I'm making this thread assuming the Lakers wrap up this series and win the Larry O'Brien Trophy, their 4th in the last 5 years. I mention the "4th in the last 5 years" part not to gloat as a Lakers fan (and I know it's been repeated several times), but to ask a question. Shaq undoubtedly deserved his Finals MVP trophies the first 3 times his Laker squad won the championship. However, this time, it's not so clear... and I think Kobe deserves the MVP trophy this year. While a lot of people probably think even the idea of Shaq not winning the Finals MVP is ludicrous, it is not so far-fetched. OK, I agree with everyone who says that the Lakers are Shaq's team, that the Lakers need Shaq to win. But, this year more than ever before, the Lakers also need Kobe in order for them to win. Proof of that is Game 2. Kobe bailed the Lakers out with his late-game heroics, and he completely took the game over in OT. He drove, he dished, he scored; the ball went through him on almost every Laker possession, and he made it count. Everyone has to accept this- without Kobe in the 4th quarter and OT, the Lakers would have been toast; down 2 games to none and having lost both their games at home. While the Lakers need Shaq's presence in the middle and his dominance, it is Kobe they need more. Even though the Lakers lost Game 1, Kobe did a great job on Rip Hamilton. He proved to people that he deserves his defensive accolades, holding Rip to only 10 points, and he also sacrificed his offensive game to do the job defensively. Shaq, on the other hand, was able to concentrate more of his effort on the offensive end because he was not faced with the task of guarding a premier scorer (after all, Detroit's center IS Ben Wallace). Shaq had a monster offensive effort, getting 34 and 14, but Kobe had a lackluster performance (Kobe-wise, of course) with only 25 points on 10-27 shooting, and never really got it going. End result- The Lakers lost. Game 2 was a different story. Kobe brought his A game, dropping 33 points and dishing out 7 assists, grabbing 4 boards in the process. Shaq only had 25; a lot of his points were assisted by Kobe through penetrations and drive-and-dishes. End result- Laker W, even though it was in OT. After all, the Lakers got to work right around the same time Kobe decided to take over. I hope a lot of people understand why Kobe should be the Finals MVP after reading this post. He takes over games for the Lakers, while also doing a great job on the defensive end. LA wins games when Kobe does well; the proof is right there. After 3 years of playing little brother to Shaq, Kobe finally deserves the recognition that he should command.
I'm gonna "assume" that your a arrogant douchebag that should let the season playout before first have a freaking 5 paragraph post on something that hasn't happened yet. Also how can you decide who the finals mvp is if it's only game 2? Shouldn't you see see what happens in the other games. This is a classic example of a person with too much time on their hands.
it is game four tonight and they are down, I think it was a greate Idea. So far its Kobe, he is showing that he is the leader of the Lakers. He diserves it.
i think shaq should get it, really if u think about it the reason they have one win is casue of shaq, hes the one that got the shot and was fouled, and actully made his free-throw to put them down by 3, and that set up the kobe 3. Even after the game, brown said that in an interview that kobe hitting the 3 hurt, but what got them was shaq getting fouled an hiiting the free-throw.
Gary Payton If the Lakers win there's only one man in consideration: Shaq. Who leads the Lakers in points and rebounds? Who is the only one who dominated in the first 2 games? Not Kobe or GP or Fish...Or Good Ol' Karl . Shaq is the true MVP of this team and always will be.
Varsity team Yo Dawg--- MVP? TEAMS THAT GET SWEPT DON'T WIN MVP'S!!! I don't think I've ever seen such a dysfunctional team go this far into the playoffs. All the problems the Lakers have had this year, and with only two real players it's a wonder they' even made it to the finals. I'd be surprised if there isn't a big shake up in LA. They look old and tired! If the Lakers don't bring there varsity team to game 5 the only thing going home with them is their tail between their legs! http://www.soundclick.com/themalttones
