Home »
Misc »
How to be mvp in basketball
How to be mvp in basketball
NBA MVP Award: What It Takes To Win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
What does it take to win the NBA's MVP Award? Heart. Grit. Determination.
Every winner of the award has displayed the same immeasurable attributes throughout the coarse of the year, but those adjectives cannot be quantified—or can they?
Since Bob Pettit won the first NBA MVP Award in 1956 we have seen winners as tall as 7-foot-2 (Kareem Abdual-Jabbar), and some who've struggled to hit 6-foot (Allen Iverson). We've had once-in-a-generation athletes (Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, LeBron James), and some of the most skilled players to ever pick up a basketball (Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Steve Nash).
There are similarities and differences all throughout the list but there is one thing that shines through in all 28 winners of the award, and that is they are winners.
Using the last 20 winners (from Magic in 1990 to LeBron in 2009), I have compiled the data to determine what it takes to win the NBA MVP Award.![]()
Let's take a closer look.
You Must Win Games To Win The Award
Everyone wants to point at points when picking the MVP, but it's not about points, it's about wins. Basketball is a team sport and the goal is to win games, if your team isn't winning games, you have no real value.
The lack of winning is the reason Dwyane Wade had no chance of coming away with the award last season and the reason Kobe Bryant didn't deserve it in 2006.
Of the 20 MVP seasons I looked at all but three winners played for teams who won more than 70 percent of their games (see lest below). That doesn't mean you can't be the runner-up if your team is floating just above .500, but it does mean you shouldn't expect to win the hardware.
OK, So Points Do Matter
I lied when I said the MVP isn't about points (or stats) because it is, but it’s about how your stats convert to wins.
To integrate wins and losses into a player's statistical production I have created the MVP Index, or what I call the MVPi.
To calculate the MVPi you look at the three major stat categories (points, rebounds, and assists) as well as the player's losing percentage, here is the formula:
[(PPG+RPG+APG) X 82 - (PPG+RPG+APG) X Games Missed ] / [82 X (1 - Winning Percentage)]
*Karl Malone's 1999 MVPi was adjusted for an 82 game season.
The two things that will hurt your MVPi the most are missing games, and more importantly, losing games.
Some would argue that steals, blocks, and threes should be accounted for or that assists should earn a higher value. The defensive stats tend to even out amongst elite players, threes are great when you need them but it has never been a prerequisite for MVPs, and if assists had more value we would see more point guards winning the award.
The top MVPi doesn't always win the award however, and this is because it matters how much better your team is than other teams and how much more valuable you are to your team than the second or third best player on your team.
Championships Matter
Ultimately you have the best chance of winning the award if you have the best record in the NBA, but having the best record in your conference goes a long way, and having the best record in your division is a must.
Over the past 20 years all 20 winners won their division, 17 won their conference, 12 had the NBA's best record during the regular season. Although it doesn't come into consideration during voting, seven of the 20 went on to win the title—Michael Jordan accounts for four of the seven.
In 1999 the Utah Jazz ties the San Antonio Spurs for the Midwest Division when Karl Malone won the MVP in the lockout-shortened season. The Jazz also happened to tie the Spurs for the best record in the NBA that year.
The 1994 and 1995 MVP races are a perfect indicator of how championships come into play. David Robinson statistically had a better season in 1993-94 than he did in 1994-95, on top of that his Spurs beat Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets three of four times.
With the absence of Jordan there was no question who the two best players in the NBA were, and they were in the same division.
Houston went on to win the Division in 1994, they didn't win the Western Conference but Olajuwon went on to win the MVP. In 1995 Robinson went home with the award with lesser stats but the most wins in the NBA.
Outliers
If you look at the bottom of the MVPi list you will see the three lowest scores belong to Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, and once again, Steve Nash.
It's easy to see why people have such a problem with Nash winning the award twice, but there is some explanation. The voters favor little men.
Nash and Iverson are the two shortest winners since Bob Cousy took home the second ever NBA MVP in 1957. While Nash's output was the lowest of anyone you also have to consider that Iverson missed 11 games (13.4 percent) during the 2000-01 season. Both of these guys got a boost from the voters.
To their defense they did win their division, Iverson led the Sixers to the best record in the East, and in 2005 Nash's Suns had the best record in the NBA.
In 2006 the Suns only won their conference but picking the MVP was picking your poison, the division winners were New Jersey, Detroit, Miami, Denver, San Antonio, and Phoenix. You can try to argue Dwyane Wade was the pick but with a 63.4 winning percentage his MVPi was at 99.1, only 4.5 points higher than Nash.
Conclusion
When you are talking about MVP candidates, you must narrow your list by potential division winners and teams winning more than 65 percent of their games (preferably 70 percent). Only then are you talking sensibly about who can win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.
Follow me on Twitter @JohnLorge .
The NBA’s Criteria For Selection of the MVP
Each year, the National Basketball Association (NBA) gives an award called the Most Valuable Player (MVP) to the player who has done the best in the regular season since the 1955–56 season. The winner is awarded the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA, who served from 1946 to 1963 and was the league’s first president.
The MVP Selection Group
In the past, the Most Valuable Player of the NBA was selected by the league’s players by casting votes. As time went along, the award was at one point determined by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from throughout the United States and Canada since the 1980–81 season.
Since 2010, supporters have been able to cast one vote for each candidate via online voting. The prize is given to the player who has accrued the greatest number of points. An online sportsbook is available where bets can be placed to determine the season’s most valuable player.
Finding the MVP in the Crowd
The most valuable player on the most successful team is known as the MVP. Alternatively, you’re looking at someone who has done something really remarkable over the course of an 82-game regular season. However, most of the time, it’s the one player most responsible for propelling his club above the preseason forecasts of so-called experts. There is no set way to find the MVP.
It could be based on the opinions of other players, advanced analytics, or the eye test.
Who are the MVPs?
To be considered for MVP, a player must demonstrate a high level of personal achievement, as well as team leadership and flashes of brilliance. As long as we keep discussing who the MVP is, the NBA will never give us a clear definition or set of criteria for the award. Every evaluator grades based on their own criteria. This is made easier as there are usually only a few candidates who make a strong case for the prize each season.
To earn the MVP award, your team must nearly always win the conference, if not your division, and win a large number of games. It is usually in the upper 50s, though sometimes in the 60s. In fact, during the previous 25 years, the MVP’s club averaged 62 victories every season. Michael Jordan was the lone exception in 1988 when despite not winning his conference or division, he had a terrific year and won his team win 50 games. Six times in a row, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the recipient of the award.
It’s also notable that he is the only player to win the award despite his team’s failure to advance to the playoffs in 1975–76. Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James each won the award four times, while Bill Russell and Michael Jordan each won it five times.
When it comes to the NBA’s criteria for selecting the most valuable player, a couple of things are taken into consideration, such as the ability of the player to affect a season, game, and franchise in several ways possible, and not just the amount of points the player is able to score.
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images
basketball player Antetokounbo recognized as the most valuable player of the season in the NBA - RT in Russian Giannis Antetokounmpo was named MVP in the league. The forward became only the second European in NBA history to win a major individual award, as well as the second representative of Milwaukee since the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Slovenian Luka Doncic was named rookie of the year, while American Lou Williams won the best sixth man award for the third time in his career.
Antetokounbo Tears The National Basketball Association (NBA) Annual Awards ceremony took place in Santa Monica, USA. Based on the performance in the regular season, the winners of 13 awards were determined, however, the most attention has traditionally been riveted to the Most Valuable Player of the season award. Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden and Paul George fought for this honorary title, but the Greek, as expected, took over.
The Milwaukee Bucks forward had the best season of his career in terms of statistics - he averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Thanks to his phenomenal success, the team won 60 victories and became the best in the regular championship. The last time the team from Wisconsin succeeded was 45 years ago, when the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for the club. It is noteworthy that the latter at that time still bore his real name - Ferdinand Alcindor.
Also related
The most talented basketball player since LeBron and the absence of Russians: what is the 2019 NBA draft remembered for
The 2019 National Basketball Association Draft ceremony took place in Brooklyn.
Under the first number, the New Orleans team...
By the end of the regular season, Antetokounmpo had only one competitor left. George had an unsuccessful second half of the championship and almost dropped out of the fight for the award, unlike last year's MVP Harden, who continued to break performance records with enviable consistency. The Houston Rockets defenseman has become the best in the last 32 years in the number of points scored per season (36.1), second only to Michael Jordan (37.1).
Another achievement of the sniper stands apart. In the middle of the season, his strongest teammates - Chris Paul, Clint Capela and Eric Gordon - were injured. As a result, James had to almost single-handedly lead Houston to victories. Harden scored at least 30 points in 32 consecutive games. This is the best result since the 65-game series of the legendary Golden State Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain.
Antetokounmpo himself was extremely emotional about his success. During the solemn speech, he could not hold back his tears.
Giannis warmly thanked the Milwaukee management, who "believed in him when he was 18", as well as teammates, family and friends. One of the first he mentioned was his father Charles, who passed away in 2017.
“I want to thank my dad. Of course, he is no longer with us. In 2017, he planted in my head the idea that I should become the best basketball player in the league. I did everything possible to help my team win, to get the MVP title. I always thought about him and it motivated me... I also want to say thank you to my incredible brothers and mom. She is my hero. You did everything for us,” Antetokounmpo said.
The 24-year-old Milwaukee forward became the first ever Most Improved Player and the third-youngest winner in 40 years. At an earlier age, only defender Derrick Rose and forward LeBron James received it.
Doncic's success and Williams' achievement In 2019, for the first time in NBA history, two basketball players from Europe went to the MVP and Rookie of the Year Awards.
Dallas Mavericks defenseman Luka Doncic won the second round, ahead of Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns and Trey Young of the Atlanta Hawks. The Slovenian is only the fourth non-US and second European athlete to win the award. Before him, Spaniard Pau Gasol, Canadian Andrew Wiggins and Australian Ben Simmons did it.
Doncic showed a mature basketball throughout the season. He surprised many experts with his ability to make the right decisions on the court and take over the game, which earned him comparison with LeBron himself. He finished the season in first place among rookies in points per game (21.2), and second in rebounds (7.8) and assists (6.0).
It is noteworthy that of the five main awards given to NBA basketball players, only one went to an athlete from the United States. So, the prize for the best sixth player (Sixth Man of the Year) was received by Lou Williams. For the third time in his career, the defender of the Los Angeles Clippers became its owner and compared with the record holder for this indicator Jamal Crawford.
It is noteworthy that this year one of his rivals was teammate Montrezl Harrell, and Domantas Sabonis, the son of the legendary Arvydas Sabonis, entered the final three.
Compared to last year, which saw Williams lose out to Gordon for the award, he dropped slightly in scoring (20.0 down from 22.6 points), but had his best season in assists (5.4) and rebounds (3.0). In addition, it was largely through his efforts that the starless Clippers were able to make it to the playoffs for the first time in two years, and then impose a fight on the champions of the last two years in the face of the Warriors.
Merit of Siakam and absence of Ners The award for the best defensive player (Best Defensive Player of the Year) for the second time in a row went to the Frenchman Rudy Gaubert, and Pascal Siakam was named the most progressive basketball player. In the fight for this award, the Toronto Raptors forward was opposed by two defensemen - De'Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings and D'Angelo Russell from the Brooklyn Nets.
But the victory in the NBA playoffs tipped the scales in favor of the Cameroonian.
Also related
First-ever Canadian champion: Toronto Raptors win NBA playoffs
The National Basketball Association (NBA) playoff finals have ended in North America. Champion title for the first time in his...
At the same time, the coach of the first Canadian NBA champion in history, Nick Nurse, was not even included in the list of candidates for the award for the best coach of the year (Coach of the Year). In his first season at the helm, he led Toronto to 58 regular season wins - despite the fact that team leader Kawhi Leonard worked on a lighter schedule and never played two days in a row.
Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer won. As in the case of Ners, last season was his first at the helm of the team, but this did not stop him from achieving incredible results. So, the Bucks immediately won 16 more victories than a year ago, won the Eastern Conference and, in general, began to demonstrate more modern basketball.
This is confirmed by an average of 13.5 accurate hits from behind the arc per match (8.8 a year ago).
At the same time, Budenholzer had serious competitors. Denver Nuggets mentor Mike Malone helped his team to 54 wins and take second place in the Western Conference for the first time in ten years, and Doc Rivers once again proved that he is an extra-class coach.
After a bad experience with the all-star trio of Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, and after their departure, the specialist bet on team play and led the Clippers to the playoffs, setting the stage for fruitful work in the offseason. Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles club is now considered one of the most desirable places for free agents.
Final Four MVP defender Sergei Tokarev: "I have to be the smartest on the court"
An experienced point guard of the basketball club "Novosibirsk" became the protagonist of the winning Russian Cup for the team: he scored a decisive three-point shot and was recognized as the most valuable player of the "Final Four".
Why did you choose basketball for yourself?
At the school where I studied, in Tomsk, the choice of classes was small, and a good coach was, perhaps, only in basketball - and I started training, it began to work out. Then I went to TSU, played for the university team, with which we became the champions of Russia. Then there were already offers to play in other cities, there was an opportunity to leave Tomsk, but my parents said: “Until you get an education, you won’t go anywhere, playing is a game, but there should be a specialty”, I had to finish my studies, get the first higher education. Moreover, I studied for real, full-time, and only after receiving my diploma did I leave to play for Irkutsk, then for Sverdlovsk, and now I play for Novosibirsk.
Do you also have a second degree?
Coming soon: now I am getting a specialized sports education, my first specialty is a water supply and sanitation engineer.
You are the shortest player on the field and in the team. What is it like to be a meter ninety baby?
Being relatively small for basketball has its advantages: higher speed, sharper yourself - no problem, you just do everything faster than two-meter "sticks" (smiles) .
Parents said: “Until you get an education, you won’t go anywhere, play is a game, but there should be a specialty.”
There is a saying that point guard is the brain of the team. How do you like this role?
My job is to give good passes for others to score from, shoot 3-pointers myself and be the conductor of coaching ideas on the court. I agree that the point guard should be the smartest and I hope that we have it (laughs) .
At the end of the final match of the Russian Cup there was a moment about which the coach later said that they did not play quite as planned. Why?
Two years ago, when we won both the Superleague championship and the Russian Cup, almost all the players who achieved those results left the team, and young guys came in their place - the first or second year of the institutes.
And in the final we played with Sakhalin, they have experienced guys who went through the VTB League school, it’s hard to fight with them, they lack a certain confidence in such situations. We always listen to the coach, it’s just that in the end it happens that the pulse is already very high, and emotions are overflowing, as a result, something flies “between the ears”, but this is not from disrespect for the coach, but simply by coincidence.
Who plays the role of "uncle" for young players in the squad?
Yevgeny Shatokhin and I are two "old men" in the team. He, of course, is a fine fellow and a unique one - not everyone can play at a high level until the age of forty, but, thank God, he has enough health and human qualities to benefit the team. Even despite the fact that now Zhenya gets a little playing time, he is the captain of the team and the microclimate that he creates in the dressing room plays a very important role. For example, we have a sign or tradition: before the game, when we go out on the court, we have to carry Shatokhin in our arms with the whole team, so that he, like a leader, leads us to victory - we repeat this ritual every time.
We have a tradition: before the game, we have to carry Zhenya Shatokhin by the whole team a little in our arms - so he, like a leader, leads us to victory.
Most of the regalia in the club, probably, belongs to the general manager Sergey Babkov. How does it work with such an authoritative leader?
He is a very strict person and unconditional authority. Despite the fact that he now holds an administrative position, he has a lot of experience both as a player and as a coach. Sergey Anatolyevich participates in team meetings and always says adequate things, the players understand him, and he understands them too.
Basketball club "Novosibirsk" now plays in the Superleague, while the most prestigious Russian tournament is the VTB League. Planning to play at a higher level?
I personally had options, and quite good ones, to move to the teams from the VTB League, but, on the other hand, I would not want to leave Novosibirsk, here as a player I have achieved some success.
I hope there is a chance that our team will be in this league in the coming years. In principle, we have already proved that we can play at a high level: three cups in three years is a serious indicator. It would be useful and interesting to reach the next level both for us as players and for the city: if, for example, CSKA, a stellar team, arrives, it will definitely gather a full hall, and we will have the opportunity to play against them, test ourselves, please the fans. Therefore, our job is not to give up, to prove, to win, and then sooner or later the VTB League will notice us and invite us. Because all other problems, I think, can be solved.
Is there any jealousy because basketball is not the most popular game sport in our city?
We ourselves go to the games of hockey "Siberia", we support the guys, last season they just played great, this season they were a little unlucky. Why be jealous then? Everyone understands that our hall itself is located very inconveniently, on the edge of the city, which is difficult to get to.
