Mid-Season MVP Rankings

by Jake0890 (WAS) Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:53 pm

Early in the season, the MVP race was incredibly close and 5 different GMs would name 5 different MVPs. That said, the favorite was James Harden at that time, but given his injury struggles this season and his team sliding down the West standings with his absence, his stock has dropped. But now, it's a one man race, and it's not even close. Kevin Durant is absolutely dominant. He's the best player in the league, having one of the best seasons in CSL HISTORY. But that's not to say there aren't other players having monster years as well. Damian Lillard is in the discussion with his team's success, Marcus Smart has taken the league by storm in only his 2nd year, and even Tyreke Evans has been killing it in Sacramento.

Mid-Season MVP Rankings Big_Kevin_Durant

#1 - Kevin Durant
43.2 PPG, 2.8 APG, 7.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 2.0 BPG
The shit Kevin Durant is doing this year is just unfair. He's had one of the best seasons in CSL history. If the season ended right now with his 43 points per game, his scoring average would stand at 3rd all time, only behind Wilt Chamberlain (x2). No GM? No problem. The team has no leadership, Iman Shumpert is done for the season, and no one on the bench is even trying. Through all of that, he's put his team solidly at 5th in the east. No one is touching KD this year.

Mid-Season MVP Rankings Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRBh8BEJia0bTRrykXnFqfSe2-Ufo7_aNdify-P-GhR35NIKG9PaQ

Mid-Season MVP Rankings Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRBh8BEJia0bTRrykXnFqfSe2-Ufo7_aNdify-P-GhR35NIKG9PaQ

#2 - Damian Lillard
32.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, .2 BPG
I'm really eating crow with this one. Last time I did this article, I said Damian wasn't even in the running, but oh boy, was I wrong. Lillard has elevated his team to 2nd in the west, only behind the New Orleans Pelicans. Damian is 4th in the league in assists, 3rd in points, and for point guards, he's 1st in field goal percentage and 3rd in rebounding. Even though there's a large gap between KD and him, Damian is still playing out of his mind.

Mid-Season MVP Rankings Marcus-smart-pushes-fan-rt-float-1

Mid-Season MVP Rankings Marcus-smart-pushes-fan-rt-float-1

#3 - Marcus Smart
31.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, .8 BPG
I still hate the fact that any team was lucky enough to get 2 #1 pick in a row, but oh well. The Marcus Smart experiment at point guard has gone perfectly for New Orleans. He's still no Ricky Rubio when it comes to passing, but 6 assists per game is good enough for top 20 in the league. His scoring is really what separates him from the rest of the pack though. The only point guard who can even match his scoring is Damian Lillard, but the next best scoring point in the league is John Wall, who scores 5 points less per game. Honestly, we'll probably be seeing Smart as the best player in the league in 2 years. I don't think there's ever been a sophomore to put up these kinds of stats.

Mid-Season MVP Rankings Img20769377

#4 - James Harden
32.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, .9 SPG, .3 BPG
After leading the league in scoring for a short period of time at the beginning of the season, James Harden has slipped down the list after battling injuries and with the Rockets not doing as well as many people (predicting them at #1 in the conference) had originally thought. Still, his efficiency is some of the best in CSL history. His 58% FG% is good enough for 4th in the league, and he's the only guard in the top 15. A field goal percentage that high is simply unheard of for a guard. The only flaw in Harden's game might be his relatively low stop % of 57%, but his incredible offense more than makes up for his average defense.

Mid-Season MVP Rankings Tyreke-Evans

#5 - Tyreke Evans
28.6 PPG, 3.5 APG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG, .5 BPG
Tyreke simply does it all for Sacramento. It's unreal how much being traded back to the Kings has completely turned his career around. Dylan has basically designed this team to put the ball in Tyreke's hands and let him do what he does best: drive. Tyreke has basically been Harden-lite since joining Sac-Town. He gets to the rim by driving just as well as Harden, and his field goal percentage of 52% is the only guard who can even rival Harden's. His placement on this list might be a little bit of a stretch over guys like LeBron, but I'm still wowed by what he's done for this Kings team who just looked doomed from the beginning of the season.

by Dennis (BOS) Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:58 pm

Marcus Smart = Michael Jordan 2.0 / NLL John Wall

There wont be a team that is able to stop NO for the next decade or something. Orando could give it a try or a Miami team with GM. But NO is by far the best team.
Lillard is huge too.

But one thing is clear, your backcourt needs to be an all defensive csl team to have a chance to get the title. All those scoring guards and wings are so deadly..

by RobIII(GSW) Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:31 pm

KD is playing an insane amount of minutes. The Heat needs a GM ASAP!

by Marcos_Beck (CHI) Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:43 pm

Tyreke for MVP?
I know SAC town has improved A LOT with their trades.. But you can't even consider a guy from a 13-29 record team.

All in all I agree with the others, playing out of their mind right now. I'd name Favors at the 5th spot. Not only his numbers are crazy, but his advanced stats (PA/SF, STP%, PER) are also amazing.

by blackice (TOR) Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:55 pm

I'd put Lebron or Favors over Reke but I agree with the rest. Smart has been great, I expect to see Davis on the list soon enough too.

by bestnamezRtaken (POR) Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:20 pm

Yeah, take Tyreke off the list and add in Favors for sure. He's led his team to one of the best records in the league. Great list though man. I like it a lot.

by **Rizzo (NY)** Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:31 pm

Dennis (BOS) wrote:Marcus Smart = Michael Jordan 2.0 / NLL John Wall

I don't even feel bad about this either. Laughing

by Jestor (LAL) Mon Jun 02, 2014 11:40 pm

And I was the guy who started the Smart hype train. Razz

by Dennis (BOS) Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:17 am

Rizzo (NO) wrote:
Dennis (BOS) wrote:Marcus Smart = Michael Jordan 2.0 / NLL John Wall

I don't even feel bad about this either.

I wouldnt care about it either ^^.. Just sad OP left. Would have loved to see the Miami / NOP Fight as you would have been his first Real challenge ^^..

by WillyJakkz (ORL) Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:30 am

Good thing we have post All Star Break for Harden to return, MVP was a personal goal of his though he downplayed it in the media, he told me that himself.

Durant is gonna burn out soon logging all of those mins I hate to say it.

by Jestor (LAL) Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:32 am

Yeah, if your team doesn't at least make the playoffs, you have zero business being in any MVP rankings ever.

by andrei (MEM) Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:28 am

thanks for mentioning Lillard - he's playing great for us

Tyreke is an interesting player that could always deliver great numbers but not wins (so far) - I wonder what is the team's record with him though?

by WillyJakkz (ORL) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:12 am

Lillard is ballin' and a CSL MVP candidate no question but the real MVP's of that Portland team are Ray Allen and Kyle Korver.

They were 3-6 prior to signing 2 very helpful system friendly players FROM OFF THE STREET then they took off and turned into a force which is a testament to the GM.

Great job andrei.

by emplep7 (DET) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:14 am

Its a little ridiculous how good Smart is already. I have a feeling this is going to happen to Wiggins next year too, maybe even to a more ridiculous extent.

by Dennis (BOS) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:17 am

emplep7 (DET) wrote:Its a little ridiculous how good Smart is already. I have a feeling this is going to happen to Wiggins next year too, maybe even to a more ridiculous extent.

Dont think so. Wiggins ratings are not nearly close to Smarts. Smart is just a new Michael Jordan, lol.

by emplep7 (DET) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:23 am

Dennis (BOS) wrote:
emplep7 (DET) wrote:Its a little ridiculous how good Smart is already. I have a feeling this is going to happen to Wiggins next year too, maybe even to a more ridiculous extent.

Dont think so. Wiggins ratings are not nearly close to Smarts. Smart is just a new Michael Jordan, lol.

20.6 points, 4.4 boards, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks is something few rookies ever do. When he is in the 90s in scoring next season on the Magic he will be putting up close to 30 a game easy and all of his other numbers will only see increases. The only place he will lack are in assists.

by andrei (MEM) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:26 am

WillyJakkz (HOU) wrote:Lillard is ballin' and a CSL MVP candidate no question but the real MVP's of that Portland team are Ray Allen and Kyle Korver.

They were 3-6 prior to signing 2 very helpful system friendly players FROM OFF THE STREET then they took off and turned into a force which is a testament to the GM.

Great job andrei.

Agree and thanks for this. Funny how these guys don't have fancy ratings or stats but make such a massive impact each and every game

by Dennis (BOS) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:27 am

emplep7 (DET) wrote:
Dennis (BOS) wrote:
emplep7 (DET) wrote:Its a little ridiculous how good Smart is already. I have a feeling this is going to happen to Wiggins next year too, maybe even to a more ridiculous extent.

Dont think so. Wiggins ratings are not nearly close to Smarts. Smart is just a new Michael Jordan, lol.

20.6 points, 4.4 boards, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks is something few rookies ever do. When he is in the 90s in scoring next season on the Magic he will be putting up close to 30 a game easy and all of his other numbers will only see increases. The only place he will lack are in assists.

yeah he will put up those numbers. But Smart will join a this year KD. My scouts see Wiggins as nearly developed while Smart has even still ton of potential left. Wiggins will be as good as Smart is yet. But Smart will improve further as it seems.
You are right. Both of them will be the topplayers in the league very soon. Good to see this years draftclass isnt nearly as good as the last years ones.

by WillyJakkz (ORL) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:31 am

emplep7 (DET) wrote:Its a little ridiculous how good Smart is already. I have a feeling this is going to happen to Wiggins next year too, maybe even to a more ridiculous extent.

That's always been the one flaw in the League's I've been in (that actually lasted longer than a season or two) the rookies are not well made for the most part, progression is almost a lost art.

The IQ of the 2014 class was unreal especially when compared to their real life counterparts and that has alot to do with it.

Seeing Mitch McGary with an IQ higher than LeBron James was all I needed to see and Smart with an 84 IQ and 92 FGJ and 84 SCR compared to what he's been in college, hot head poor decision maker with a suspect jumper who can drive and get to the hole using his size is what he is, also a hellacious defender.

The thing is though he and most others were made prior to this past college season and based on those projections they were made a little ambitiously and with preference work/ player instructions the development gets molded into exactly what type of player you want them to be but the timeline getting there is what's off.

by Jake0890 (WAS) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:37 am

Yeah. I'm not sure if Myles meant to make these guys as good as they are, but the talent level is really off the charts for some of them. They're some of the best rookies in history statistically, if not THE best. Progression seems to be off a little. Too much talent in the 1st and 2nd years.

by WillyJakkz (ORL) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:43 am

andrei (POR) wrote:
WillyJakkz (HOU) wrote:Lillard is ballin' and a CSL MVP candidate no question but the real MVP's of that Portland team are Ray Allen and Kyle Korver.

They were 3-6 prior to signing 2 very helpful system friendly players FROM OFF THE STREET then they took off and turned into a force which is a testament to the GM.

Great job andrei.

Agree and thanks for this. Funny how these guys don't have fancy ratings or stats but make such a massive impact each and every game

Exactly. It's their shooting ability. They spread the floor for Lillard who is already a dominant player off the dribble and as a shooter so it gives him more room to do his thing while Aldridge, an excellent scoring big is another outlet guy who Lillard can get the ball to.

I love how you saw what your team lacked and got 2 of the best (at that value no less) and the impact they've made.

by **Dylan (BKN)** Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:44 am

Jake0890 (MIN) wrote:Yeah. I'm not sure if Myles meant to make these guys as good as they are, but the talent level is really off the charts for some of them. They're some of the best rookies in history statistically, if not THE best. Progression seems to be off a little. Too much talent in the 1st and 2nd years.

It seems like guys are getting fully developed super fast. Much faster than they should be. Not sure if that's a rookie thing or a game thing, or both.

by WillyJakkz (ORL) Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:50 am

Jake0890 (MIN) wrote:Yeah. I'm not sure if Myles meant to make these guys as good as they are, but the talent level is really off the charts for some of them. They're some of the best rookies in history statistically, if not THE best. Progression seems to be off a little. Too much talent in the 1st and 2nd years.

Well when they were first made I mentioned the IQ of nearly the entire class being a bunch of bball braniacs and that has alot to do with it as most of the rooks were smarter than seasoned vets in the League.

What Rizzo has been able to do however is maximize that by putting the right players around he and Davis so it's GM related as well.

But with those high IQ's they don't make mistakes as much therefore development timeline is thrown out the window and that's what I didn't like at all was the superior IQ of those guys.

by **Rizzo (NY)** Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:17 am

Willy, I agree with everything you have said in this thread except for this:

WillyJakkz (HOU) wrote:The IQ of the 2014 class was unreal especially when compared to their real life counterparts and that has alot to do with it.

We have to be careful to not compare the real life counterparts to any player in this league. They are separate entities and while some may show very similar games to their real life counterparts, it is not how the rookie classes are designed.

by WillyJakkz (ORL) Tue Jun 03, 2014 11:14 am

Rizzo (NO) wrote:Willy, I agree with everything you have said in this thread except for this:

WillyJakkz (HOU) wrote:The IQ of the 2014 class was unreal especially when compared to their real life counterparts and that has alot to do with it.

We have to be careful to not compare the real life counterparts to any player in this league. They are separate entities and while some may show very similar games to their real life counterparts, it is not how the rookie classes are designed.

Love the politically correct reply but that would be pretty nonsensical, why use the "names" as a reference point if they are not who they are subject to be? Might as well use fictional names and bring back the super euros from r2g if that's the case.

It's clearly evident with Anthony Bennett, subpar rookie yr in real life mirrored by his performance etc here, 2015 rooks designed by projections of what they were thought to be, no two ways about it.

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