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From: plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hoops
Subject: Re: Who will be MVP?
Message-ID: <1451@panda.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 28-Feb-86 09:31:58 EST
Article-I.D.: panda.1451
Posted: Fri Feb 28 09:31:58 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 22:31:23 EST
References: <1319@pucc-i>
Reply-To: plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 49
Summary: 

>
>   Player                PPG   RPG   APG   Stl   FG%   FT%      Team W-L%
>
>Dominique Wilkins        28.4  7.8   2.6   89    .475  .797      .577
>Larry Bird               24.6  9.8   6.2   111   .464  .908      .820
>Alex English             29.1  5.0   4.1   45    .506  .848      .574
>Akeem Olajuwon           23.6  11.2  2.0   91    .516  .663      .654
>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar      23.5  5.8   3.6   36    .569  .790      .750
>Moses Malone             23.0  11.8  1.2   45    .445  .777      .642
>Adrian Dantley           29.0  5.3   3.3   45    .559  .814      .473
>
Assuming the MVP Award is really interpreted as PLAYER OF THE YEAR, I
honestly believe that Larry should get it again.  (Incidently, at this
stage of the season, I'd expect that he will get the neccesary ballots
if they voted now.)

Your above list really includes some GREAT PLAYERS.  I would pass over
Akeem for a .663 free throw percentage and the fact that Kareem, in his waning
years, can still apparently outplay him.  Free throws, on the other hand,
are such an important part of the overall game, especially in close contests,
that I believe that the NBA's Player of the Year must be at least better than
average.  Don't get me wrong, Akeem is one helluva Center!

Dominique, on the other hand, though he appears to be changing somewhat, 
is a one on one ballplayer.  Against the Celts, we've seen him take the
Hawks out of the game on several occasions.

I think that important attributes of the Player of the Year that don't appear
in stat sheets are:

	*  Overall game

	*  On-court savvy

	*  The ability to make teammates better than they are

	*  Hustle and desire

	*  Team leadership

My vote is unquestionably for the NBA's best player: Larry.

My second vote would be for the NBA's best alltime player: Kareem.



-- 
						Pete Williamson
"By hook or by crook, we will !!" ... #2