Sobering Statistic: Only Two NBA MVPs In History Were Not A Top-14 Pick

[meangreenmachine]

Steve Nash (15th in 1996) and Moses Malone (ABA Draft: Round 3)

Only three other MVPs were not selected in the top ten: Kobe Bryant (13th in 1996), Karl Malone (13th in 1985), and Julius Erving (12th in 1972).

[kozlodoev]

Steve Nash (15th in 1996) and Moses Malone (ABA Draft: Round 3)

Only three other MVPs were not selected in the top ten: Kobe Bryant (13th in 1996), Karl Malone (13th in 1985), and Julius Erving (12th in 1972).

And this means what exactly?

[2short]

Funny to take into account the high school thing and if anyone remembers the aba.  But who was drafted ahead of Julius Erving the pride of UMASS!

[meangreenmachine]

Steve Nash (15th in 1996) and Moses Malone (ABA Draft: Round 3)

Only three other MVPs were not selected in the top ten: Kobe Bryant (13th in 1996), Karl Malone (13th in 1985), and Julius Erving (12th in 1972).

And this means what exactly?

If you want a future MVP on your team, you better draft, trade and/or sign some lottery players! I mean, if history is any indication...

Ultimately, it's just another statistic that shows how the NBA is a superstar-led league. I mean, even future MVPs were almost exclusively the modern-day equivalent of lottery picks coming into the league...contrast that to the NFL, where Tom Brady was the 199th pick in his draft, Joe Montana was 82nd, even Jerry Rice was 16th...

[kozlodoev]

Steve Nash (15th in 1996) and Moses Malone (ABA Draft: Round 3)

Only three other MVPs were not selected in the top ten: Kobe Bryant (13th in 1996), Karl Malone (13th in 1985), and Julius Erving (12th in 1972).

And this means what exactly?

If you want a future MVP on your team, you better draft, trade and/or sign some lottery players!

Then I guess it's good we hold the rights to 4 of them right now, isn't it?

[Emmette Bryant]

So does the MVP usually win the NBA championship?

[meangreenmachine]

So does the MVP usually win the NBA championship?

I would love to see someone else do the analysis since I am wore out looking up the draft selections of MVPs.

My guess: Historically, it's close to 50-50 where the MVP ends up winning the Finals (although obviously it is less than 50% the past few years). I am guessing somewhere between 2/3rds and 3/4ths of MVPs make it to the Finals.

[meangreenmachine]

Steve Nash (15th in 1996) and Moses Malone (ABA Draft: Round 3)

Only three other MVPs were not selected in the top ten: Kobe Bryant (13th in 1996), Karl Malone (13th in 1985), and Julius Erving (12th in 1972).

And this means what exactly?

If you want a future MVP on your team, you better draft, trade and/or sign some lottery players!

Then I guess it's good we hold the rights to 4 of them right now, isn't it?

Sadly, I do not foresee Smart, Turner or Olynyk becoming a future MVP, but at least we have a shot with Brown!

[Dino Pitino]

The correlation of draft position to MVP-ness is only as important as the correlation between MVP-ness and championships.