2019 NBA Mvp Candidates

[usagre2]

For me historically top 5 in MVP voting is the best indicator of the greatest players of all time.
It’s more accurate than first team all NBA because it doesn’t discriminate based on position.
To be on this list you obviously need to put up the numbers but team performance is weighed heavily.
This year thus far I think the top 5 is clear, the only debate is how you rank them. Here’s my order.

#1 Giannis
#2 Kawhi Leonard
#3 Nikola Jokic
#4 James Harden
#5 Paul George

 

[Tevfik19072]

1 Kawhi
2 Harden
3 Antetokounmpo
4 Paul
5 Curry
6 Jokic
7 Lebron
8 Davis
9 Lillard
10 Embiid

 

[Tevfik19072]

Clutch game winner at the end.

 

[happypepss2]

My Top 5 2019 NBA MVP

1.Stephen Curry
2..Kawhi Leonard
3..Paul George
4.Giannis Antekoumpo
5.Lebron James

 

[happypepss2]

My Top 5 2019 NBA MVP

1.Stephen Curry
2..Kawhi Leonard
3..Paul George
4.Giannis Antekoumpo
5.Lebron James

 

[Efesdxb2]

#1 James Harden
#2 Paul George
#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
#4 Kawhi Leonard
#5 Nikola Jokiç
#6 Stephen Curry
#7 Joel Embiid

 

[Prancūzėlis_ZLD2]

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
#2 Nikola Jokić
#3 Paul George
#4 Stephen Curry
#5 James Harden
#6 Kawhi Leonard
#7 LeBron James
#8 Kevin Durant
#9 Joel Embiid
#10 Damian Lillard

 

[usagre2]

6 weeks after I started this thread it’s still the same top 4 guys in the conversation. You can throw out Paul George now since his team has collapsed. For me nothing has changed and I would still vote them in the same order:

1- Giannis
2- Kawhi
3- Jokic
4- Harden

But if I had to guess how the actual vote will play out, I think Giannis still wins but Harden might be runner up.

 

[Efesdxb2]

#1 James Harden
#2 Paul George
#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
#4 Kawhi Leonard
#5 Nikola Jokiç
#6 Stephen Curry
#7 Joel Embiid

I will change Paul George to number 5. Rest will remain same.

 

[Levenspiel2]

Are you guys following the MVP debate right now in the media? two camps are battling each other out in tv shows: Harden vs Giannis

For me, the MVP should be clearly Giannis. the best player on the best team (recordwise) in the league, crazy combination of offensive and defensive stats.

Harden has been putting some phenomenal offensive numbers, consistently over a long period of time, yes, but I don't get the argument that his team is worse, so he makes more difference. is his team really worse? is it Giannis's fault if they look worse? isn't it to Giannis credit that his teammates look better on the Bucks?

 

[usagre2]

Giannis will win and it won’t be that close.

Harden 2nd
Kawhi 3rd
Jokic. 4th
Lillard 5th

That’s how it’s gonna end up.

 

[Straight forward2]

Personally I'm disgust how American locals (most of them) favours Harden and not Giannis. Some just pretend defence doesn't exist to make Harden MVP. Harden is scoring with an ease, but Giannis was phenomenal at both ends all season long. Americans should stop pretending it's their local league. International player is the best player in the league right now and such as Stephen A. should stop with his ass licking to Lebron and other American super stars. Giannis is the MVP, simple. You can't compete when you're a tissue at D.

Respect to Pipen and Shaq though. They support Giannis.

 

[usagre2]

@ StraightForward. I think you are reaching on this one. I don’t know who the “American locals” are but this is all in your head. There will be no discrimination based on ethnicity and there’s never been one either. When non Americans deserve awards they get them. Nash, Nowitzki Parker, Stojakovic it doesn’t matter. This one’s in your head. Harden is clearly second and has led his team to great record. Giannis will win it and like I said it won’t be as close as you think.

 

[usagre2]

Being a “tissue” on defense hasn’t prevented others from being MVP. See back to back winner Steve Nash.

 

[Straight forward2]

@ StraightForward. I think you are reaching on this one. I don’t know who the “American locals” are but this is all in your head. There will be no discrimination based on ethnicity and there’s never been one either. When non Americans deserve awards they get them. Nash, Nowitzki Parker, Stojakovic it doesn’t matter. This one’s in your head. Harden is clearly second and has led his team to great record. Giannis will win it and like I said it won’t be as close as you think.

I'm talking about most influential reporters or journalists. Stephen A., Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe all support Harden. I've noticed how little credit Giannis got while putting funny nubers while Lebron's and Lakers every fart was discussed daily. I know it might simply be about trending and viewing ratings, but most guys including Barkley and K. Smith (actually all crew) in NBA inside had very calm voice when they spoke about Giannis for a long time and they never stopped longer discussing Giannis, at least he never burned as many seconds of live shows as other super stars, even when it was more than obvious he's taking over as the best basketball player in the planet. Now that he's destroying NBA and putting number that only 2 players in NBA ever did, people start talking about him, bet still Harden takes an edge even if it's not even close. Harden is a joke at D, literally. My point is, there still is a tendency to be bias by those fellow, they support their guys, it's a tiny thing, but it exists, IMO.

 

[Straight forward2]

Being a “tissue” on defense hasn’t prevented others from being MVP. See back to back winner Steve Nash.

Was he that useless as Harden?

 

[usagre2]

Those reporters you mentioned have exposure but are generally considered clowns here in the Us. Nobody really takes them serious. Most people don’t even watch that stuff because they know it’s about making outrageous statements every day in order to sustain a show. How can there be a major story to discuss every single day ? There isn’t. They just create them. Espn in general is pretty much mocked for its content by everyone I know. You mention Lebron getting his ass licked but he has been knocked as a choker and if you survey those shows you referenced he is hated as much as his is liked.
In my 35 years of watching the NBA everyone has gotten ripped from Magic Johnson (Tragic Johnson ‘84 Finals), even Kareem. Only one guy has gotten a free pass and it was Jordan. His coverage was absolutely disgusting. If you went by media accounts and many younger fans do you would think he was perfect and never had a bad game. He had some atrocious playoff games. And during those broadcasts the company line was “Michael doesn’t have energy today”. It was nauseating to hear. They could never just say he stinks today.

But back to the main point sure some discriminate and favor offense over defense and overall play, but it’s not because of ethnicity. Giannis will win because his team has the wins and he has the numbers. Harden will finish second because his offensive season has been historic.

 

[usagre2]

Was he that useless as Harden?

Absolutely. But he was a great point guard that ran the leagues best offense. And he was an extremely efficient scorer.
I think he deserved his two awards. Definitely the second one because Amare Stoudemire was out basically the whole year but Phoenix didn’t miss a beat. That solidified Nash as a great. His first MVP the previous year was a close battle with Shaq that could have went either way. Both joined new teams and led them to the best records. But Nash a relatively unknown compared to Shaq actually beat him out for the award.

 

[Straight forward2]

Those reporters you mentioned have exposure but are generally considered clowns here in the Us. Nobody really takes them serious. Most people don’t even watch that stuff because they know it’s about making outrageous statements every day in order to sustain a show. How can there be a major story to discuss every single day ? There isn’t. They just create them. Espn in general is pretty much mocked for its content by everyone I know. You mention Lebron getting his ass licked but he has been knocked as a choker and if you survey those shows you referenced he is hated as much as his is liked.
In my 35 years of watching the NBA everyone has gotten ripped from Magic Johnson (Tragic Johnson ‘84 Finals), even Kareem. Only one guy has gotten a free pass and it was Jordan. His coverage was absolutely disgusting. If you went by media accounts and many younger fans do you would think he was perfect and never had a bad game. He had some atrocious playoff games. And during those broadcasts the company line was “Michael doesn’t have energy today”. It was nauseating to hear. They could never just say he stinks today.

But back to the main point sure some discriminate and favor offense over defense and overall play, but it’s not because of ethnicity. Giannis will win because his team has the wins and he has the numbers. Harden will finish second because his offensive season has been historic.

I do agree with most of what you say (other than that those reporters are not clowns per se, they do making a show, but at the same time they understand BB and make good points as well), but I disagree with your opinion that it surely doesn't have anything to do with ethnicity. It's not like nationalism is dead in USA. It's exists. Giannis comes from somewhere and he outshines "our" Lebron, Curry, Harden, Durrant, Davis? That sucks. They can't say it openly, but from their tone you can hear that. Political correctness has a long history now in USA, but de facto I'm pretty sure most of them want Lebron or Zion or any other American to be the KING of the hood. I think your statement about Jordan also support my point. USA society needs an American super hero. In 80's it was Bird, in 90's Jordan, 00's Kobe, 10's Lebron (sure, Jordan had an exceptional treatment because I think he still was the best of all of them, and he had everything to be admired globally, personality wise also). Nash and Dirk never was in Giannis shoes...he's taking over as the generational talent and the best BB player in the world. It's not like he's sneaking for one or two MVPs, he might be the next best basketball player for a long time and...he's not American...

 

[usagre2]

Yes but Dirk and Nash were a cut below those guys you mentioned. Great players but not on that level.
As for Giannis he hasn’t won a playoff series in his career so in a way he is sneaking up. As Walt Frazier used to say, “in the regular season you make your name and in the playoffs you make your fame”.

Giannis will be the test case for your argument. Because like I said Nowitzki and Nash and other non American greats were not the best of the best. I am talking top 10-15 all time. If Giannis wins titles and MVP’s you will see that he will get all his due. But as of now he still has to do it. I think he has the ability and he will dominate the league at some point.