Zach Lowe: “The Rockets Org Knows Who Did/Didn’t Vote Harden For MVP Last Year”

If I actually worked for the Rockets and spent all my time analyzing the optimal way of playing basketball and analyzing successful players, I would probably just go crazy if I had to listen to any of the ESPN experts talk about triple doubles as the way they judge the best player in the NBA.

I mean, even as a basketball fan it felt ludicrous, but I assume it's a hundred times worse for people who analyze this stuff for a living.

 

The list of the analytically challenged is not a list worth making.

 

how is there not one single person from nba.com... i mean it’s the league’s site and they can’t get one of their own a vote?

 

it’s a shame that a guy like Jared Greenberg can’t get a vote but clowns like Beadle and Broussard do...

 

Media integrity should always be a welcome topic and this goes back to the 'Jordan retirement/only reason Hou has a championship' days. Ive got no problem with people fighting for a fair narrative but at this point I think it's somewhat disengenoius to open your rant claiming the organization and fan base are obsessed with regular season accolades. Nah bro, we all looking ahead (at least in my extended circle of season ticket holders) to the Warriors/playoffs and after this year I think it's all water under the bridge.

 

Lol 8 less wins 3 seeds lower 2 more uncontested rebounds stat padder holding down an all-star fan

 

I'm glad you're looking ahead to the playoffs and not getting worked up over MVPs. We are on the same page as far as that goes, then.

I know what I've read on here regarding the MVP race and what I read/hear coming from the Rockets organization and broadcasters with their overt campaigning for MVP and beating their chest about what a great regular season team we've been. I don't consider my "rant" disingenuous at all, but whatever.

 

No kidding. I'm shocked that she has a vote.

Every time I watch games on abc/espn I always tell myself that she is the worst. Doesn't know anything at all about basketball and her vocabulary is basically "wowwwwww", "are you serious???", and "what??!"

She is one person that shouldn't have a vote.

 

I think the flip side here is the organization is focused on making our players look good. I don't know how exactly they've done it (and sure having a cornerstone like Harden helps a ton), but Houston is now seen as incredibly desirable organization for players. Part of that has to be the organization's willingness to promote its players.

 

Love it!


Eat it b***!!!

 

some people won’t believe this, but it’s possible to care about regular season achievements/accolades and the playoffs/winning a chip at the same time

 

That's a good point. I think it is calculated to some degree to make our star players happy, and perhaps to send a signal to other potential players that we take care of our (star) players.

But I also think we are just interested in portraying the team and its players as highly successful as a matter of business, and to make that case we kind of latch on to various factoids that ultimately feel empty to me given the absence of significant playoff success in recent years.

 

gotcha... it’s still ridiculous that some of those people have a vote

 

I wouldn't expect there to be any connection.

More confident? No. Give more effort? Hopefully, yes.

Clearly not. Are you suggesting it had a negative psychological effect? If so, what does that say about Harden's character?

You continue to beat this drum that "disrespect" from media members matters, even after the Rockets have lost in embarrassing fashion and thereby only intensified the doubts those media members had about the team.

LOL, so what? Other players b**** about media disrespect, and so its cool if our players do the same?

Also: Kyrie and the flat earth stuff has nothing to do with anything being discussed here.

Why are you even mentioning the Warriors here, when the Rockets success hasn't come close to approaching there's? Of course the media has glowing things to say about the Warriors.

As for the Celtics, however glowing the media are about them, most aren't even picking them to beat the Cavs in a playoff series. People here were going apeshit over Kyrie being an MVP front-runner during the first month of the season, and now that talk has predictably subsided. Who in the media thinks the Celtics are better than the Rockets?

As for the Blazers and Thunder, only "glowing things"? Really?

It's neither positive or negative. It makes no difference to me. Respect is earned by succeeding in the playoffs. Prove something in the playoffs and then talk about disrespect if you like.

 

the media shouldn't have any votes at all. they're either actors playing sports news anchors until they get a movie gig, or homer local broadcasters/beat writers who will vote for their local star.

the voting pool should be made up of: 30 head coaches, 30 gms, 30 (whoever does the scouting report for each game, 1 from each team), all living former MVPs.

 

Beadle doesn’t know anything about sports period, not just basketball.

 

The MVP award is stupid, because it's being voted on subjectively by incompetent non-basketball people and there's a ton of biases in play. Rings on the other hand... Nothing subjective about it.