James thinks he should be MVP

[tonydelk]

Man this guy has an ego like no one.  Just makes me hope they lost in the 1st round just.  I can't stand Cavs fans either.  They cheered when Kyrie went down and one on their board hoped it was career ending.  Classy people.  Harden is hands down the MVP.

LeBron James - F - Cavaliers
LeBron James said he should be MVP this season.

"I would vote for me," James told The Associated Press when asked about who should be MVP this season. "The body of work, how I'm doing it, what's been happening with our team all year long, how we've got so many injuries and things of that nature, guys in and out, to be able to still keep this thing afloat, I definitely would vote me." James makes a solid point, and honestly, he's been a perennial MVP candidate since 2006; but it'll be James Harden taking home the award this season.
Source: USA Today Mar 28 - 11:33 AM

[Phantom255x]

I mean, he's not wrong. JAMES Harden SHOULD be the MVP.
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OH WAIT YOU MEANT THE OTHER JAMES!?!? 

It's funny because he says all that, yet he traded like half the team in the middle of the season 

[jambr380]

What is even talking about?  I get that they are rolling now (not last night - haha  ), but they were pretty horrible for a good chunk of the season and that counts.

James Harden kept Houston more than afloat despite Paul missing over 20 games earlier this season. Not only is his team much better, but he has been scoring more and has more WS and a better PER (I know, not people's favorite stats).

James Harden has also just missed out on a couple of MVPs (Curry's 2nd and Westbrook last year). I get that Lebron could win it ever year - whatev - but this is definitely not the year.

[Roy H.]

Best player, yes.  MVP, no.

James has played no defense this year, he's been a terrible leader, and his team has underachieved.  He's having a monster season, but he's not MVP.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I have few good feelings for LeBron, but I agree that he deserves MVP.

The MVP is a tricky award because different people have different definitions for what it means, but if it means "best player," I think it has to be LeBron, because he's still the best all-around player on the planet and has been for many years. And if it means "most valuable to his team," I still think it should go to LeBron, because I think a LeBron-less Cavs team would be worse than a Harden-less Rockets team.

Then again, I think the MVP award is mostly useless, just like the Oscars—both often boil down to trendiness, and I generally despise trendiness. And since I dislike Harden as much as I dislike LeBron, I don't really care which one of them gets it.

Besides all that, I want championship banners, not individual awards.

[Sophomore]

James Harden kept Houston more than afloat despite Paul missing over 20 games earlier this season. Not only is his team much better, but he has been scoring more and has more WS and a better PER (I know, not people's favorite stats).

On the team comparison, it's true that Paul missed about 20 games, but so did Kevin Love. Also, IT missed essentially the entire season. For a lot of the year it was LBJ and some pretty limited  role players, so I really don't think it's reasonable to credit Harden without crediting LBJ as well.

The individual stats are awfully close. This is a personal thing, but it bothers me the way Harden gets a lot of his points - the rip-throughs, the upfakes, and the kamikazee dives to the bucket that he uses to manufacture so many free throws without really trying to score the ball. If you're looking only at 2 and 3 point shot attempts, James is an elite scorer with a clear edge on Harden (59.4% - 54.0 in Efg %age). Harden basically ties James on efficiency when you factor in his free throw advantage (62.3%-61.9% in TS). For sure, they're all points, and they all count, and Harden is just taking advantage of what the rules allow. But having watched Harden play the Cs, I don't want to see this kind of bailout offense rewarded and I'd like the league to find a way to change the rules and cut down on this stuff. Can Harden be an elite scorer without it? I don't know. I'd like to see. For now it doesn't look that way - he looks like a very good, above-average scorer, not a top-of-the-league guy.

James does also rebound better (about 3 more per game) although that's probably in part because he's guarding players who are closer to the basket.

[Moranis]

He was asked the question and answered truthfully and frankly said what any top player would say if they were being honest.

I think Harden should and will win, but he has missed 9 games and he isn't as good statistically overall as James so I wouldn't be surprised to see James win it

[celticsclay]

How in the world does James escape any blame, in his mind, for the Cavs season performance. They essentially have the same record as the pacers. I think anyone would say Kevin love (who is still going to play 60 games) is better than turner. Presumably James is better than Oladipo right? So why the same record? Are the cavs players like Korver, Wade, green, Thompson and later Hill, Clarkson and Nance the worst collection of players in the league? I think anyone would say they are as good as Collison and Lance Stephenson who have been passed around the league like an unwanted white elephant gift the last few years. Yet James is so much better than other player in the league that he has lifted the cavs to a fight for the 4th seed with a fellow allstar? Heck I would vote for Oladipo before I would vote for James. Even last year when the award went to a player on a team that had 40 something wins the thunder at least exceeded their preseason expectations (most thought they were lottery team)

[celticsclay]

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/978870179630342144

Last night was another night that Lebron took off. Then today he is the MVP.

[tarheelsxxiii]

It should be Harden.  But I think LeBron made solid enough deadline trades to at least be in the running.

[Surferdad]

..."I would vote for me," James told The Associated Press when asked about who should be MVP this season.
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Too bad he doesn't have a vote.   

BTW, I saw the thread title and also thought is was Harden speaking.

[Atzar]

He has a valid argument. 

The Cavs would have been utterly irrelevant this year if it weren't for LeBron.

[SHAQATTACK]

all time biggest whiner

[celticsclay]

At this point in my career, I’m just trying to break the mold, break the narrative of guys in their 15th year. ... I’m trying to do things that have never been done before,” James said. “It’s crazy because I’m not setting out to do it. It’s just kind of happening organically."

That is a real think piece.

[celticsclay]

He has a valid argument. 

The Cavs would have been utterly irrelevant this year if it weren't for LeBron.

Are we sure they are relevant? They have the same record as the Pacers and 76ers right now? Will have to see how they do in the playoffs to know if they even are.