(04-12-2024, 06:25 AM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: So let me understand what you're saying The Jom, you think the Joker is playing with a clear advantage over other MVP candidates because of how good his team is and where they play? And even though you wouldn't vote for him to win his 3rd MVP, he's the odds on favorite inspite of Luka's and SGA's remarkable seasons.
Not even close. Makes me think my post must’ve been horribly written.
Joker has a huge advantage in the regular season due to there being so few real centers in the league. That advantage is considerably smaller in the playoffs because he’s playing the better teams, most of whom have some kind of quality defensive answer to the big-center problem.
Joker’s teammates definitely are good, and the altitude advantage seems larger in the playoffs when rotations shrink, especially if the team at altitude has home-court advantage. So it’s telling, I think, that his teams generally haven’t outperformed their playoff seeding. (At least that’s my recollection.)
He is reportedly the favorite this year. I have no basis for questioning that. I don’t think he’s ever been the best player in the league. Embiid either. Neither do I think either of them has had the best year, although I’m not really sure what that means.
To sum it up, if we time-transported an all-time great center into the 2024 season, say Olajuwon (a one-time MVP), I would expect said center to have vastly better numbers than Joker and dominate their matchups head to head.
But go ahead. Make him a three-time MVP. It’s not gonna hurt my feelings.
Pessimism doesn’t make you smart, just pessimistic.