Friday, March 30th, 2012 at 5:30 pm  |  147 responses

Derrick Rose: Kevin Durant is the NBA’s MVP This Season


Takes one to know one, we suppose. The reigning MVP, Derrick Rose, says that Kevin Durant deserves the game’s biggest individual honor this year. From ESPN: “Chicago Bulls guard and reigning MVP Derrick Rose said Friday he believes Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant is the front-runner for this season’s award. ‘KD is playing great,’ Rose said. ‘I’m hearing about what he’s doing, hearing about how he’s playing. The numbers speak for itself, how he’s working out this summer, and he’s playing great basketball. (Minnesota’s Kevin Love) K-Love been putting in work, too, but I think KD.’ Durant is averaging 27.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks for the Western Conference-leading Thunder. It figures to be a two-man race between Durant and the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, who’s averaging 26.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists and is shooting a career-best 53 percent. Rose, who was the youngest MVP in history at age 22, is unlikely to win the award again because of missed time this season. He has sat out 17 games because of a variety of injuries. He could miss his ninth straight on Friday against the Detroit Pistons with a sore groin. He’s listed as a game-time decision.”

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  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Holy Baller, did your comment @ 743pm really say that Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka altogether “May equal a Chris Bosh”?! That’s crazy talk!!!

  • http://dillanleuyahoo.com Holy Baller

    ^Yeah, now that was stupid. That was wrong. But I DO think that Bosh and Wade together is more than those three. Plus the offenses are just completely different. I really think Durant would have tons more assists if he actually had anyone to PASS to, but almost every scorer on that team scores on isolations plays (which I think may be their downfall in the playoffs).

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    LOL.
    .
    I don’t give a damn what the “majority” thinks. Especially if you are their representation.

    .I have illustrated irrefutable proof that LeBron has been better in every relevant way.
    .
    If you don’t agree with me at this point that’s fine, I probably don’t really respect your basketball opinion very much if that’s the case (unless someone actually presents a rational argument) which is fine with me.

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Lebron’s got my vote, because of the way he’s been dominating across the board. I think KD’s monster of a game last week against the Heat has left a lasting impression on a lot of fans, though.

  • http://dillanleuyahoo.com Holy Baller

    It’s obviously not “irrefutable” when half the media disagrees with you.

  • http://www.nba.com VanCityBBall

    i’l tell you what @Lakeshow after he wins that MVP or not i will still buy that jersey off you for a X price that you name…

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    The media. You know what’s circulating in the media today? LMAO Kevin Love for MVP! Hahahahahah they are 25-27? What without Kevin Love they would really really not make the playoffs? Wait the media get paid to write new stories? That can’t be how it works can’t it? Geez how crazy that would be, you know, of the media were a business?
    .
    Gross.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    if*

  • MUBWAR

    i actually my basketball terminology was on point until i saw defensive win shares?!?

  • http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/ws.html nbk

    You can click my name. But basically it’s the amount of points a player alllows per 100 possessions. The process of how that is decided is on the link.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    @Holy Baller Dude, modern-day media is freakin’ garbage most of the time.

  • http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/ws.html nbk

    Not how many points a one on one matchup allows, but how many estimated* points a player attributes to giving up. It just like all the other stats are useful in the right context. In this instance, it is a tangible measurement that represents the common belief that LeBron is a better defensive player both individually and for his team than Kevin Durant is.

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    DO NOT click on nbk’s name! It will take you to an alternate dimension that will leave you questioning your intelligence, basketball IQ, and even the meaning of your existence . . . You’ve been warned.

  • http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/ws.html nbk

    lol

  • http://dillanleuyahoo.com Holy Baller

    ^Bahahaha what meat hook said. No one ever uses whatever the hell that is. I DO think LeBron is a better defensive player than Durant, but not by the leaps and bounds you seem to believe.

  • MUBWAR

    holy baller, lebron is in conversation for dpoy to overtake the 3 times dpoy dwight. that alone eliminates durant from the convo. and nbk thanks 4 droppin knowledge

  • Mike

    What Durant does is close out a game. The only argument I need as to why he’s getting MVP. He puts his team on his shoulders to win. Lebron will never do that never did in Cleveland and can’t do it now. Not to mention Durant like 5 yrs younger and their stats are basically the same. He’s only going to get better. Oh and Westbrook hardly played in the heat game, that was Durants game from start to finish and made the “king” look like a clown. I understand Westbrook and harden are hella good but every MVP has had help

  • IamYOU

    I believe in rose. I mean yeah durant is really playing amazing this season and because of that people are saying he should be MVP. But the thing in the NBA is that when youre labeled as MVP near the season end you WILL be MVP. I mean ask rose . But my vote goes to Bron Bron.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    With half the crowd doing, “Let’s go Knicks’” and half, “Let’s go Hawks,” it kinda sounds like “Let’s go Narcs.” That’s gonna get Melo upset *John Hollinger*

  • riggs

    KD35 is the MVP.

  • http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/ws.html nbk

    Anytime Mubwar.

  • http://cnbc.com New_Guy

    If it comes to having a good supporting cast then Micheal Jordan shouldn’t not have won all his MVP’s either. Pippen, Grant, Kerr, Rodman…. Sounds like a lot of notable hall of fame talent.

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Mike, being a “closer” is a very important attribute. But, if that’s your main argument for MVPs, then you may as well strip Bill Russel (5), Wilt (4), and Shaq (1) of their MVPs because they weren’t the “closers” on their respective teams either.

  • Mike

    It’s my main argument to show difference between Lebron because they’re so damn close in the MVP race haha. If it was Durant and Dwight neck and neck for MVP I’d have to angle my argument differently

  • http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/ws.html nbk

    If LeBron scored 5 more points a game instead of getting 3 more assists would you still
    Think their stats were close?

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    I think Durant is the better closer and better “pure” scorer/shooter. But even saying Durant is the better scorer is misleading because LBJ is averaging 26.5ppg and has been hovering around there for as long as i can remember. I would give the edge to Lebron in every other category. Defensively, I don’t think it’s even close.

  • Red

    Believe it or not, I’m with nbk. WTH@ whoever said KD is in the best conference lol.

  • http://www.nba.com Red

    Would it be crazy to say D. Rose is the better closer between Lebron & KD?

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    LONG… LIVE… THE KING.

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    wasn’t lebron averaging better numbers at durant’s age tho then durant is? w/o going to college? and honestly lebron was a VERY good closer in cleaveland. he certainly wasn’t as bad as people make him out to be now.

  • ai come back

    @ the seed if lebron averaging the same numbers in cleveland gets him mvp doesnt averaging those numbers with 2 all stars on ur team make it even more impressive?

  • Justin G.

    Lebron doesn’t need to close that many games when they win by double digits as much as they do too. Obviously that’ll need to change come playoff time when it’s much harder to get out and run but that doesn’t change the fact that Lebron is the clear MVP so far this year. How does one game change that, as it seems to have for a lot of fans? Do they play each other in Miami this year? What if Miami comes out and smokes the Thunder and Lebron goes for 40, 9, and 8? Does he leapfrog back to the top? I’d also like to know what “majority of Slam readers” Holy Baller is referring to when he says we all agree with him too. 5 people is not the majority. You don’t think the people that do the actual voting know one game is not a deal breaker? Please give your head a shake. It’s going to be a close vote but only because Lebron is still not a popular figure. If this were back in the day and Michael Jordan was putting up the numbers Lebron is (or better ones like he did in 88-89 vs. someone like KD then there wouldn’t even be a discussion. Michael wins it

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Everyone thinks that MVP is something different than the next guy.
    Some people think it’s stats related, some think it’s team wins, some think it’s “win shares”, and some think it’s a combo. Don’t forget about head to head match up’s, defense vs offense, closer vs play maker, great scorer, great passer. All these things are valued more or less from one man to another. With that said,
    - Durant for MVP!
    -Reasons:
    -More points scored.
    -Said points were scored on more difficult shots.
    -Example: Durant has shot 153 more 3 pointers than Bron at a more efficient clip.
    -Durant has closed out games for the Thunder all year.
    -LeBron has not done that for the Heat.
    -The Thunder are less experienced than the Heat, and have more wins than them and lead their conference and division.
    -Is Westbrook better than Wade or Bosh? No
    -Is Harden better than Wade or Bosh? No
    -Is the Thunders coach better than The Heats? No
    -Durant gets as many steals and blocks(defensive stats, or as some would like to call them “gambling stats”) as LBJ when averaged.
    .
    .
    .
    -All these examples point to KEVIN DURANT MVP…
    -Can’t believe I just spent the time to type this on my pad at midnight in a bar…
    -BBALL > Life
    -Cue ‘The Heavy’… How ya like me nowwwww??!!

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXdhKyIEQpM LakeShow

    Click my name

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Oh ya, knew I forgot something.
    -Free Throws: Durant 84% … James 77% while shooting the same amount per.

  • Golakeshow

    People need to lay off Lebron for getting some help. Bird Han Mchale and parish. Magic had Kareem and worthy. Jordan had pipped and rodman. Kobe had Gasol and Bynum. Bill Russell had John Havlicek. Wilt Chamberlain had Jerry West. Paul pierce has Garnett Allen and rondo. You know any legends that won by themselves!

  • Golakeshow

    *bird had

  • SacKings

    Kevin Love deserves the MVP. Third leading scorer and top two rebounder in the game. Durant and LeBron have all the help that Love doesn’t. Look at Loves stats since Rubio went down. While KD has Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka helping, and James has Wade and Bosh, Love has Luke Ridnour.

  • Bimmer

    LeBron should probably win but I just want KD to win it. Just like I want Ibaka to win DPOY but that’s probably going to Dwight again. These awards could get stale quick in the foreseeable future.

  • FLIGHT 9

    who wants to win MVP and a chip this 66 game season anyway??

  • http://itsahardwoodlife.blogspot.com omphalos

    Normally head-to-head matchups between MVP candidates don’t mean anything, especially between Rose and Lebron, given how different they are physically and the positions they play (especially when you consider Rose didn’t have capable shot creators on his squad in the playoffs). However, when it’s KD and Lebron, I think the head-to-heads this season should definitely be given some weight; that they play the same position is an obvious reason, but also that they have other shot-creators in Wade/Westbrook/Harden/Bosh means that the attention given to each will be similar (it’s not a Rose situation where stopping Rose meant stopping the Bulls last year). In particular that game showed the different talents and how they benefit their teams; Durant is a more conventional SF with his rebounding, play off the ball and outside shooting, whereas Lebron is a point forward who likes the ball in his hands and creates for others. Even though Lebron’s style of play gets him better stats, Durant’s more conventional role at SF showed up in the form of dagger 3s in the 4th, and ultimately, the win. For someone like nbk to say he presented “irrefutable proof” about an award which is based on opinion and the eye test is ridiculous. I refute your “proof” by looking at the two of them play each other and saying Durant is more valuable, and while the numbers help in the grand scheme of things, only ignorant people use them as the ultimate determination of value, with no consideration for what the numbers actually represent. Durant for MVP, also had to laugh that Lebron isn’t mentioned in the snippet SLAM took from Rose’s interview about who should get MVP.

  • Drig

    I’m shocked to see LBJ getting slighted so much. Dude deserves the MVP this year. He’s the better individual two-way player than Durant, has the better stats, has the same record ( with Wade and Bosh out at different points of the season ) AND is leading Durant in almost any statistics that deal with how important a player at the said position is necessary for the team…….damn. BTW, the WEST is still the BEST conference. East might be more top heavy and have better records( Most of the top teams in the West had to incorporate changes this year and are old and hence the slow start) but the West owns the East in depth and playoff sets.

  • Justin G.

    omphalos, how can your arguement be based pretty much solely on one game? Like I said, if they play again in Miami and Lebron routs Durant then what is your opinion then? Lakeshow, of course Durant has more points. He has something like 150 more attempts! Do you have all of their shots PVR’d to make the statement that Durants shots are tougher? That’s sort of a dumb thing to say. Lebron doesn’t have to close out as many games because A) They win by more and B) They have Wade as well. Now, Lebron should be taking more shots before but honestly Wade is better at creating his own shot. Please don’t say the Thunder have Westbrook because that’s not even a close arguement. I’m sorry but while nbk’s reasonings aren’t necessarily “irrefutable”, they are a much better arguement for Lebron as MVP vs. Durant

  • Rik Smits Mullet

    Damn multiple cosign to NBK. As a lebron fan i have to thank you for writing down the facts so clearly.

  • Harlem_World

    I like KD and he has a bright future ahead of him (as do the Thunder), but anyone who can’t see Lebron is the league MVP isn’t looking properly.

  • http://sdjfklfl.com Jukai

    Kinda shocked how many people are for Lebron over KD…
    Lebron: 26.5ppg, 8.2rpg, 6.6apg, 1.9spg, 0.8bpg on 54% shooting on a 37 win team
    Durant: 27.7ppg, 8.1rpg, 3.5apg, 1.5spg, 1.2bpg on 50% shooting on a 39 win team
    PRETTY IDENTICAL, so I don’t know why people are talking about Lebron having a statistical advantage. The only thing he really has is the assists, which is big.
    But get this: OKC has two more wins in a harder conference with the second best player on the team being Westbrook and whose third best player is James Harden or Serge Ibaka. Lebron has two less wins in a weaker conference and the second best player is Wade and third best is Bosh.
    This kind of propels Durant for the favorite for MVP right now.
    Everyone kind of understood that Lebron playing with Wade was gonna hurt his chances for MVP in the future, and the Heat would have to be dominating for him to get that trophy. They aren’t. So the trophy is Durant’s right now.
    Deal with it, everyone.

  • http://sdjfklfl.com Jukai

    Man… NBK really is a hater…

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Jukai, so you’re just going to ignore the defensive side of the ball?

  • http://sdjfklfl.com Jukai

    I’m not gonna ignore it, but this isn’t 2008 anymore, Durant’s a decent defender who actually gets more blocks than Lebron.
    I get it— Lebron is one of the best isolation defenders in the NBA. But they also got Battier, who has been doing a lot of Lebron’s work this year.
    Durant simply does more for his team than Lebron does for his.

  • 23

    A) 24.4ppg, 4.4rpg, 5.5apg, 1.7spg, .3bpg, .475%fg, .819%ft, .329% 3pfg,

    B) 23ppg, 4.9rpg, 4.9apg, 1.7spg, 1.3bpg, .507%fg, .798%ft, .304% 3pfg

    player A is russel westbrook and player B is wade. just thought id post these stats because they are very similar.

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