MVP: Rose vs. LeBron

ART -

OK Rubes, let’s get to it. Issue #1: MVP...Rose vs. LeBron

Hats off to the Heat. Since starting 9-8, they have gone 31-8, best record in the last 39, mostly thanks to LeBron playing absurd basketball. But MVP is clearly Rose. VORP this ish. Heat team without Bron is still a 6 seed in the East. Bulls team without Rose, with Booz and Noah missing a combined 54 games, are struggling to make the playoffs behind your Sixers.

RUBES -

First of all, my Sixers are for real, but that’s another subject for another day. 

Take a look at these numbers.  26.2 PPG, 7.2 APG, 7.4 RPG.  LeBron is 2nd in the league in scoring and 13th in assists, to go along with his 7 and a half boards per game.  More impressively, take a look at these numbers, the Heat were 47-35 last year, the Cavs were 61-21.  This year the Heat are 42-16, and the Cavs are 10 AND 47.  Just look how valuable he was to the Cavs.  They drafted him with the #1 overall pick, he brings them to the brink of a championship for 4 years, and now they are back to the #1 overall pick.  The Heat would not be a title contender without LeBron this year, but he takes them from average to championship caliber.  

ART -

Rose is top 10 in both points and assists. That hasn't happened more than 10 times in NBA history. Bron was extremely valuable to the Cavs....last year, and he won MVP last year. Rose was also drafted #1, is the first Bulls all-star since Jordan, completely rejuvenated the 3rd biggest market in the NBA, and made a franchise relevant again. Bron brings a lot to the table for the Heat; scoring, assits, rebounds, and D. Rose brings all that and more. He is the undisputed leader and heart of the Bulls. 

RUBES -

10 times in NBA history? What LeBron's doing hasn't happened more than 5 times in NBA history.  AND he himself may finish top 10 in both points and assists too. 

Talk about making a franchise relevant, the Heat have sold out every game this year at home AND on the road.  They barely had a fan base last season. 

I understand that Wade was the face of the Heat, and Wade was the leader.  LeBron has put an end to all of that.  It's now 100% clear that the Heat are LeBron's team, and if LeBron went to Chicago, the Bulls would be LeBron's team.  Hell, if LeBron went to the Lakers, Kobe would be Scottie Pippen. No other player can do that. 

I understand that the MVP is not about being the best player, it's about being the most valuable player, but it just happens that LeBron is both.  And not only on offense.  The Heat score the 2nd most in the East at 101.9 per game (behind only the Knicks who also give up the most points in the East by far), but the Heat have become a defensive force giving up the 3rd least points in the East, far better defensively than they were in seasons past, and largely due to LeBron's presence.

ART -

Heat with relatively the same team (Shaq vs. Bosh) went to and won the ship in 06. Yes their record and team have improved from last year, but they also have a healthy Wade and inarguably one of the Top 5 PF in the league, in addition to LeBron. Yes they sell out, but AAA is still half empty in the 1st and 4th quarters, even in close games. Bron is the big banana in the league without a doubt, but you said it perfectly, it’s the MVP, not Best Player. Rose means more to the bulls than Bron to the Heat. What kind of season do the bulls have so far without Rose? Boozer and Noah have played together less than 5 games.                                                      

RUBES -

Comparing Shaq to Bosh is like comparing Jordan to Rose.  Shaq was the most dominant player since Jordan.  LeBron is the most dominant player since Shaq.  And the game has changed since the Heat won that championship.  Now it takes more than just 1 superstar and 1 all-star to win a championship.  See Lakers (Kobe, Pau, Odom, Bynum, and Artest), Spurs (Duncan, Parker, Ginolbli, and now Jefferson), and Celtics (Garnett, Allen, Pierce, and Rondo).  Without any 1 of these players, the Lakers and Celtics don't win the past 3 championships.  The Lakers with Kobe, one of the best players in the world, were barely average in between the Shaq era and Pau era.  No team LeBron has ever been on since his 2nd year in the league has been anything less than a title contender.  He is that much more valuable than Kobe was in his prime.  LeBron is all about winning and what is more valuable than that?

ART - 

Before I get into my point…Shaq in 2006 is the Jordan of his era? Shaq that year averaged 20 in 59 games. Without a doubt he was well past his prime of 27.5. So do not tell me that it was wade and Shaq that won the title, especially considering Wade’s performance in the ship. All Wade.

What happens when LeBron is on the bench for the Heat? Wade is on the court, realizes he is a top 5 player in the league and is able to score and carry the team for a stretch. When Rose is on the bench, your best Bulls lineup is CJ Watson, Korver, Deng, Boozer and Noah, and only if Noah and Boozer are healthy at the same time, which has been less than 10% of the year. Rose is simply more valuable to this Bulls squad this year, than Bron is to the Heat this year.

RUBES - 

Before I get into my point… Shaq in 2006 still demanded at least a double team every possession leaving the other players with a 4 on 3 advantage, still got 9.6 rebounds per, and was still a force in the lane on both offense and defense.

But, even with Wade and Bosh, LeBron is still doing things that less than a handful of players have ever done.  If any other player averaged 26, 7, and 7, there would be no question that that player would win MVP no matter who else was on his team.  But, just like Jordan didn’t win MVP every year, when he should have, LeBron wont win MVP every year like he should. 

Ultimately, what is an average year for LeBron is an MVP year for any other player, but LeBron makes MVP caliber play look average because it is average for him, while it would be a career year for anyone else.  LeBron is having a better year, but he has a better year every year and makes it look easy, not MVP worthy.  Rose is having the best year of his career, and it is indeed MVP worthy, but it’s still not as good as an average year out of LeBron. Rose's best year, along with almost every other player in the game, would be LeBron's worst year by far.  LeBron's year after year, consistent greatness diminishes his own perceived value, because we expect this from his, and it is therefore not seen as MVP worthy even though it would be MVP worthy from any other player. 

Which is having an MVP season?  I think the answer is clear: Both.  
Which will win MVP this season? This answer is not as obvious, but there's still a lot basketball left to play.