Stan Van Gundy believes the MVP race is already over, and Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is going to win it. "I don't think it's wide open. The media seems to have made their decision, and they're the ones that vote. So I think it's over," Van Gundy said Wednesday night as his Orlando Magic prepared to play the New York Knicks. "I mean, I just listen and read. I think it's over. Derrick Rose has it. I haven't really read or heard a media guy who is going another way at this point. I'd be shocked if he doesn't win it." Votes from selected sportswriters and broadcasters are due back at the league office on Thursday, April 14 -- the day after the regular season ends. The award is announced at some point during the playoffs. Last year, LeBron James received 116 of 123 first-place votes. Van Gundy has openly campaigned for Dwight Howard, who is scoring 23.0 points per game -- 1.9 fewer points than Rose. Howard is also second in the league in rebounding (14.3 per game), field goal percent (60 percent) and blocks (2.43). The Magic began the night with a record of 45-26, only five fewer victories than they had after 71 games last season. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6252051
Rose has been amazing this season but I'd give it to Howard. Without Howard the Magic are nothing but a high paid lottery team. Without Rose I think the Bulls still make the playoffs. I would rather watch Rose play then Howard though, one of the most entertaining players to watch in the NBA.
Stan has a bit of a martyr complex, doesn't he? Did he say that Rose deserved it? No. But the "media" have crowned him, so it's ovah. Get over yourself. The guy is lifting his team to amazing heights this year. Dwight is a great player, and who can blame him, but he has not brought his team as far as DRose. The one thing I would say that is compelling is DRose's commitment to winning and improving as a player. He's proved it in some amazing turnarounds, including his defense, free throw shooting, three point shooting, getting to the line... And his leadership, starting from his coachability. Cry all you want, Stan, but like Mr. Reinsdorf said, you have to be blind not to see what lies in this kid's (and team's) future.
I just don't see how rose is the MVP. The bulls win because they are a great defensive team and rose is not their best defensive player. Dwight carries his team on both ends of the floor.
Thanks for this comment. It's an interesting one. Here's my take. And, I have absolutely no statistics to back this up, but here goes. Defense is all about effort and cooperation. In the end, it's about hope. Good defensive teams can maintain that level of intensity only if they know that they have the wherewithal to stick in the dagger and come out on top. Derrick energizes this team because of how well he plays the role of ensuring his team comes out on top. The rest of the team, and Derrick too, lays it all out defensively, because they trust that after making the key stops, Derrick will help them do the job offensively. A case in point is the Indiana game, which we lost. Sam Smith made the point that it is how the Bulls in the championship years responded when they fell way behind that convinced him they were going to win. He cited a game or two in Denver when MJ and co. fell way behind but fought back and nearly won. They didn't, but he was convinced that they would never accept losing. And he saw that in the Bulls and in Derrick at that Indiana game. They could have just said, "tonight's not our night," and let it go. But Derrick and co. didn't, and almost pulled it out. There's a great value in knowing that the game is never out of reach, and the effort required to defend and get stops is always worth it. Derrick drives and supports this team's defense because of his commitment to winning, and ability to back it up.
I've been on torn on Howard vs. Rose so far this year as well. A good question would be: is Rose's offense more important to the team than Howard's D?
yeah, but by asking that question you're ignoring Dwight's offense, which is right there with Rose's. Dwight is the most efficient scorer in the league. The way I look at it: Rose on offense: 10 on defense: 6 Dwight on offense: 8 on defense: 10 18>16
Right or wrong, there is a subjective portion to MVP that this type of formula just can't capture and a guy like John Hollinger can't grok. And it's basically, how can Lebron be MVP when he has so much else talent on his team and they are behind the bulls. And how can Howard be MVP b/c the team isn't doing better than it has in the last few years. And Bulls improvement is the big story. And Rose has shown more growth than Howard and Lebron this year, too. Personally, I have Howard and Rose as the only two real candidates. I think Van Gundy is right especially if Bulls get #1 seed.
The bulls fight for 8th seed without Rose. Maybe they'd be that good. The bulls win a lot of 84-80 type games, and he's the difference between winning those and losing them. He is MVP hands down and the voting shouldn't be close. In an 80-80 type close game, you send Dwight to the FT line and win.
So Rose is the MVP because he's a better free throw shooter? The Bulls win 84-80 games because they are holding their opponents to just 80 points. And Rose is a mere bystander for their great defensive performances. Dwight is the reason his team is scoring 84, and he's also the reason they are only giving up 80. And your first point is true about both players.
I'd probably go 1a. Dwight 1b. Rose Look at the talent on that Magic team, the Bulls are far superior. I'm still torn, but just what Dwight does for that team, it's similar to Shaq and how he was often overlooked all those years for MVP.
I don't get how you can say the voting shouldn't be close. Dwight is a better defender (by far) and his offense is more efficient then Rose's and averages almost the same amount of points. Rose is defiantly the best player on the bulls and they have won a lot of close games this year but by just saying you foul Howard in a close game and win your not taking into account how good Howard is on the defensive end. Howard can win you that close game with his defense.
At the end of the day the strongest argument for Rose and against Howard is record. I've seen some stat somewhere that the MVP, with only one exception, has gone to a player on a top three seed. Orlando has fallen out of the group of teams that people included as toss-ups for coming out of the East. At the beginning of the season they were right there . . . so to an extent, you have to say the Magic have underperformed, Dwight Howard's elevation of his game included.
But why has Chicago improved? Not because of Rose. He was there last year, and he was equally awesome. Thibs and Boozer have caused the improvement, mainly Thibs. And to me, Orlando has a much better shot at the finals than Chicago. The Bulls haven't proven anything yet.
I think most of us around here, perhaps everyone of us Bulls fans, would disagree. Rose's game is more well rounded and his points, assists numbers are up. Rose's man defense is light years better than it was, to the point where now on most nights he is a well above average defender. But all of that misses the point. Rose came into this season with that Kobe-Jordan obstinate-refusal-to-lose mentality. The Bulls have won, in large part, because he has demanded that they win, and if it's close at the end he just recklessly throws himself into traffic to achieve that goal. I think it's this force of will that makes so many people so excited about his game. Edit: I completely agree that the Bulls have not proven anything yet; and I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Orlando has a better shot at the finals, though I and I assume most other people will disagree with you.
Disagree that Rose's awesomeness is the same as last season. Statistically, his scoring, scoring efficiency and assists are up fairly significantly. His defense is much better. Bottom line is that after last year he was a newly-minted "star." Over the course of this season, he's added the "super" to the front.
An argument can be made for Dwight. Take him off of that team, then who do they have? Especially since the major trade! That being said, what is going to hurt him is the team has 5 more losses than they did this time last year. We do not make the playoffs this season without Rose, not with the injuries we had to Boozer and Noah. Now if both had been healthy all season? Ya I give you that. #6-8 seed.
