2013 NBA Season News and Discussion

[Jibjabb]

So could this finally be the year the voters give MVP to Durant instead of Lebron. So far he has lead his team to a better record, scored more points, gotten more rebounds, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers, all while shotting better from 3 and FT. Hes even only slightly behind in Lebrons usually dominant assist numbers (1.7 back). Will the voters get their heads out of the sand and realize who is the more deserving player. We can only hope

[Blueobelisk]

So could this finally be the year the voters give MVP to Durant instead of Lebron. So far he has lead his team to a better record, scored more points, gotten more rebounds, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers, all while shotting better from 3 and FT. Hes even only slightly behind in Lebrons usually dominant assist numbers (1.7 back). Will the voters get their heads out of the sand and realize who is the more deserving player. We can only hope

You obviously didn't see the video above your post.

Lol jk. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Did I say we should start an NBA blog together and get an MVP vote of our own lol?

Kevin Durant won't win. Once LAC stops failing in the clutch Chris Paul will win.

Oh yeah, about LAC. Apparently NBA said Blake Griffin shouldn't have been ejected that one game on Christmas day against GSW.

But back to MVP. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. I don't think they want to give it to Lebron again. Lamarcus Aldridge is getting talk but let's fucking face it, unless Portland wins West seed #1 there's no way that n---- is getting it. Sorry he's not flashy or big named enough. Melo is LOL if someone votes for Melo I'd laugh them in the face. Tony Parker isn't deserving. Well not more than big 3.

OH YEAH. I FORGOT ABOUT THAT PAUL GEORGE GUY.

Here's how I'd rank it right now (by how it would happen, not how I think it should happen) if MVP was being giving today:

LBJ (people aren't shutting the fuck up about his efficiency) > CP3 (guy is getting talked about by every announcer as best PG in a loaded league almost as much as the Knicks get badmouthed) > Paul George (Indiana #1 and is getting hype) > Kevin Durant (OKC is #2 but Russell Westbrook is the man getting all the attention in that team right now. Everyone can just talk about Durant being hungry for a title, when lol f-gs so are CP3, Melo, all of Miami for 3peat, NBA owner who spent $200 mil on a failed team, etc. Calm the fuck down.)

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You guys know that famous bowler who plays the NBA sometimes? Yeah, Bynum is suspended for not going with the team to a game against Boston. Lol.

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Nets lost to Indiana. Knicks lost to Toronto. Such is another day in the NBA.

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The headline video on nba.com is "Pacers manhandle Nets." How fucking embarrassing it that................

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Lebron isn't playing against Portland. I wonder how game will be. If Portland wins I'll take back what I said about them being trash that will get knocked out first round.

I don't remember if I said that before though lol.

[SL1200]

So could this finally be the year the voters give MVP to Durant instead of Lebron. So far he has lead his team to a better record, scored more points, gotten more rebounds, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers, all while shotting better from 3 and FT. Hes even only slightly behind in Lebrons usually dominant assist numbers (1.7 back). Will the voters get their heads out of the sand and realize who is the more deserving player. We can only hope

The more deserving player is Lebron. Deep down inside you know it's true. His numbers... I mean wow those are some good numbers, and he's got the rings too.

[Blueobelisk]

Lol El Plastico. He just said that KD has the better numbers! And you know those rings don't mean anything this season!

I already said what I was gonna say on the topic so yaaaa.

[jreg]

So could this finally be the year the voters give MVP to Durant instead of Lebron. So far he has lead his team to a better record, scored more points, gotten more rebounds, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers, all while shotting better from 3 and FT. Hes even only slightly behind in Lebrons usually dominant assist numbers (1.7 back). Will the voters get their heads out of the sand and realize who is the more deserving player. We can only hope

You mention all the stats Durant trumps him in but fail to mention the degree of which LeBron is beating him in FG%. I don't care where his points are coming from, that massive gap is the reason why LeBron still has the higher WS/48 (by a tiny bit despite losing several categories - usage rate and minutes are another factor too) and a higher PER (whichever stat you use comes down to whether you think MVP is best player on best team/best player or most valuable player to team). And it's not like OKC's record is drastically better either - still early in the season and they have a measly 1.5 game lead.

IMO, it's neck and neck. Winner will probably come down to two things: whoever wins the OKC/Heat games while considering the impact either make in those games, and overall record at the end. However, I would also not sleep on candidates like CP3 or LMA.

EDIT: I have no idea why there's a smiley dude with sunglasses in my post's subject title.

[SL1200]

Lol El Plastico. He just said that KD has the better numbers! And you know those rings don't mean anything this season!

I already said what I was gonna say on the topic so yaaaa.

I know the rings aren't supposed to count. I've always thought they should though. Jordan led the Bulls to six championships and I feel like he was cheated out of a few Mvp trophies. I think it would be best to wait until after the Finals to the mvp voting.

Also Lakers01 brings up the thing about Lebron's game that's most overlooked. He is a really good defender. He does it all, especially in the playoffs.

[Jibjabb]

You mention all the stats Durant trumps him in but fail to mention the degree of which LeBron is beating him in FG%. I don't care where his points are coming from, that massive gap is the reason why LeBron still has the higher WS/48 (by a tiny bit despite losing several categories - usage rate and minutes are another factor too) and a higher PER (whichever stat you use comes down to whether you think MVP is best player on best team/best player or most valuable player to team). And it's not like OKC's record is drastically better either - still early in the season and they have a measly 1.5 game lead.

10.1% FG and 1.7 AST difference in favor of Lebron

Meanwhile Durant has a 11.9% FT, 1.8% 3PT, 1.3 REB, 0.1 TO, 0.1 ST, 0.6 BLK, 2.9 PTS, and a 0.61% team win differential (2.5 games ahead)

I hate when people use irrelevant stats to make their case like PER and win shares but whatever Ill humor you. Lebron has a slightly higher offensive win share at 4.9 (2nd in the NBA) while Durant is 4.6 (3rd in the NBA). But wait whats this, defensive win shares, Durant is ranked 5th of all NBA players and Lebron... isnt listed. Now heres defensive rating of NBA players, Durant is 15th and Lebron... again isnt listed. Durant is also beating him in win shares/WS per 48 anyways.

Not that I give a rats ass about any of those stats. But even they point to Durant being better right now. I just dont get how a guy can play as good as he does, with a worse team, in a better conference, goes out and gets a better record and mostly gets ignored by voters. I think its time people say hey guys this Durant dude is pretty sick, lets give him some credit for once.

And as a side note to how just ridiculous some of these stats are heres a few examples:
Demarcus Cousins has a better PER than Paul George
Jose Calderon has a better offensive rating than Lebron James and Kevin Durant
Kyle Lowry has a higher win share than Lamarcus Aldridge

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I know the rings aren't supposed to count. I've always thought they should though. Jordan led the Bulls to six championships and I feel like he was cheated out of a few Mvp trophies. I think it would be best to wait until after the Finals to the mvp voting.

Theres Finals MVP for that

[jreg]

10.1% FG and 1.7 AST difference in favor of Lebron

Meanwhile Durant has a 11.9% FT, 1.8% 3PT, 1.3 REB, 0.1 TO, 0.1 ST, 0.6 BLK, 2.9 PTS, and a 0.61% team win differential (2.5 games ahead)

The only significant statistical difference is FT% and that has a much lower value than FG%. I also already mentioned the use of win shares/PER to better understand the impact of each stat which leads me to...

I hate when people use irrelevant stats to make their case like PER and win shares but whatever Ill humor you.

Don't be dumb. I already contextualized EXACTLY how those stats are used - PER is best player on best team and win shares is for most valuable player. Win Shares has a significant correlation to team success whereas PER has no correlation whatsoever but it is a good indication of offensive efficiency. Don't call them useless without understanding the proper contexts they must be used in.

Lebron has a slightly higher offensive win share at 4.9 (2nd in the NBA) while Durant is 4.6 (3rd in the NBA). But wait whats this, defensive win shares, Durant is ranked 5th of all NBA players and Lebron... isnt listed. Now heres defensive rating of NBA players, Durant is 15th and Lebron... again isnt listed. Durant is also beating him in win shares/WS per 48 anyways.

Which is why you use WS/48... they both play different minutes and different number of games. For the time being, Durant has a tiny lead.

I just dont get how a guy can play as good as he does, with a worse team, in a better conference, goes out and gets a better record and mostly gets ignored by voters. I think its time people say hey guys this Durant dude is pretty sick, lets give him some credit for once.

Worse team? Are you joking? By every metric, Durant is essentially doing as good (some better, some worse) as LeBron and yet his team has the better record in, as you say, the harder conference. Furthermore, Miami doesn't exactly get to choose their conference do they? Despite that, Miami is 8-1 against the West and 8-1 against 0.500+ teams so it's not like they are bloating their record playing shitty teams.

Furthermore, I already said I believe they are both neck and neck with stipulations for KD winning which I think are more than reasonable and likely. It's not like I'm saying no, he shouldn't win it.

And as a side note to how just ridiculous some of these stats are heres a few examples:
Demarcus Cousins has a better PER than Paul George
Jose Calderon has a better offensive rating than Lebron James and Kevin Durant
Kyle Lowry has a higher win share than Lamarcus Aldridge

Because you have no idea how to interpret or contextualize these stats. First off, PER is a measure of EFFICIENCY, hence the NAME. You make it sound like DeMarcus Cousins is a trash player when he's putting up essentially 23/11 on 50% shooting in only 31(!) minutes. That's a per36 of 26/13, or damn near Kevin Love's stat line. Paul George hasn't been as efficient and he has a better team which is naturally going to take away from his stat line.

Jose Calderon has a better offensive rating because he is literally scoring/responsible for that many points per 100 possessions... I really don't understand why this is mind boggling to you. He plays a specialized role with less minutes. There's a reason why centers like Tyson Chandler can pull out retarded offensive rating numbers - because it's limited and when stretched across 100 possessions, that's how well their "offense" was for that duration. If they were to get the same number of touches, their ORTG likely plummets and besides that, I watched Calderon play for years in Toronto. He's a fantastic offensive player but in short efficient bursts.

[Jibjabb]

Don't be dumb. I already contextualized EXACTLY how those stats are used - PER is best player on best team and win shares is for most valuable player. Win Shares has a significant correlation to team success whereas PER has no correlation whatsoever but it is a good indication of offensive efficiency. Don't call them useless without understanding the proper contexts they must be used in.

Its already been proven that shooting more will raise your PER even if it means lower percentages. That counteracts any attempt at rating someones efficiency by suggesting firing at higher rates somehow makes you a more efficient player.

Whether you or anyone else thinks its neck and neck is irrelevant, we as a NBA public whole have not given Kevin Durant the credit he deserves for being is good as he is and winning more games with a worse yes WORSE team than Miami

[jreg]

Its already been proven that shooting more will raise your PER even if it means lower percentages. That counteracts any attempt at rating someones efficiency by suggesting firing at higher rates somehow makes you a more efficient player.

And despite that, all the known chuckers have less than steller average PER. Look it up. Melo, AI, Kobe's twilight years, Adrian Dantley, and so on. If you don't combine shot volume with good shooting percentages, your PER won't be anywhere near the likes of Kareem, MJ, Bird, LBJ, etc. The idea that shooting more will raise your PER considers a player that simply does not exist. I can't think of a single player who has produced a great PER shooting like crap and shooting a lot.

Whether you or anyone else thinks its neck and neck is irrelevant, we as a NBA public whole have not given Kevin Durant the credit he deserves for being is good as he is and winning more games with a worse yes WORSE team than Miami

Using boldface and larger font sizes doesn't validate or make true your statement anymore than if I were to italicize it.

[Blueobelisk]

GO VOTE FOR SPORTS STUFF IN THIS THREAD:

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...thread-inside)

Well not that thread. But vote for best player/team/coach/highlight of 2013.

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OKC without Westbrook is worse than Heat, assuming James/Durant aren't considered.

With Westbrook and James/Durant considered, I consider Miami the stronger team. But those role players for OKC are fucking deadly man, way more than Miami's.

Too early for this though. I want All Star Break already.

[Stommped]

Look at the Suns blowing out the Clippers in LA. Hornacek COTY easily if this keeps up.

Also, arguing about the MVP this early into the season is kind of silly imo. James or KD could tear their ACL tomorrow and you guys just wasted all that time looking up stats.

[Blueobelisk]

James or KD could tear their ACL tomorrow and you guys just wasted all that time looking up stats.

But ya, I was gonna nominate Phoenix coach for coach of the year in our MMO-C thread.

Portland OKC tomorrow. :O. I still sort of doubt Portland can beat contenders in a 7 game series.

Speaking of which Spurs are apparently feeding on the lesser teams but losing to better teams. Not good.

But Nets are playing them tomorrow. GL Nets.

Oh but tomorrow is New Years.

[Blueobelisk]

My New Years Resolution is to not attempt suicide everytime something goes bad for the Knicks or the Nets (or any New York sports team). (It's a fucking miracle I survived this long.)

It's also to complete these side projects. I have to file a patent or two, finish the articles in this website in my sig, and then start a company with my professor and maybe some friends to make cell phone apps.

Anyway. I heard Kyrie went down with knee problem. If it's serious problem, wow just wow its not a good NBA season.

[Jibjabb]

Bulls, Nets, and to some extent the Knicks, Pistons and Cavs have turned what was supposed to be an exciting regular season into a snoozer. This is probably the most disinterested I have been in a long time in regards to the regular season.

And the disparity in records from East to West has to be at some kind of record. Memphis would currently be the 12th seed in the west (out of 15 teams) and theyd make the playoffs if they played in the other conference. I dont think this calls for some blow up the conferences rule or anything, but it doesnt really feel fair. Although now that I think about it having a free for all with no divisions or conferences would be kinda fun, teams would always be trying hard since playoff positioning would constantly be on the line

[Blueobelisk]

No games tonight. I was in the mood for watching one too lol...

[Blueobelisk]

Oh shit son. Nets are facing OKC. They're down by like 14 during halftime. I'm whatever filling out grad school applications.

Check back. Omg Nets are up by 2 with 13 seconds left. Ibaka gets the ball from KD and ties game. 5 seconds left. Joe Johnson buzzer beater@@@@@@@ Nets beat OKC.

And I was badmouthing Nets while watching Knicks @ SAS saying "lol at least Knicks might do okay" since Knicks were up 52-47 or something at halftime.

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Knicks win too but Spurs came back lol.

[Stommped]

https://twitter.com/ConorTripler/sta...282816/photo/1

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Goodbye Lu! One of my favorite Bulls of all time

[SL1200]

Wow traded him for Bynum and a few picks. Csn says they're expected to waive him (Bynum). So it's a salary dump that will go a long way in helping them tank the rest of the season.

[Stommped]

Unfortunately the Kings are so bad that we won't be seeing that pick for awhile, and it turns into an automatic 2nd round pick in 2018, which is what will probably happen. It is top 12 protected this year and then top 10 protected 2015-17. They don't really have any talent right now outside of Boogie (who doesn't really seem to care about winning) and Gay so our best hope is for them to get Parker/Wiggins and make a decent turn around into a 500 team.

But the best thing about the trade aside from the money saved is it hopefully now crushes the spirit of anyone on the team who thought of making a push for the playoffs this year. Bring on the L's boys