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Rockets send promotional items to brainwash MVP voters - 2015 edition

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by redhotrox, Apr 3, 2015.

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omgTHEpotential Member

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durvasa said: ↑

If its just entertainment, if we really want to go down that path, just make it like the all-star team voting. Put up an NBA.com ballot, and let the fans decide who wins it. I mean, ultimately, this is about the fans, right?
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All major sports are about the fans. Without the fans, there wouldn't be an NBA.

#141 omgTHEpotential, Apr 5, 2015

tws011 Member

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Don't have a problem with it. I like the idea of Morey going to bat for his players.

#142 tws011, Apr 5, 2015
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Do a fan giveaway for those things, screw the media!

#143 Blurr#7, Apr 5, 2015
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Zach Lowe is in the top 5%-10% of the media when it comes to understanding the NBA and basketball. He puts forth effort that most others don't. He attempts to educate the details of the NBA, the plays called and reasoning behind why things are the way they are. There was a period about a year ago where he had several obvious mistakes and errors in his pieces, but everyone has a rough patch and who knows what was going on in his personal life.

Having said that, the issue I have with Zach Lowe is that he can be very biased and is very selective about which measures he relies on when he writes his articles.

I still read what he writes most of the time but realize that he has personal opinions about particular players, organizations, teams and executives that influence his writing to a greater deal than I would like.

#144 Nook, Apr 6, 2015
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Nook said: ↑

Zach Lowe is in the top 5%-10% of the media when it comes to understanding the NBA and basketball. He puts forth effort that most others don't. He attempts to educate the details of the NBA, the plays called and reasoning behind why things are the way they are. There was a period about a year ago where he had several obvious mistakes and errors in his pieces, but everyone has a rough patch and who knows what was going on in his personal life.

Having said that, the issue I have with Zach Lowe is that he can be very biased and is very selective about which measures he relies on when he writes his articles.

I still read what he writes most of the time but realize that he has personal opinions about particular players, organizations, teams and executives that influence his writing to a greater deal than I would like.
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Stop making stuff up, Nook the intellectual crook.

#145 Kwame, Apr 6, 2015
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This is about recruiting other stars as much as it's about promoting Harden.

#146 Raven, Apr 6, 2015
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Nero said: ↑

Actually, the thing nobody seems to be acknowledging is the fact that, far from 'letting Curry's game speak for itself', the Warriors are letting the MEDIA speak for him. The sports media has been all over Curry's jock all season, so GS doesn't HAVE to do any promotion of Curry.

I'm sure that, if it was the other way around, and the media had been tongue-bathing Harden all season, GS would not be hesitating to send out similar promotional material.

But these tiny brains in the media don't even seem to notice what they themselves have been doing.
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I think that's all true. But, it's also the media who are voting. You could say that they may be stuck in an echo chamber, but ultimately it's just them propagandizing themselves. If they think Curry's MVP and have been saying so in their writing all season, then I suppose that's what they think and Curry will win it. The writing is on the wall.

ksny15 said: ↑

This is pretty cool. If I was Harden this would make me feel good knowing the org appreciates me
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Which I think is the real point. I don't know if Morey even wants Harden to win it. But, he wants Harden and everyone else to see he's out there stumping.

#147 JuanValdez, Apr 6, 2015

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#148 LCAhmed, Apr 6, 2015
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djimi said: ↑

I am probably the minority here who doesnt want Harden to win the MVP. I mean seriously, so what if he wins it? It doesnt mean a thing if he wins the MVP and not advance far in the playoffs. The team focus should be CHAMPIONSHIP. Anything other than that are just distractions. It's good for an individual point of view but for the greater team goal MVP dont mean a thing.

If Harden wins the MVP there is bigger pressure for him to make it past the 1st Round and to me that is unnecessary pressure. If he wants to win the MVP award, there are still chance for him to win it in the coming years. I want Curry to win it, plus they get the best record, its a recipe for a 1st round exit due to more pressure for them to perform. If they lose the first game and home court, it goes downhill from there. dont tell me none of you have seen it happen before.

Plus, if Harden doesnt win it, it lights up a fire for him to prove the doubters wrong. He will step it up like how he stepped up after people criticised him after last season.

NBA, please give the MVP Award to Stephen Curry.

P/S: Please dont flame me too hard
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So you don't think that the confidence gained by the player that gets voted the MVP will carry into the playoffs?

For those of you saying blah blah blah, nothing matters but a championship arent thinking of all the things that lead up to that championship. Harden winning the MVP could be just the thing that makes him go out each night and look down at his opponent and say, "I'm going to put you on an island and cook you up. You cant touch me"

I for one will be more than happy for any player on our team that is recognized for their efforts this year. This season has been a blast to watch so far and I'm looking forward to watching it as long as it lasts. Albeit i hope the season ends with Houston receiving its 3rd championship.

#149 Freik, Apr 6, 2015
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>T'Wolves making push for Andrew Wiggins as rookie of the year and using sock game to promote his cause: <a href="http://t.co/hryPFTJ8GK">pic.twitter.com/hryPFTJ8GK</a></p>— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffZillgitt/status/585926348650192896">April 8, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Wiggins knocked everyone's socks off this season so <a href="https://twitter.com/Twolves_PR">@Twolves_PR</a> sent NBA <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ROY?src=hash">#ROY</a> voters a fresh pair. What do you think? <a href="http://t.co/1iherc2Ve7">pic.twitter.com/1iherc2Ve7</a></p>— MN Timberwolves (@MNTimberwolves) <a href="https://twitter.com/MNTimberwolves/status/585927405145092097">April 8, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

#150 J.R., Apr 8, 2015
Last edited: Apr 8, 2015
J Sizzle Member

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Ugh Morey shamelessly promoting Andrew Wiggins

#151 J Sizzle, Apr 8, 2015
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Is Mark Spears going to throw shade on Minny?

#152 sabesque, Apr 8, 2015
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The promotion seems a little silly, but I love Morey's response to Zach Lowe (who sounds like a total tool). It's like an professor silencing a dumb, cocky student with a few words in front of the entire class.

#153 SemisolidSnake, Apr 8, 2015

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Curry also would love to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. He and Houston Rockets guard James Harden lead the race. New Orleans' Anthony Davis, the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook and the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are also candidates.

Harden has said he is deserving of the MVP award, and the Rockets sent a video book promoting him to voters. The Warriors' promotion included a media-relations representative calling voters and asking them to consider their award candidates. Curry declined to campaign for himself. The Warriors' lone MVP winner was Wilt Chamberlain during the 1959-60 season.

"Obviously, you can make a case for whomever," Curry said. "I can say whatever I want about my season and what separates me from the other guys on the list and all that. At the end of the day you have to win games. You have to play at a high level and let it do the talking for yourself.

"The MVP, it doesn't matter what anyone says off the court. Everyone had their opinion on what it is. You can go back and forth all day. And I don't want to distract of the bigger goals of us playing well night in and night out and searching for that championship.

"It would be very special to win that award and I hope that happens. I think I played well all year and have been very consistent. But that's kind of where it ends."
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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/stephe...onship-171843925.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

#154 J.R., Apr 16, 2015
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This reminds me... I forgot to post it when I screen-capped it.

Here is what the Pelicans are sending out to media members:

So I don't know why the Rockets got called out on this.. all teams do it.

#155 bmd, Apr 16, 2015
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bmd said: ↑

This reminds me... I forgot to post it when I screen-capped it.

Here is what the Pelicans are sending out to media members:

So I don't know why the Rockets got called out on this.. all teams do it.
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Because Rockets and Morey.

#156 tdo, Apr 16, 2015
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tdo said: ↑

Because Rockets and Morey.
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+ because media-homers and hypebeasts

#157 sabesque, Apr 16, 2015
redhotrox Member

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Came across this article and I thought the Warriors were totally above campaigning? What happened to letting Curry's play speak for itself?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out my story on how Warriors and Rockets sculpted different MVP campaigns for <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30">@StephenCurry30</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JHarden13">@JHarden13</a>: <a href="http://t.co/xABVbOtU4R">http://t.co/xABVbOtU4R</a></p>— Jeff Faraudo (@JeffFaraudo) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffFaraudo/status/593498866332237825">April 29, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

OAKLAND -- Forty-five years ago, a creative sports information director at Notre Dame convinced quarterback Joe Theismann to change the pronunciation of his last name -- which had been Theesman -- to rhyme with college football's biggest award.

The result was a catchy promotion: Theismann for Heisman.

If Stephen Curry wins the NBA's Most Valuable Player award -- expected to be announced within the next week -- it won't be because the Warriors shouted his name daily from the nearest mountaintop.

"I knew they would have a voice out there and represent me well. I didn't think it would be a huge campaign," Curry said this week. "Most of the time we were letting our wins do the talking."

Beneath the surface of the MVP debate involving Curry and Houston Rockets guard James Harden rages a duel of campaign styles that are just as different as the players themselves.

The Warriors' approach was old school: PR director Raymond Ridder's staff phoned (or left messages for) all 120-plus media members with a vote, presenting the argument that Curry was the league's most efficient star while leading his team that enjoyed a historic 67-win season.

The Rockets were more cutting edge, producing a hard-bound book that, when opened, delivers to voters a slick video campaign message. The inside cover has a sleeve that holds three large cards with more statistical reminders of the season Harden has assembled.

Did the Warriors do enough by merely chatting up voters on the phone?

Did the Rockets do too much by mailing out what San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich derisively called "little packages of propaganda?"

The Warriors say they are at peace with their approach, which was sculpted by Ridder, in his 17th season in their communications department, and approved by those above him.

"We wanted a more organic, grass-roots approach, less of an overt campaign," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said. "It was more letting Steph's play speak for itself and hope it resonated with the voters and the fans and the NBA community."

And what if Harden wins the award?

"In all honesty," Myers said, "we won't look back and say we should have done anything differently."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr has been clear about his position. He engaged Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in a public give-and-take on the topic last month, telling reporters tongue-in-cheek, "If Daryl Morey wants to run his own one-man campaign for James Harden, he can do that. We're focused on other stuff."

Morey, who has nearly 96,000 Twitter followers, subsequently told radio host Jim Rome, "I think we've been very straightforward about pushing and supporting our guys. Others have been sort of saying they're not campaigning while calling every media member."

Kerr's view, if anything, was more strident when asked about the subject this week. Recalling his days as a TV analyst, he said, "I used to vote and when I would get that stuff in the mail I would toss it in the trash. To me, it's insulting when people send stuff out.

"Seriously, like I'm going to change my mind because somebody sent me some little (thing) that's just going into the landfill and is bad for the environment. If the NBA is really into Green Week, they should ban MVP and all other award promotion."

This is probably the point in the story where it's worth noting that Joe Theismann did not win the 1970 Heisman Trophy. He finished second, behind Stanford's Jim Plunkett.

Did Morey and his creative team succeed where Notre Dame came up short?

Two voters interviewed for this story said they were impressed by the Harden hard sell.

"I give them credit for being entertaining and relevant to the discussion," said Sam Amick, who covers the NBA for USA Today. "The numbers they chose and the argument they made was smart. It wasn't the basic meat and potatoes you sometimes get."

"I was impressed with the technology," said Dan Woike, Los Angeles Clippers beat writer for the Orange County Register. "Ultimately, it had no influence on me."

Woike believes the Rockets' campaign sends a message that the franchise will go to bat for its players. For his own purposes, he said he got clarity from his phone conversation with someone on Ridder's staff.

"The question I came back to was they won 67 games. What else do you have to do to win the MVP?" said Woike, who initially planned to vote for Harden, then changed his mind. "I grew up in Chicago. The Warriors were five wins away from the 72-win Bulls. To me, that was more persuasive than any trinket a team could send."

Neither Woike nor Amick received anything promoting the campaigns of Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook or Cleveland's LeBron James, also considered top-five MVP candidates.

But Amick said his kids, ages six and eight, like the 10-inch Anthony Davis stuffed doll sent by the New Orleans Pelicans in an effort to insert their young star into the conversation.

Among those with ballots who received the promotional aids, Amick said, "I don't have any recollection of people giving me the impression it made a difference in their vote."
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#158 redhotrox, Apr 29, 2015

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How do you let your play speak for itself if you are making phone calls??

#159 Icehouse, Apr 29, 2015
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Rockets always ahead of the curve.

Love that media book and would love to see that video. Lets hope they release it!

#160 BasketballReasons, Apr 29, 2015

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