Kobe Bryant wins 2007-2008 NBA MVP

[gregodensbedpan]

truth be told, i would laugh the previous years when people said kobe should be mvp on the sheer basis of his massive scoring outputs - the 81, 60+ games.
dude finally earned the trophy this year by making his teammates better. well deserved, congrats.

would've loved to see co-mvp's in paul and kobe, but meh.. what can you do.

 

[dland24]

I see all these "I wish it would have been Paul," "it should have been Paul," or "good pick either way" responses, but I have yetto see a valid reason as to why Paul should have won it.

I guess thats why he didnt win......Much deserved Kobe. Congrats.

 

[baby dill]

21/11.6/1.7 per. Come on.

Add to that. Tyson Chandler SUCKED without CP. David West is damn good, but I'd say CP is helping him to some easy baskets. Stojakavic was on ghost modeuntil CP. He makes his team better, which is what an MVP is supposed to do.

BUT....

Kobe is putting up 28/6/5 and is the ONE seed in the West (a big reason he got it imo). Anybody who thinks the Lakers are a top 4 seed in this years WestWITHOUT him is blind. Same goes for CP. It was a close call. I hate the Hornets more than the Lakers so I'm fine with it, but CP has completely turned thatteam around. One thing I don't get is how LB can put up roughly 30/8/7 and not even be mentioned. I know he's a 4 seed in the east, but damn.That's just insane numbers to be AVERAGING and not even get a look.

 

[marsiv]

LB can put up roughly 30/8/7 and not even be mentioned. I know he's a 4 seed in the east, but damn. That's just insane numbers to be AVERAGING and not even get a look.

Because Kobe put up 35/6/5, 2 years ago and had the same record in the WEST and wasnt in the conversation. The Cavs record is why.

 

[darthska]

dland24:

---

I see all these "I wish it would have been Paul," "it should have been Paul," or "good pick either way" responses, but I have yet to see a valid reason as to why Paul should have won it.
#1:

dland24:

---

21/11.6/1.7
Those are hefty numbers, man.

#2: No playoffs last year; #2 seed in the West this year. And I'm about 80% positive that the Hornets lead the West more days than anyone else this year.Basically, #2 is that he is successfully filling the 'face of the franchise' tag that is thrown on so many players at young ages.

 

[ondareal]

Well deserved Kobe!! I can't wait to be there when they hand you the trophy!! Haters stay hating, pathetic fools!!

 

[dearwinter219]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

dland24:

---

I see all these "I wish it would have been Paul," "it should have been Paul," or "good pick either way" responses, but I have yet to see a valid reason as to why Paul should have won it.

#1:

dland24:

---

21/11.6/1.7
Those are hefty numbers, man.

#2: No playoffs last year; #2 seed in the West this year. And I'm about 80% positive that the Hornets lead the West more days than anyone else this year. Basically, #2 is that he is successfully filling the 'face of the franchise' tag that is thrown on so many players at young ages.

#3. He gets that 11.6 on an AVERAGE night. On a good night, he can get that 11.6 in one HALF. Do they know what that means for the Hornets as a team?CP3, on AVERAGE, creates at least 45 points a night -- probably closer to 50+ if you factor in a few drive-kick threes or drive-dump "and one" playsto West or Chandler. Once again, this is not on one of those "rise to the occasion and takeover" nights. This is on AVERAGE. That pretty much defines"Making your team better" and no one does it better than CP3, given his role and responsibilities. Every single night, it's ALL on CP3. If hedoesn't do those ridiculous numbers, nobody does numbers and the hornets suffer. See, Kobe can do 25 and 5 and win. He has a cast of supportersnow. CP3 is the lone heart and soul of that organization.

But he still didn't deserve it over Kobe.

 

[dland24]

I understand ALL those points, and yet personally, I still dont find them to be valid reasons.


1- He DIDNT turn the franchise around. They barely missed the playoffs last year with Peja missing basically the entire season and David West missing half.Sure Chris Paul is amazing and is one of the best players in the NBA, but them making the playoffs this year and missing them last year has more to do with theteam's health than Chris Paul......yet no one seems to ever bring this up.



2-Kobe did NOT have the supporting cast all year that people claim he did. Gasol played 27 games with the Lakers this year. Bynum missed half the season. Arizamissed most of the season. Fisher was hurt for a while. I guarentee you that if the Hornets were rattled with injuries this year, they would not have been atthe top of the West all season like the Lakers were. The Lakers were the 2 seed before Gasol got there. And without him, the Lakers supporting cast was not allthat great. They had no other all star like Paul had. They had no dead eye three point shooter like Paul had. The supporting role argument is a joke.



3- Most people mistake steals with playing great defense. Chris Paul is a playmaker that takes chances on defense. But he is not a great on ball defender. Justbecause Paul steals the ball a lot does not mean he is a great defensive player. Monta Ellis steals the ball a lot, and he couldnt guard a statue. Kobetypically guards the other team's best offensive player, and is the man you want on the ball during crunch time.



4- I know this is a little off topic, but point guards should NOT be rewarded for doing things they are supposed to do. Point guards are SUPPOSED to have tonsof assists. There was a stretch of SEVEN years where John Stockton averaged 12.3 assists or more (up to 14.5). During those years he also averaged at least 15points a game and well over 2 steals a game. Where was his MVP award? I dont know this for certain, but I am pretty sure he was never even in the running.



Please dont mistake all this as hate for Chris Paul, because its not. I think he is extremely talented and the best point guard in the NBA. But I just dont
get it. If it wasnt for the feel good story of the Hornets I dont think YOU would think he is an MVP either.

 

[dyyhard]

I agree both deserved it this year...

Last year without Peja (17 games played), they were a sub .500 team.
This year they were 3-2 without Peja with that 1 of those 3 wins against an above .500 team. If they don't have Peja, they're still a borderline .500team and 2 of those losses this year during that stretch while he was out was against the Blazers and Nuggets. Yes, CP3 is the heart and soul of the team, butPeja healthy as a deep threat is an integral part to the Hornets' success - without him, they don't "go" either. West and Chandler'sgames have improved too...

Same goes with Kobe and the Lakers....with their skill sets, both will be in MVP candidates year in year out, the significant factors are their teammates.
Now if Bynum is healthy next year, the Lakers' record will be drastically improved, and Kobe will win it again, this time it could be based on the betterteam record.

 

[kuruptygotti]

Is it me or it does not make sense when a team can have a coach of the year and an mvp. It says that the coach made the team better and the mvp did. When Nashand D Antoni got it years back I was confused because how can you say Nash carried the team when the award said the coach did? Basically this season they gavethe credit to Scott that makes sense because he runs his offense through his point guards. If Scott didnt get Coach of the year then Id say Paul should havegotten MVP because it had to be the coach or a player that rocketed that franchise.

 

[ballinboykz]

I remember watching the Mavs and Hornets game 5, and there was a stat on the TV, showing who has the most production team-wise with their averages, includingassists. Chris Paul was number 1 with producing 45.8 points per for his team, and second was... I think Kobe at 38. I could be wrong. But still. to have 46points run through one player, is outstanding.

I just thought might as well add that to discussion. I still believe Kobe deserved the MVP, but if Chris won I wouldnt have been opposed to the idea.

 

[dland24]

I would also LOVE to know how everyone thinks David West and Tyson Chandler have "improved" so dramatically and give Chris Paul the credit for thisimprovement. David West didnt improve that much....its just most people didnt even know who he was before. He was really underrated, and now he is getting thecredit he deserves. He didnt improve much. He stayed healthy. He is averaging 2 points a game more than he did last year with similar stats across the boardeverywhere else. The same goes for Tyson. 2 points a game more than last year. And LESS rebounds.

So NT, where is the improvement???

 

[dyyhard]

So NT, where is the improvement???

i would say Chandler's improvement happened over the summer, at his age, if you're playing and practicing against the best with USA basketball, andyou're NOT a better player after that, there is something wrong with him. His numbers may have fallen a bit, but the experience he's gained isinvaluable to a guy who started off in Chicago and those numbers may have dropped bc he hasn't had much rest as well.

 

[franchise3]

Originally Posted by dland24

I understand ALL those points, and yet personally, I still dont find them to be valid reasons.


1- He DIDNT turn the franchise around. They barely missed the playoffs last year with Peja missing basically the entire season and David West missing half. Sure Chris Paul is amazing and is one of the best players in the NBA, but them making the playoffs this year and missing them last year has more to do with the team's health than Chris Paul......yet no one seems to ever bring this up.



2-Kobe did NOT have the supporting cast all year that people claim he did. Gasol played 27 games with the Lakers this year. Bynum missed half the season. Ariza missed most of the season. Fisher was hurt for a while. I guarentee you that if the Hornets were rattled with injuries this year, they would not have been at the top of the West all season like the Lakers were. The Lakers were the 2 seed before Gasol got there. And without him, the Lakers supporting cast was not all that great. They had no other all star like Paul had. They had no dead eye three point shooter like Paul had. The supporting role argument is a joke.



3- Most people mistake steals with playing great defense. Chris Paul is a playmaker that takes chances on defense. But he is not a great on ball defender. Just because Paul steals the ball a lot does not mean he is a great defensive player. Monta Ellis steals the ball a lot, and he couldnt guard a statue. Kobe typically guards the other team's best offensive player, and is the man you want on the ball during crunch time.



4- I know this is a little off topic, but point guards should NOT be rewarded for doing things they are supposed to do. Point guards are SUPPOSED to have tons of assists. There was a stretch of SEVEN years where John Stockton averaged 12.3 assists or more (up to 14.5). During those years he also averaged at least 15 points a game and well over 2 steals a game. Where was his MVP award? I dont know this for certain, but I am pretty sure he was never even in the running.



Please dont mistake all this as hate for Chris Paul, because its not. I think he is extremely talented and the best point guard in the NBA. But I just dont
get it. If it wasnt for the feel good story of the Hornets I dont think YOU would think he is an MVP either.

The reason why Kobe got the MVP vote was two fold.

1. The Lakers got the #1 seed out West.
2. A LOT of people took him not winning before, into account this year, and applied the 'due' factor.

As for your points:

1. You must not watch Hornets games. Yes, the Hornets had injuries last season, but NOBODY realistically thought they'd be THIS good. #2 out West. You'd be out of your mind if you thought the Hornets would finish ahead of teams like the Suns, Spurs, Mavericks, Houston, even LA before the seasonstarted. Or even Golden State. Out of your mind. Plus, if you DO watch Hornets games, CP3 is a monster. He's the MAIN reason WHY the Hornets are sosuccesful. He's borderline unstoppable. Tyson Chandler was a bum when he was in Chi-Town. Now? Playing the pick and roll with CP3, he gets his. Tysondoesn't have any sort of offensive game, really. CP3 and Chandler lead the league in alleyoops. They're far away ahead of the next duo, Turk andDwight. That's all because of CP3. This year, David West turns out to be an All-Star. Again, a lot of it has to do with CP3. Peja, healthy, hit likethe second most 3pt shots in his CAREER this year. Again, a lot of it has to do with CP3. Then you add in CP3's stats this year, him leading the leaguein steals, his team ending up finishing #2, then you have CP3, a viable MVP candidate.

2.

I love how Lakers fans ALWAYS downplay their team's depth. They always act like Kobe had nothing to work with this whole season. Let's be real, BEFORE this season started, everybody in the basketball world thoughtthe Lakers were bums, outside of Kobe. Lakers fans included. KOBE INCLUDED. Kobe didn't see any hope with this Lakers bunch. Why? Because he playedwith practically the EXACT same bunch from LAST YEAR. What happened last year? Kobe had to do everything himself. That's why he came out in theoffseason saying he wanted to be dealt. He was frustrated that the front office wouldn't help him out. He heard all the rumors, just like how all of NTheard all the rumors. The Lakers could have gotten Kidd or Jermaine, had they parted with Bynum. But, Kupcake didn't do it. Everybody was

. Bynum goes to the big man's camp in the offseason, and whathappens? Dude starts beasting. Now, the kid Bynum is untouchable tradewise. Sasha Vulacickkakadkfk all of a sudden, in a span of one season, becomes THEMACHINE. Farmar continued his improvement. Luke Walton, a key piece in the 06-07 season, didn't need to be leaned on as hard in the 07-08 season, becauseof Turiaf and Vlad were playing well ahead of him. I'll be honest, and Peja is one of the best 3point shooters in the game. This is fact. But, let'sbe real. A team of Sasha, Vlad, DFish, Farmar and Luke Walton behind the arc is not too shabby in itself. Some people always bring up the big names of West,Chandler and Peja, and while they are bigger names then the Lakers team, overall, the Lakers team has way more DEPTH than the Hornets team. Everybody on thatLakers team started to click at the right moment. As a result, they became the 4th highest scoring team in the league. And no, it's not all because Kobe.

3. You can talk about stats, steals, defense, whatever, but what CP3 did this season is still amazing. Before the season started, if one was to make a threadasking who's the best PG in the game today, half of NT would say Kidd. The other half would say Nash. Then there'd be a few saying Deron. Now? After this season, and in the playoffs so far, CP3 has catapulted himself into that top tier PG class. Now, if you were to say CP3 is the best PG in the game,a lot of people would agree with you. Had you said that before the season started, a lot of people would have laughed at you.

4.

That's as stupid as saying shooting guards shouldn'tbe awarded for scoring points. That's what they're supposed to do. Shoot. I mean, they are SHOOTING guards, right? As for the whole Stockton thing,Stockton was beasting back in the day, but you have to keep in mind, in that era, some of the best players to ever play the game were playing. Mainly,somebody who went by the name of MJ.

To conclude, I'm a Kobe fan myself. I like how dude put his head down, and went to work this season, instead of being a distraction. He said what hesaid, but once the season started, he just laced 'em up and played. As a result, he found that his teammates were actually worthwhile, and they couldplay. People say that Kobe became a leader this season, and that he conformed his game, but I don't think so, really. You check his stats all across theboard from last year to this year, and it's pretty much the same. The difference I note is that his teammates actually hit shots, and now Kobe doesn'tfeel like he has to put this team on his back and do it all himself. He can make the pass to Sasha, and let him shoot. He could throw it into the post toBynum (when he was healthy) and let him do his thing. As a result of his teammates, the Lakers got the #1 seed, and was the 4th highest scoring team in theleague. I always thought myself, whoever finished first in the standings, should get it, as, BOTH Kobe and CP3 had GREAT seasons.

As a result, the Lakers got #1, Kobe got the MVP award.

Well deserved.

 

[lalakerfan213]

 

[da doc03]

Originally Posted by BullsRepeat3Peat

how the hell can you guys take a bunch of trolls so seriously...

i was thinking the same damn thing

 

[da doc03]

Originally Posted by franchise3

Originally Posted by dland24

I understand ALL those points, and yet personally, I still dont find them to be valid reasons.


1- He DIDNT turn the franchise around. They barely missed the playoffs last year with Peja missing basically the entire season and David West missing half. Sure Chris Paul is amazing and is one of the best players in the NBA, but them making the playoffs this year and missing them last year has more to do with the team's health than Chris Paul......yet no one seems to ever bring this up.



2-Kobe did NOT have the supporting cast all year that people claim he did. Gasol played 27 games with the Lakers this year. Bynum missed half the season. Ariza missed most of the season. Fisher was hurt for a while. I guarentee you that if the Hornets were rattled with injuries this year, they would not have been at the top of the West all season like the Lakers were. The Lakers were the 2 seed before Gasol got there. And without him, the Lakers supporting cast was not all that great. They had no other all star like Paul had. They had no dead eye three point shooter like Paul had. The supporting role argument is a joke.



3- Most people mistake steals with playing great defense. Chris Paul is a playmaker that takes chances on defense. But he is not a great on ball defender. Just because Paul steals the ball a lot does not mean he is a great defensive player. Monta Ellis steals the ball a lot, and he couldnt guard a statue. Kobe typically guards the other team's best offensive player, and is the man you want on the ball during crunch time.



4- I know this is a little off topic, but point guards should NOT be rewarded for doing things they are supposed to do. Point guards are SUPPOSED to have tons of assists. There was a stretch of SEVEN years where John Stockton averaged 12.3 assists or more (up to 14.5). During those years he also averaged at least 15 points a game and well over 2 steals a game. Where was his MVP award? I dont know this for certain, but I am pretty sure he was never even in the running.



Please dont mistake all this as hate for Chris Paul, because its not. I think he is extremely talented and the best point guard in the NBA. But I just dont
get it. If it wasnt for the feel good story of the Hornets I dont think YOU would think he is an MVP either.

The reason why Kobe got the MVP vote was two fold.

1. The Lakers got the #1 seed out West.
2. A LOT of people took him not winning before, into account this year, and applied the 'due' factor.

As for your points:

1. You must not watch Hornets games. Yes, the Hornets had injuries last season, but NOBODY realistically thought they'd be THIS good. #2 out West. You'd be out of your mind if you thought the Hornets would finish ahead of teams like the Suns, Spurs, Mavericks, Houston, even LA before the season started. Or even Golden State. Out of your mind. Plus, if you DO watch Hornets games, CP3 is a monster. He's the MAIN reason WHY the Hornets are so succesful. He's borderline unstoppable. Tyson Chandler was a bum when he was in Chi-Town. Now? Playing the pick and roll with CP3, he gets his. Tyson doesn't have any sort of offensive game, really. CP3 and Chandler lead the league in alleyoops. They're far away ahead of the next duo, Turk and Dwight. That's all because of CP3. This year, David West turns out to be an All-Star. Again, a lot of it has to do with CP3. Peja, healthy, hit like the second most 3pt shots in his CAREER this year. Again, a lot of it has to do with CP3. Then you add in CP3's stats this year, him leading the league in steals, his team ending up finishing #2, then you have CP3, a viable MVP candidate.

2.

I love how Lakers fans ALWAYS downplay their team's depth. They always act like Kobe had nothing to work with this whole season. Let's be real, BEFORE this season started, everybody in the basketball world thought the Lakers were bums, outside of Kobe. Lakers fans included. KOBE INCLUDED. Kobe didn't see any hope with this Lakers bunch. Why? Because he played with practically the EXACT same bunch from LAST YEAR. What happened last year? Kobe had to do everything himself. That's why he came out in the offseason saying he wanted to be dealt. He was frustrated that the front office wouldn't help him out. He heard all the rumors, just like how all of NT heard all the rumors. The Lakers could have gotten Kidd or Jermaine, had they parted with Bynum. But, Kupcake didn't do it. Everybody was

. Bynum goes to the big man's camp in the offseason, and what happens? Dude starts beasting. Now, the kid Bynum is untouchable tradewise. Sasha Vulacickkakadkfk all of a sudden, in a span of one season, becomes THE MACHINE. Farmar continued his improvement. Luke Walton, a key piece in the 06-07 season, didn't need to be leaned on as hard in the 07-08 season, because of Turiaf and Vlad were playing well ahead of him. I'll be honest, and Peja is one of the best 3point shooters in the game. This is fact. But, let's be real. A team of Sasha, Vlad, DFish, Farmar and Luke Walton behind the arc is not too shabby in itself. Some people always bring up the big names of West, Chandler and Peja, and while they are bigger names then the Lakers team, overall, the Lakers team has way more DEPTH than the Hornets team. Everybody on that Lakers team started to click at the right moment. As a result, they became the 4th highest scoring team in the league. And no, it's not all because Kobe.

3. You can talk about stats, steals, defense, whatever, but what CP3 did this season is still amazing. Before the season started, if one was to make a thread asking who's the best PG in the game today, half of NT would say Kidd. The other half would say Nash. Then there'd be a few saying Deron. Now? After this season, and in the playoffs so far, CP3 has catapulted himself into that top tier PG class. Now, if you were to say CP3 is the best PG in the game, a lot of people would agree with you. Had you said that before the season started, a lot of people would have laughed at you.

4.

That's as stupid as saying shooting guards shouldn't be awarded for scoring points. That's what they're supposed to do. Shoot. I mean, they are SHOOTING guards, right? As for the whole Stockton thing, Stockton was beasting back in the day, but you have to keep in mind, in that era, some of the best players to ever play the game were playing. Mainly, somebody who went by the name of MJ.

To conclude, I'm a Kobe fan myself. I like how dude put his head down, and went to work this season, instead of being a distraction. He said what he said, but once the season started, he just laced 'em up and played. As a result, he found that his teammates were actually worthwhile, and they could play. People say that Kobe became a leader this season, and that he conformed his game, but I don't think so, really. You check his stats all across the board from last year to this year, and it's pretty much the same. The difference I note is that his teammates actually hit shots, and now Kobe doesn't feel like he has to put this team on his back and do it all himself. He can make the pass to Sasha, and let him shoot. He could throw it into the post to Bynum (when he was healthy) and let him do his thing. As a result of his teammates, the Lakers got the #1 seed, and was the 4th highest scoring team in the league. I always thought myself, whoever finished first in the standings, should get it, as, BOTH Kobe and CP3 had GREAT seasons.

As a result, the Lakers got #1, Kobe got the MVP award.

Well deserved.

I agree.. he also has been taking less shots..... he defintely earned it this season..... props to Kobe

 

[darthska]

dland24:

---

4- I know this is a little off topic, but point guards should NOT be rewarded for doing things they are supposed to do. Point guards are SUPPOSED to have tons of assists. There was a stretch of SEVEN years where John Stockton averaged 12.3 assists or more (up to 14.5). During those years he also averaged at least 15 points a game and well over 2 steals a game. Where was his MVP award? I dont know this for certain, but I am pretty sure he was never even in the running.
By that logic, we shouldn't praise Kobe for his scoring outputs, Paul for his assist numbers, or Howard for his impressive rebounding. So whatif Paul gets 20 assists? He's SUPPOSED to! So what if Kobe scores 65? He's SUPPOSED to! So what if Howard grabs 20 boards? He's SUPPOSED to!

Right?

We should be praising Paul if he were to get 65, or if he were to get 20 boards; his assist numbers are meaningless.

We should be praising Kobe if he gets 20 assists, or if he were to get 20 boards; his scoring numbers are meaningless.

We should be praising Howard if he gets 65, or if he were to get 20 assists; his rebounding numbers are meaningless.

That's terrible.

And Stockton's numbers in today's game WOULD earn him an MVP. He didn't get them back then because he wasn't more valuable to the league thanMichael, Malone, Barkley, or Hakeem.

 

[dearwinter219]

^Wow, you actually entertained that comment huh? I guess... I just read it and "

"

 

[75 partly cloudy]

Originally Posted by grittyman20


Expert Picks
[table][tr][td]ANALYST[/td] [td]PREDICTION[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

J.A. Adande
ESPN.com
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 9 Right now they're the wildest card in the deck. With Kobe Bryant they could squeeze into one of the last playoff spots. Without him they're lottery bound. Lamar Odom would become their best player by default, and he's played more than 64 games only once in three years as a Laker.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Greg Anthony
ESPN.com[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 8 The cloud hangs over L.A. no matter what happens with Kobe. If he leaves, there's an adjustment period for the new players. If he stays, the question of if, and when, he will be traded will linger. Tough times.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Jon
Barry
ESPN.com
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 10 Quite miraculous they made playoffs last year. Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom are not a good tandem -- both are terrific individually -- but sometimes it just doesn't work together. I saw no improvement with Andrew Bynum throughout the year.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Chris
Broussard
ESPN Mag
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 9 If Kobe remains, he still won't be enough to get this crew into the playoffs. Injuries are a problem again, and team chemistry is -- and always will be -- horrible. The good news? Maybe a "to-heck-with-it'' Kobe will entertain us with another 81, or more.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Ric
Bucher
ESPN Mag
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 8 It hurts to see such a proud franchise be reactive, not proactive. Patching it up with Kobe was never going to happen, making the draft the time to trade him. Now they have to make a face-saving deal. Meanwhile, a season is wasted.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Chad
Ford
ESPN.com
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 9 If Kobe is happy and motivated, the Lakers are probably in line for the seventh seed. But if the melancholy Kobe we've seen in the preseason shows up, the Lakers will be in trouble. Kobe being halfhearted might be the final straw that gets him traded.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Jemele
Hill
ESPN.com
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 7 Assuming Kobe is still there, the Lakers will be wonderfully mediocre. Thankfully the Smush Parker era is over, but their frontcourt is still an eyesore. Let's see if Kobe makes it to midseason without taking out his frustration on someone.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

John
Hollinger
ESPN.com
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 7 This prediction obviously assumes Kobe stays here all season, which is still where the smart money lies in my estimation. If not, revise this downward by 15 wins or so.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Chris
Sheridan
ESPN.com
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 9 With or without Kobe, they're no better than a 44-win team. They should be a terrific soap opera, however, so don't fall asleep on them. The clock is ticking on the next Kobe eruption.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

Marc
Stein ESPN.com
[/td] [td]PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 8 You have to believe that Kobe, after everything that was said in the offseason, is going to play with a chip on his shoulder so big that every other Laker can hop aboard. But it takes some serious faith to believe that Kobe and his chip will be Laker property for the whole season.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[/td] [td]TOTAL PACIFIC: 2.6 | Standings WEST: 8.4 | Standings[/td] [/tr][/table]

Jon Berry is so home-o.

 

[lalakerfan213]

Those were some %!%%++ up predictions.

I don't blame them though because of the way we entered the season.

 

[allen3xis]

Originally Posted by dland24

I would also LOVE to know how everyone thinks David West and Tyson Chandler have "improved" so dramatically and give Chris Paul the credit for this improvement. David West didnt improve that much....its just most people didnt even know who he was before. He was really underrated, and now he is getting the credit he deserves. He didnt improve much. He stayed healthy. He is averaging 2 points a game more than he did last year with similar stats across the board everywhere else. The same goes for Tyson. 2 points a game more than last year. And LESS rebounds.

So NT, where is the improvement???

Not speaking on this year...

But look what happened once they started to play with Chris Paul..

 

[messiahchild]

He DIDNT turn the franchise around. They barely missed the playoffs last year with Peja missing basically the entire season and David West missing half. Sure Chris Paul is amazing and is one of the best players in the NBA, but them making the playoffs this year and missing them last year has more to do with the team's health than Chris Paul......yet no one seems to ever bring this up.
Yes, health was the MAIN factor as to why the Hornets was the 2nd seed in the West. Yet, CP is the face of the FRANCHISE and the franchise turnedaround once they drafted him....The Hornets had the biggest win total improvement in the NBA, his rookie year. I guess you can put that on P.J Brown and JRSmith..... His second season was just a Disaster on all accounts, 137 games by West, CP, Peja, B.Jackson, and even Chandler miss games....This season, CPcould've just been status quo and the Hornets would've made the playoffs as a #7/8 seed, but CP just made everyone around him better and by defaulteverybody made him better....
-David West All-Star Game (What a coincidence that David West's minutes, points, rebs, and basically every statistical category increase dramatically thesame year that CP was having a ridiculous rookie season).
-Peja CAREER YEAR from 3 (Mind you, that Peja can't create his own shot anymore, so I guess somebody is passing him the ball)
-Chandler as a threat on offense, at least in the pick and roll game (Byron actually deserves majority of the credit for Chandler development but thats foranother topic).

2-Kobe did NOT have the supporting cast all year that people claim he did. Gasol played 27 games with the Lakers this year. Bynum missed half the season. Ariza missed most of the season. Fisher was hurt for a while. I guarentee you that if the Hornets were rattled with injuries this year, they would not have been at the top of the West all season like the Lakers were. The Lakers were the 2 seed before Gasol got there. And without him, the Lakers supporting cast was not all that great. They had no other all star like Paul had. They had no dead eye three point shooter like Paul had. The supporting role argument is a joke.
Fun Fact: The Lakers was ranked 7th best in the league in terms of bench production at 32.3ppg. The only Western Conference Playoff team ahead ofthem was the Spurs, but they have Ginobili coming off the bench so that doesn't count. The Hornets ranking: 29th. Only Charlotte bench was worst in termsof production. So I guess Kobe really didn't have that great of a supporting cast after all.....

3- Most people mistake steals with playing great defense. Chris Paul is a playmaker that takes chances on defense. But he is not a great on ball defender. Just because Paul steals the ball a lot does not mean he is a great defensive player. Monta Ellis steals the ball a lot, and he couldnt guard a statue. Kobe typically guards the other team's best offensive player, and is the man you want on the ball during crunch time.
I actually agree with you on this point. Paul is better than most, but he is definitely, no way near a Gary Payton.

I know this is a little off topic, but point guards should NOT be rewarded for doing things they are supposed to do. Point guards are SUPPOSED to have tons of assists. There was a stretch of SEVEN years where John Stockton averaged 12.3 assists or more (up to 14.5). During those years he also averaged at least 15 points a game and well over 2 steals a game. Where was his MVP award? I dont know this for certain, but I am pretty sure he was never even in the running.

Here is a qoute from Greg Popovich:

"Chris Paul runs what I call an organized playground offense," he said. "Byron is going to call plays for certain guys to get certain looks,and they do a great job with it.

"But, for a good portion of the time, Chris takes control with the basketball, and he makes a decision. He might dribble it 10 times, he might gothrough three or four screens, but he has an uncanny ability, and spatial awareness, to know where all his teammates are and how to get the ball to them. Atthe same time, he's a hell of a scorer. His decision-making is tremendous. And, with the individual skill that he has to go with it, it just makes himimpossible to handle."

It's more than him getting a ton of assists, he runs that offense as if he was in that system for 10 years....

Even with all these arguments, I can't be mad for Kobe winning. Kobe's has as many justifiable and rational arguments as CP....

 

[dyyhard]

The same goes for Tyson. 2 points a game more than last year. And LESS rebounds.
the hornets are shooting better this year......

 

[cafinest23]

Congratz Kobe! I wouldn't have been mad if they gave it to CP3 because he had a great year with the Hornets.

BTW this award is about 2 years too late