while playing STAUNCH defense against Lebron....

Curry erupted for 37 in game 5 and Iggy scored just as much as Curry in game 6....

All while statistically when he guarded Lebron, Lebron shot less than 30% outside of 6 ft....

Iggy was easily the Finals MVP
He scored as many because of Curry you moron. It's the same thing as Boston games 1-4 and Boston game 5. They played Steph 1v1, and he 34 on 67% TS. They doubled him and he shot like shit in game 5 because their coach couldn't handle single coverage only, and what do you know. Klay and Wiggins had their best games of the final. What a massive coincidence.

https://www.icegif.com/wp-content/uploads/surprised-icegif.gif

[Shogon]

He scored as many because of Curry you moron. It's the same thing as Boston games 1-4 and Boston game 5. They played Steph 1v1, and he 34 on 67% TS. They doubled him and he shot like shit in game 5 because their coach couldn't handle single coverage only, and what do you know. Klay and Wiggins had their best games of the final. What a massive coincidence.

https://www.icegif.com/wp-content/uploads/surprised-icegif.gif


I admit because I hadn't watched much Curry as of the 2015 Finals that I was bordering on hater and in denial myself at the time.

But after all these years, how anyone could NOT arrive at the conclusion given the overwhelming amount of examples and abundance of information that we have, that Curry's impact goes far beyond his own stats is just... beyond my comprehension. It's like nobody posting this shit is even watching the games. They're just checking the boxscore after the fact or they're watching and literally all they're seeing is Curry getting doubled and passing it to the open man and not understanding what just happened.

Yes, the series turned in a more obvious way with the insertion of Iguodala into the starting lineup, but to then say that automatically made him the MVP of the entire series is just an insane stretch. And it wouldn't surprise me if I said some ignorant shit like that at the time, but hey... it's been 7 years. People grow. Some don't I guess.

[hold this L]

I admit because I hadn't watched much Curry as of the 2015 Finals that I was bordering on hater and in denial myself at the time.

But after all these years, how anyone could NOT arrive at the conclusion given the overwhelming amount of examples and abundance of information that we have, that Curry's impact goes far beyond his own stats is just... beyond my comprehension. It's like nobody posting this shit is even watching the games. They're just checking the boxscore after the fact or they're watching and literally all they're seeing is Curry getting doubled and passing it to the open man and not understanding what just happened.

Yes, the series turned in a more obvious way with the insertion of Iguodala into the starting lineup, but to then say that automatically made him the MVP of the entire series is just an insane stretch. And it wouldn't surprise me if I said some ignorant shit like that at the time, but hey... it's been 7 years. People grow. Some don't I guess.

Iggy averaged only 4 more minutes after he became a starter. You would think him being a starter was some monolithic change where he was playing 14-20 more minutes per games that shifted the balance of the series. The whole thing became a narrative where perception > reality. But it's more fun for people like Skip and co. to write storylines and everyone to listen along.

Lebron won 1 game by himself because he's a superstar, you're supposed to do it. Steph was so trash in game 2 that he lost the Warriors won. It should have ended in 5.

[BigShotBob]

He scored as many because of Curry you moron. It's the same thing as Boston games 1-4 and Boston game 5. They played Steph 1v1, and he 34 on 67% TS. They doubled him and he shot like shit in game 5 because their coach couldn't handle single coverage only, and what do you know. Klay and Wiggins had their best games of the final. What a massive coincidence.

https://www.icegif.com/wp-content/uploads/surprised-icegif.gif

I know how many points he scored. Sorry to hurt your feelings but Iggy on both sides of the ball was the Finals MVP. Look up the percentages that he held Lebron to vs everyone else, and how his presence shifted the offense and the defense of the Warriors. You talk about Curry "gravity" when his "gravity" couldn't generate enough offense to win until Iggy was in the starting line up.

Put two and two together. Someone already posted the graphic in the thread that you glossed over.

And there's no defending Curry's Game 2. He's always due for a horrific terrible performance in one game in the Finals. In 2018 it was game 3 when KD had to carry him and Klay to the finish line kicking and screaming. He literally lost the Finals MVP to KD even after they tried to force feed Curry the ball in Game 4.

And let's not pretend like Dellavadova wasn't giving Curry nightmares.....it was a sad sight.

In Game 2 Curry was held to 0-8 FG and 0-6 3pt when guarded by Delly

You cannot perform like that and be called a Finals MVP. Sorry. It just can't happen.

[BigShotBob]

No, he wasn't. It was easily LeBron. You're just as much of a moron as the people who voted.

Switch LeBron & Iguodala and how does that series go?

I rest my case.

****ing idiots everywhere. I'll never escape it.


Take Steph off the Warriors and they get swept. Take Iguodala off of the Warriors and it's a coin toss of a series.


2015 Finals LeBron > 2015 Finals Steph > 2015 Finals Iguodala

I swear you people who have absolutely no analysis on what is happening other than surface level reactionary "this is what changed so this is automatically what it means" bullshit absolutely ****ing kill me.

Low IQ trash posting.

Finals MVP =/= Best player on the team. It's what player had the best series in the Finals. Bringing up how the Warriors would do without Steph is irrelevant.

Iggy had the best series in all facets of the game than Curry, who was abysmal in all save for 2 games. He wasn't even on the ballot.

[hold this L]

I know how many points he scored. Sorry to hurt your feelings but Iggy on both sides of the ball was the Finals MVP. Look up the percentages that he held Lebron to vs everyone else, and how his presence shifted the offense and the defense of the Warriors. You talk about Curry "gravity" when his "gravity" couldn't generate enough offense to win until Iggy was in the starting line up.

Put two and two together. Someone already posted the graphic in the thread that you glossed over.

And there's no defending Curry's Game 2. He's always due for a horrific terrible performance in one game in the Finals. In 2018 it was game 3 when KD had to carry him and Klay to the finish line kicking and screaming. He literally lost the Finals MVP to KD even after they tried to force feed Curry the ball in Game 4.

And let's not pretend like Dellavadova wasn't giving Curry nightmares.....it was a sad sight.

In Game 2 Curry was held to 0-8 FG and 0-6 3pt when guarded by Delly

You cannot perform like that and be called a Finals MVP. Sorry. It just can't happen.
Iggy averaged only 4 more minutes per game after he became a starter you dumbf*ck. :facepalm Run along to Skip who trolls to either get stans angry or mouth breathers like yourself to eat up his fun little stories. The offense was only shifted by Steph and then Dray on the 4v3. Saying Andre shifted the offense is one of the dumbest things I've heard about the final. He took wide open shots on 4v3s and had a ton of baskets cutting for layups and dunks. Dude had the easiest job in the world offensively along with Barnes.

Curry was horrible for 1 game but that's why it's a 7 game series. Imagine trying to write a narrative that a dude being left wide open was the MVP on offense. Imagine being that much of a mouth breathing moron.

:biggums:

[999Guy]

They broke the rules of automatically voting for the highest volume offensive player but Iguodala did pretty much takeover the series. And was the best Warrior.

Logically if scoring is the most important role, then a defensive stopper or anchor is an even higher level role for the game.

Either way, defense just gets laughed off as a some secondary part of a 100% binary game. Dumb.

[warriorfan]

I admit because I hadn't watched much Curry as of the 2015 Finals that I was bordering on hater and in denial myself at the time.

But after all these years, how anyone could NOT arrive at the conclusion given the overwhelming amount of examples and abundance of information that we have, that Curry's impact goes far beyond his own stats is just... beyond my comprehension. It's like nobody posting this shit is even watching the games. They're just checking the boxscore after the fact or they're watching and literally all they're seeing is Curry getting doubled and passing it to the open man and not understanding what just happened.

Yes, the series turned in a more obvious way with the insertion of Iguodala into the starting lineup, but to then say that automatically made him the MVP of the entire series is just an insane stretch. And it wouldn't surprise me if I said some ignorant shit like that at the time, but hey... it's been 7 years. People grow. Some don't I guess.

It’s pretty insane. Anyone with the take that Andre Iguodala was the MVP of the series is so low iq that I cannot communicate with them properly. They wont be able to understand and it is a waste of time. I don’t care anymore. If their iq is that low, **** them. I’m not even going to try.

[BigShotBob]

Iggy averaged only 4 more minutes per game after he became a starter you dumbf*ck. :facepalm Run along to Skip who trolls to either get stans angry or mouth breathers like yourself to eat up his fun little stories. The offense was only shifted by Steph and then Dray on the 4v3. Saying Andre shifted the offense is one of the dumbest things I've heard about the final. He took wide open shots on 4v3s and had a ton of baskets cutting for layups and dunks. Dude had the easiest job in the world offensively along with Barnes.

Curry was horrible for 1 game but that's why it's a 7 game series. Imagine trying to write a narrative that a dude being left wide open was the MVP on offense. Imagine being that much of a mouth breathing moron.

:biggums:

You're acting like an emotional lesbian right now.

Why did the Warriors's offense improve and why did their defense improve with Iggy in the line-up than without him?

And locking down Lebron wasn't the "easiest job in the world" he won Finals MVP MAINLY for his defensive impact but what he brought offensively and how he completely bolstered the Warriors while being inserted within the starting line-up created a perfect storm. Watch the series and watch the games and don't forget about how well his passing/playmaking was too.

[WhiteKyrie]

If Cavs had pushed it to 7 games and made it more competitive. Instead of folding when it was getting clearer they might not win while being ahead, and crumbling like their leader. If they could’ve pushed it seven like Jerry West did when he didn’t win a ring but won Finals MVP, the same should’ve been true of LeBron.

[Stephonit]

You're acting like an emotional lesbian right now.

Why did the Warriors's offense improve and why did their defense improve with Iggy in the line-up than without him?

And locking down Lebron wasn't the "easiest job in the world" he won Finals MVP MAINLY for his defensive impact but what he brought offensively and how he completely bolstered the Warriors while being inserted within the starting line-up created a perfect storm. Watch the series and watch the games and don't forget about how well his passing/playmaking was too.

One of the overlooked aspects of Iguodala being made a starter was that it meant Bogut was no longer a starter. LeBron feasted on Warriors bigs. Bogut was a negative against the Cavs. Even then he was the best big the Warriors had. Ezeli and Varajao a year later were even worse. With Draymond at center though the Warriors crushed the league. Something people should know if they paid any attention to the Warriors' innovations.

[hold this L]

You're acting like an emotional lesbian right now.

Why did the Warriors's offense improve and why did their defense improve with Iggy in the line-up than without him?

And locking down Lebron wasn't the "easiest job in the world" he won Finals MVP MAINLY for his defensive impact but what he brought offensively and how he completely bolstered the Warriors while being inserted within the starting line-up created a perfect storm. Watch the series and watch the games and don't forget about how well his passing/playmaking was too.
Because he's another scorer/shooter you idiot. He's a great player that played well, of course he's going to improve it over other bench players. Or space the floor over centers. GPII does that right now, so does Otto in the right lineups. Does that mean that the offense improving with them vs Denver for example over Looney makes them an MVP level player for the series? :lol

I never said stopping Lebron was easy or the easiest job in the world. Lebron shot worse with Iggy on him than not by some distance, but Lebron shot like garbage that entire PS run, and he had series when he shot even worse even with more help than he had in the finals. I don't have to pick extremes, Iggy was amazing in the final and a great reason why Warriors won. But you or anyone else that thinks that he was better and more impactful than Steph is a moron. Point blank. If you remove Steph from that 15 team, they get swept. If they remove Iggy, you get 7 games toss-em series. The storm itself is simple, they packed the paint and when you removed the center they had to open up. This wasn't because he was magical, you can't even describe what he offered. Dude scored open 3s and easy layup/dunks for most of his points (he did really well).

[eliteballer]

Speaking of Lowe, does anyone remember when he was on Bill Simmon's podcast when Simmons started hinting at LeBron's roid usage?

https://www.facebook.com/UPROXX/posts/did-espns-bill-simmons-insinuate-that-lebron-james-took-a-steroid-vacation-when-/10153109639346337/