With both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics one game away from sweeps and meeting up in the Eastern Conference Finals, so long as they each win one of their next four games, I think it's all but certain that LeBron James should be awarded the MVP and Brad Stevens should be awarded Coach of the Year honors. As a matter of fact, as of this very moment, I don't even think it's debatable anymore: LeBron James is the 2017-2018 NBA MVP and Brad Stevens is the 2017-2018 Coach of the Year.
Many analysts have suggested that James Harden should receive the MVP award. Others have suggested Kevin Durant is deserving. For as much as I respect both Harden and Durant as players, they're each surrounded by quality talent. Chris Paul has been one of the best all-around point guards in the league for a number of years, and even with Stephen Curry in the lineup, Durant has the likes of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to share the rock with. Remove Harden from Houston's lineup and they'll still likely be a playoff team. The same is true with Durant. Hell, the Warriors won one title while he was still in Oklahoma City. Without LeBron James, however, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have a chance for the top pick in the draft. He is the team. In the opening round, the 4th-seeded Cavaliers were inferior to 5th-seeded Indiana, but LeBron James found a way to beat the Pacers in 7. Yes, he basically beat the team by himself. The same has been true in the team's 2nd-round dismantling (to this point) of the top-seeded Toronto Raptors. For the season, James averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists. He shot 54.2% from the floor, 36.7% from 3-point range, and 73.1% from the charity stripe. In addition to all of that, he averaged 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest. In the playoffs to this point, he's averaged 34.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks. He's shot 54.7% from the field, 30.6% from the arc, and 75.5% from the free throw line. The guy has been a machine all season long, especially in the playoffs. He's about to almost single-handedly take his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. No other NBA player can say that, no matter how good they might be. LeBron James is, without a doubt, this year's MVP.
In their first game of the season, the Boston Celtics lost their second best player, the newly acquired Gordon Hayward, for the season. Their top player, also newly acquired, Kyrie Irving, went down around the midpoint of the season and never returned. In spite of losing their top two players for a good portion of the season, Brad Stevens led his team to a 55-27 record, good for 2nd in the Eastern Conference. In the postseason, they lost their third best player, Jaylen Brown, for multiple games due to injury, yet once again, under Stevens, the Celtics persisted, defeated 7th-seeded Milwaukee in 7 games and are up 3-0 against the 3-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. What Stevens has done this year with the Celtics is incredible, perhaps even historic, and whether his team advances any further in the playoffs or not, he should be awarded Coach of the Year honors at season's end.
Many analysts have suggested that James Harden should receive the MVP award. Others have suggested Kevin Durant is deserving. For as much as I respect both Harden and Durant as players, they're each surrounded by quality talent. Chris Paul has been one of the best all-around point guards in the league for a number of years, and even with Stephen Curry in the lineup, Durant has the likes of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to share the rock with. Remove Harden from Houston's lineup and they'll still likely be a playoff team. The same is true with Durant. Hell, the Warriors won one title while he was still in Oklahoma City. Without LeBron James, however, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have a chance for the top pick in the draft. He is the team. In the opening round, the 4th-seeded Cavaliers were inferior to 5th-seeded Indiana, but LeBron James found a way to beat the Pacers in 7. Yes, he basically beat the team by himself. The same has been true in the team's 2nd-round dismantling (to this point) of the top-seeded Toronto Raptors. For the season, James averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists. He shot 54.2% from the floor, 36.7% from 3-point range, and 73.1% from the charity stripe. In addition to all of that, he averaged 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest. In the playoffs to this point, he's averaged 34.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks. He's shot 54.7% from the field, 30.6% from the arc, and 75.5% from the free throw line. The guy has been a machine all season long, especially in the playoffs. He's about to almost single-handedly take his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. No other NBA player can say that, no matter how good they might be. LeBron James is, without a doubt, this year's MVP.
In their first game of the season, the Boston Celtics lost their second best player, the newly acquired Gordon Hayward, for the season. Their top player, also newly acquired, Kyrie Irving, went down around the midpoint of the season and never returned. In spite of losing their top two players for a good portion of the season, Brad Stevens led his team to a 55-27 record, good for 2nd in the Eastern Conference. In the postseason, they lost their third best player, Jaylen Brown, for multiple games due to injury, yet once again, under Stevens, the Celtics persisted, defeated 7th-seeded Milwaukee in 7 games and are up 3-0 against the 3-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. What Stevens has done this year with the Celtics is incredible, perhaps even historic, and whether his team advances any further in the playoffs or not, he should be awarded Coach of the Year honors at season's end.
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