<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>And Kobe may have a worse supporting cast, but I'd bet the Suns and Mavs would both drop just as far as the Lakers without their #1 guys. About 6-7 spots in the rankings.</div>Exactly, so how can you guys blame Kobe for not making his teammates better when you agree that the Suns and Mavs would do just as bad if their starters went out. Would you guys blame Nash and Dirk? Of course not. That would be dumb considering key players are out for a considerable amount of time, yet Mavsfan seems to think it's all Kobe's fault the Lakers as a team are playing like sh*t lately. If it weren't for Kobe this team would not even be in the playoffs. They would be on a 16+ losing stream (adding both their 6 and 7 game losing streaks) that only ended because of Kobe's heroics.
Just saying that Nowitzki and Nash are both just as valuable to their team's success as Kobe and the best teams generally do have the MVP's. If the Lakers were even close in the standing then he'd deserve it, but they are like 17-20 games behind the Mavs right now? I think Nowitzki should get it this year. If the Lakers stay healthy then Kobe can win it next year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ASUFan22 @ Mar 17 2007, 02:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Players on bad teams usually don't win it and I don't think he does deserve it over Nash and Nowitzki. He's playing a bit better than them right now, but not enough to take away the MVP from 2 guys who's teams are far ahead than most of the NBA right now. Nowitzki is very important to his team, Nash is a bit more valuable because the Suns don't have anyone that can do what he does or even run the offense at all, but Nowitzki should get it since he's leading his team to the best record and having a great season. This award isn't just about individual accomplishments or scoring titles. It's about helping your team win and while Kobe is a clutch player, how many MVP's have their been that have been below a 5 seed, and if they continue like this they will be a 7th or 8th seed.If Kobe doesn't get it this year, he will get it when his team starts playing well. The Lakers have just been BAD in the last month or so. If Kobe can ever get his team to a 4th seed then he should get it. He'll have another chance next year and the year after.</div>Fine then...If Dirk or Nash get the MVP award this year, you can just give it to the Phoenix or Dallas team. Because that is who would really be winning the award. What do you expect Kobe to do? Earlier this year, when his team was fully healthy, they were playing great ball and they were sitting around the 5th or 4th seed. 3 of his starters go down with injuries, and they kept playing good for a while, and then they go on a 7 game losing streak. Take away Josh Howard, Eric Dampier, and 2 of the Mavericks key role players for 20 games and I guarantee you that Phoenix is in first place right now, and the Spurs wouldnt be that far behind them at all....Kobe is the best player in the NBA, and just as valuable to his team as Dirk or Nash. Dont pentalize him because his team isnt capable of winning 67+ games in a year like the Mavericks or Suns.
I've said it over and over - Kobe is the most talented player in the NBA.He is unbelievable. Thanks to BBW I've become a huge fan of his.
It's not just the 7-game losing streak, but if you add that to their record the month before it is 5-19. No MVP-led team should be going 5-19. I think Nash deserves the MVP, but I'm giving it to Dirk because I thought he deserved it more last year and his team is playing better. Of course the Mavericks wouldn't be as good without both Dampier and Howard, but they'd still be better than the Lakers and probably just as good if the Lakers were healthy. Dirk has been just as great as Kobe this season and his team is TWENTY games ahead. If Kobe was clearly having a better season I'd give it to him, but people get awed by his amazing shots and his high scoring games, a little bit too much. I think Nash deserves it more than anyone this year. He is a more important player. Kobe is amazing, but scoring is more easily replaceable than what Nash brings. Not saying Kobe is replaceable, so hopefully you don't make it seem like I did. Nash runs every little aspect of the Suns offense. D'Antoni doesn't call that many plays for him and lets him run free so most of the stuff you see is all Nash. The Suns only have one player that could be as good without Nash than with him on the team, so even though the Suns team looks very good, besides Amare, a lot of that credit has to go to Nash. Without him, we have no one else to run the offense and the team just looks lost. Our record is worse without him than the Lakers' record is without Kobe. The Lakers, with Phil Jackson's game planning can function without Kobe for a little while and would still be pretty good if they replaced him with another top scorer, but the Suns can't win without Nash at all and no other point guard in the game can do for the Suns what Nash is doing. Nash has also been as clutch as Kobe too this season. Every time the Suns are lagging on offense he makes a big shot to bring us back and had some great clutch performances against the Nets and the Mavs and is shooting the ball better than Kobe too.His assists are just as important as Kobe's points. His 15 and 15 games might not look as spectacular as Kobe's 35-50 point games, but they mean just as much. He is the best teammate in the league. He gets every player involved and when he does that, more players are able to contribute which makes the team that much harder to defend. He gives everyone some easy opportunities and that gets them in the flow of the game and gets them to perform better. Kobe has become more of a distributor and I think that will get him an MVP soon, but he isn't even close to Nash at that. Not all of it is his fault because they don't really have a PG either, but because they don't have someone who can pass like that I think that is part of the reason his supporting cast doesn't play as well, not because they are bad. Most of Nash's teammates were average or bad offensive players before they got here, and Marion needs a PG to give him easy opportunities. Nash made this team what it is. He has more control over the team than any other player in the league, he's clutch, gets everyone involved and is a great leader which is why I think he's the MVP. He's not a better overall player than Bryant, no way, but this is not the Player of the Year Award, this is the MVP award and that's what he is because of what he does for the team. Some people say Bryant deserves it this year because Nash stole it from him last year. That's wrong. Bryant had some nice games, but his team barely got a 7th seed. His healthy team went up against a Suns team with injuries to it's only 2 big men and lost, Kobe had 1 point in the 2nd half of Game 7. Last year Nash didn't even have Amare which meant that he was forced to do more since every player on the team needed him. Also, Kobe wasn't getting his teammates involved last year as much as this year so I don't think he deserved it more at all. But even if you don't want to give it to Nash I think LeBron and Dirk both deserved it more than Kobe and were higher in the voting. Kobe wasn't even in 3rd place so no one stole anything from him last year.Kobe is not more important to his team than Nash, and probably not Dirk either. With the team who has been 6-19 in the last two months(one of the WORST teams), he really doesn't deserve it over the guys who have led their teams to great records and have been incredible all year long. Don't worry, Kobe will get an MVP eventually. The Lakers are building a good team over there so when he is more deserving of it than anyone else he will get it.
It was kind of annoying how Nash had just as good of a performance while making an almost impossible comeback against the best team, while Kobe beats the sh*t of the West and he gets all that praise, about 5 more pages worth...I'll take 32-8-16 over 65-7-3 anyday. Points seem kind of overrated when talking about individual players.
Im not going to read your entire damn post....That is way too long. hahaBut I read a little bit, and I wanted to quote on you saying Nash' assists are just as good as Kobe's points. Nash gets his assists so much easier than Kobe gets his points. Nash has it so easy as a point guard. Sure, he does a great job and is probably the best pg and passer in the league, but he has so many options that he cant help himself but get 11 assists per game. You put Kidd, Paul, or Brevin Knight on that team and they all at least get 10 assists. Nobody else can do what Kobe does. He is a one of a kind player. Basically, I just want Kobe to get it this year because I felt that he should have gotten it last year. Scoring 35 points in a game and leading his team to the playoffs like he did and almost winning a very big series really impressed me. People critisized him and called him selfish, so he is playing less selfish this year and has shown to be a very talented passer. When his team was healthy, they had a really good record (obviously not as good as Phoenix or Dallas, but those 2 teams obviously have tons more talent than the Lakers). I just think that the best player in the league deserves an MVP, and he is doing what he can with the talent he has been surrounded with, and considering all of the injuries his team has been faced with.Nash is having just as good as a season as he has the last 2 and his team is still doing great. And Dirk is having pretty much just as good as a season, and his team is the best team in the NBA. I dont think Nash should get it because I dont think any player should get 3 MVP's in a row unless your name is Michael Jordan. You could make a good case for Dirk because his team is doing so well, and he is the best player, and I honestly cant come up with a good reason to tell you why he doesn't deserve it besides the simple fact that I want Kobe to win it. He has waited too long...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ASUFan22 @ Mar 17 2007, 04:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It was kind of annoying how Nash had just as good of a performance while making an almost impossible comeback against the best team, while Kobe beats the sh*t of the West and he gets all that praise, about 5 more pages worth...I'll take 32-8-16 over 65-7-3 anyday.</div>Nash also had 2 overtimes to get more stats, and the Mavericks almost let Phoenix back in the game. And im sorry, but I wouldnt take Nash' performance over Kobes. 65 points only happens once a season (for Kobe maybe twice), and he had a hell of a clutch performance as well. Give Kobe 10 <div align='center'></div>moreminutes in that game and you see 3 or 4 more brilliant shots and at least 73 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assits.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Mar 17 2007, 02:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Sorry man Kobe is not the MVP. Kobe doesn't make his teammates better. The only way Kobe knows how to dominate is 1 on 5 rather than 5 on 5. If he knew how to do it the Lakers record would be much better and they wouldn't lose 7 in a row. Pathetic.</div>couldnt have said it better myself
Brevin Knight and Paul, that's an insult. Neither can do close to what Nash can do. Neither have near the shooting ability, clutchness ability or passing ability as Steve Nash, not even Jason Kidd does. The Suns would still be good, but the offense wouldn't even be close to what it is now. You talk about the supporting cast, but who wouldn't be able to make an open dunk off of a great pass, or what 35% 3-point shooter couldn't come in and be much better with more open shooting opportunities. He makes everyone on the team better. He is a far better offensive player than any of those guys. I doubt the Suns would average more than 102 points without Nash, which is a big difference. He just means so much to this team and any Suns fan will tell you how important he is. He is more irreplaceable than any player in the league. The whole offense is built around him and his skills. He is the Suns offense. He may not be a good defensive player, but he works hard and makes plays when it matters, like the steal and knocking it off Terry's legs on Wednesday.I kind of agree with the 2nd paragraph which is why I said Dirk...but MJ didn't win 3 in a row did he? I think a guy like Wilt did deserve it and I would say more but I wasn't watching basketball back then.I'm sure Kobe will win a couple before his career is done but I just don't think he is deserving this year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ballerman2112 @ Mar 17 2007, 01:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Nash also had 2 overtimes to get more stats, and the Mavericks almost let Phoenix back in the game. And im sorry, but I wouldnt take Nash' performance over Kobes. 65 points only happens once a season (for Kobe maybe twice), and he had a hell of a clutch performance as well. Give Kobe 10 <div align='center'></div>moreminutes in that game and you see 3 or 4 more brilliant shots and at least 73 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assits.</div>He's had a few in regulation 20 assist games which would be worth about 45 points on the Suns as well as getting his teammates into the game, then you add his actual points, but those games get 1 page in the Suns thread. :-/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ASUFan22 @ Mar 17 2007, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Brevin Knight and Paul, that's an insult. Neither can do close to what Nash can do. Neither have near the shooting ability, clutchness ability or passing ability as Steve Nash, not even Jason Kidd does. The Suns would still be good, but the offense wouldn't even be close to what it is now. You talk about the supporting cast, but who wouldn't be able to make an open dunk off of a great pass, or what 35% 3-point shooter couldn't come in and be much better with more open shooting opportunities. He makes everyone on the team better. He is a far better offensive player than any of those guys. I doubt the Suns would average more than 102 points without Nash, which is a big difference. He just means so much to this team and any Suns fan will tell you how important he is. He is more irreplaceable than any player in the league. The whole offense is built around him and his skills. He is the Suns offense. He may not be a good defensive player, but he works hard and makes plays when it matters, like the steal and knocking it off Terry's legs on Wednesday.I kind of agree with the 2nd paragraph which is why I said Dirk...but MJ didn't win 3 in a row did he? I think a guy like Wilt did deserve it and I would say more but I wasn't watching basketball back then.I'm sure Kobe will win a couple before his career is done but I just don't think he is deserving this year.</div>I wasnt saying that team would be just as good with Brevin Knight or Chris Paul, I was saying that they could each get 10 assists on that team, which is definaltey possible and IMO, probable...You can even add Deron Williams to that list. Chris Paul gets like 8.5 a game and if he had the talent and the running team that Phoenix had, their is no doubt in my mind that he would get 10 a game. And last year, Brevin Knight averaged around 9 assists per game, and he had far less talent to work with, and he also played far less than Nash does right now. As for Jason Kidd, I still believe that the team would be just as good with him on there. Nash would be a slightly better fit on the offensive end because of his scoring, but I feel that Kidd is just as good of a passer. And then Kidd is so much better of a defender that its not even funny.I dont think MJ every did win 3 in a row, but im saying....if he did, I wouldnt have a problem with it because he is the best to ever play the game. And I wouldnt mind Wilt either because he was playing back then with less teams, and he was so dominant for his era. I mean more for like todays era that nobody should win 3 in a row unless they get like 35 and 10 a game and their team is 1st in the league. But I dont see that happenning any time soon.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tmgbball15 @ Mar 17 2007, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>couldnt have said it better myself</div>:no3: Read my post replied to that post.
http://gangstawolves.spaces.live.com/ You can watch the whole game here....go down to "16-3-07 NBA Games" and it's right there. Download free and you can skip to any part of the game.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrewCityBuck @ Mar 17 2007, 05:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>http://gangstawolves.spaces.live.com/ Download free and you can skip to any part of the game.</div>Sure, those with 100 dollars a month internet...anyways I'll start watching it right now...I couldnt catch the highlights on ESPN.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrewCityBuck @ Mar 17 2007, 05:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>http://gangstawolves.spaces.live.com/ You can watch the whole game here....go down to "16-3-07 NBA Games" and it's right there. Download free and you can skip to any part of the game.</div>Thanks for the link!I just saw the 4th and OT, and boy was Kobe on fire. Ball was barely touching net or rim, his jumpshot looked perfect, and he was looking to score everytime he had the ball. Amazing performance.
Kobe Bryant is beyond amazing, it's funny how many people are putting negatives on this game already. No negative comments can be made about Kobe's performance tonight. He shot 60% from the field, 66% from beyond the arc, and 91% from the free throw line. He had 33 points in the 4th quarter/OT alone, and he single handedly carried his team to a victory. If you can honestly look at this game and find something negative then you don't have any of my respect as a basketball fan.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KobeBryant_24 @ Mar 17 2007, 03:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I was lucky enought to attend this game.</div>You made posts about this game before it happened and never mentioned that you were going to the game. Also considering you made posts around 10:30 which is when the game started, I find that hard to believe. But, who knows?
I know I was just kidding. LOL. I was just soooo excited. It felt like being at the game the way the radio was crackling with all the noise. KOBE 4 MVP
