Dude turned into mini 2017 Kawhi

The way he has been shutting down some of Harper’s attacks at the rim (despite him already being one of the league’s best finishers) has been mad impressive. He’s had some amazing transition blocks/near blocks.

TBF, Brunson turned up the D in game 4 too. He even went one on one with Wemby and forced a miss.

He’s been the difference

It does feel like defense matters more for FMVP than MVP in general

All those teams dreaming of getting OG away from the Raptors purgatory for years… the Knicks finally did and he delivered. He’s really living up to it.

Knicks have 3 players that could all be finals mvp and a 4th guy they traded 4 first round picks for.

And yet, I dont think anyone has ever called them a superteam before lol

[deleted]

All playoffs too. I was shocked by how he was far and away the best player in our series

The block and the tip

Brunson is still the heavy favorite to win it.  Brunson -120 compared to OG +250. 

The media decided before the series even started that Brunson would be mvp if they won.  It’s the narrative they want. 

Not at all

Honestly more than the game winner it felt like every 3 he made in game 4 was at a critical moment for the team

No, he didn’t. If Brunson scores 35 in game 5 & OG scores like 10, it will be a unanimous Brunson finals MVP

this is absolutely true. Brunson (and KAT) are shouldering an offensive load that allows OG to play like this.

that being said, OG is worlds better defensively than Jalen is, and is playing even beyond his normally elite level. KAT has a similar defensive load, and has done fantastic, but is playing soundly whereas i feel like OG is genuinely a defensive playmaker.

either of the 3 have a very deserved case

I’d estimate that ~25% of OG’s offense (3 out of 12 shots) has been bailing out stagnant possessions after being dumped the rock with under 4 seconds on the shot clock. He’s been incredibly clutch creating enough space to get tough 3s off in those situations.

Sure, but OG’s defense is miles above Brunson’s, and the game is played on both ends. OG is the finals MVP as of now.

It’s maddening to see it play out again.

Even OGs tip was made possible bc castle ran over to help wemby double team Brunson. Why did he feel the need to do that? Bc Brunson just put a three in wembys eye a few possessions earlier. So now OG has a free path to the hoop. Brunson is the one the entire system goes through and is the #1 thing on spurs defensive game plan.

And now that Lowe said this shit so many media guys will fall in line. So stupid to me. 

That was straight up retarted giving it to Andre and I’m a huge Andre fan. Curry was still absurdly efficient despite all the attention and iguodala was never contested the whole series 

Even if I was picking one of the “stars” I would pick Kat over Brunson for this series.

That’s completely braindead.

What is Brunson doing with his attention? Putting up drastically below league efficiency shots. He has more FGA per game than OG+KAT+half of Mikal’s combined.

He is literally burying his own team and people are soying out when he makes 2 straight shots in the last few minutes when they could’ve been up 20 with a better guard.

You dorks completely forget Brown winning it over Tatum, because Brown was literally better than him. But you’re so obsessed with coping into oblivion that a star can never just plainly be bad.

KAT has been completely fking invisible in the 4th quarter when you wanna talk about “clutch brunson”. 0/6 in 4Q over the first 3 games.

OG is their best scorer and defender. brunson is doing jackshit except throwing up bad shots.

I miss him so much

A lot of the saebermetric type stats like PER (and the old IBM calculation) tend to favor forwards over ball handlers. Forwards tend to get more open looks, and often, get them closer to the basket, than guards. Guards are usually creating their own shot more. This leads to lower “efficiency” numbers. All the rebounding stats also favor forwards and other non-volume shooters. Doesn’t make it useless, but it’s important to understand it can be a little apples and oranges when you compare the PER of forwards and guards.

ETA- if you look at all time PER leaders it’s almost all C and PF. KAT is 21st all time.

PER is an efficiency stat. OG’s shooting efficiency is higher. That doesn’t mean his total positive contribution is higher.

Fits what I was thinking as well with Kat being above Brunson

This

That’s all people need to know, whenever it’s close, whoever stands out more will probably get it

Yeah was gonna say it’s not that obvious to me right now. All 3 of these guys been stellar at different points. Whoever has the best eliminating performance will get it. If it’s even I think they will give JB the flowers though.

KAT narrowly playing the best isn’t enough if they win in 5, he’ll need 38+ on Saturday to be the FMVP if the other two have average games in my mind.

kat is out of it with his last 2 games. it’s Brunson or OG for the knicks right now

What? Why?

Brunson was 0-2 on game-deciding shots in g4. They would’ve lost without OG’s block and putback.

“clinching game” deciding FMVP is for game 7s, and even that’s arguable, because bad players can drag a series longer.

It’s OG and it’s not arguable.

It’s just because of politics

No it isn’t. I’d pick Anunoby, but if Brunson wins, it isn’t “just because of politics.” It’s because he’s the entire hub of the offense that forces mismatches and cross matches for the rest of the team, he was the main guy who led them back in game 4 to give OG a chance to win it, and he made most of their big shots in games 1 and 2. That’s not politics. It’s not politics that he’s constantly drawing the other team’s best defender, plus other guys constantly looking to help on him, and that helps other guys get good looks. That’s why people often default to the best player on the team to get it.

Efficiency has got to be the most over emphasized stat of all time. It’s so much easier to get a good efficiency as a role player taking mostly open 3s and cutting layups. Brunson has shit efficiency because on offense if their play breaks down or their set doesn’t work out, Brunson is gonna take the prayer shot. IM NOT SAYING EFFICIENCY ISN’T IMPORTANT, but it’s not everything. Lots of great players (Kobe for instance) were not very efficient players, but they won basketball games, and there’s a reason for that. Only so many shots in a basketball game, OG isn’t getting doubled, or full court pressured, or being expected to toss a shot up at the end of the play clock or when the play breaks down.

idgaf who gets it. let’s just win the damn thing.

[deleted]

He’s peak Kawaish? Right?

OG hasn’t had a single game this series where he was a positive on the +/- charts, Brunson’s had 2 and both came in wins. Not to detract from OG because yeah, he’s been great in his role but let’s please not make the same mistake as the Iggy Finals MVP.

KAT hasn’t put up the counting stats to receive the award although his impact has been phenomenal. I don’t think it’s farfetched to say that OG has been the best player in this series for the Knicks even if he still isn’t there best player

Unfortunately feels like these voters just look at ppg and headlines. To me, KAT is finals mvp so far. He flat out outplayed wemby games 1 & 2. Game 3 he was a +6 in a 4 point loss. Game 4, comeback started when he was actually on the floor. Knicks look unstoppable when KAT gets going. I know everyone’s been contributing but if the Knicks do end up winning the series, the key piece is Karl Anthony Towns.

He’s my MVP but there’s a KAT tax, he’s like the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA.

Game 3 hurt all the Knicks, but Game 4 he didn’t have a great game. Refball but still, wasn’t a great overall game, especially compare to OG

He was the best Game 1 and 2 while OG was also pretty good, but he hasn’t been great game 3 and 4 while OG was fantastic, and playing great in a losing games weighs more imo, which pretty much only OG did when they lost

Game 3 and 4 killed his chances really along with OG ascending

Love KAT, him getting his first 4th quarter points in game 4 will be held against him

Why ever have an MVP vote if it just automatically goes to the best player on the team? Brunson has done clutch things, but on the whole, he has not performed well. I get the Spurs are targeting him, but if you’re just going to give the guy known for his offense shooting sub-40%, when he has two teammates that are outperforming him offensively and defensively, then what would it actually take for it not to just be Brunson’s award?

If it was like last year, where Shai had by his standards a poor performance, but no one on the Thunder really stood out, then yeah, it makes sense to give it to him. But with how great KAT and OG have been, to me its, what exactly more would KAT or OG have to do for them to be MVP over Brunson?

Brunson is still there best player

He has so abundantly clearly not been this.

He’s supposed to be. That’s his reputation. He has not been this at any point this series.

and he’s been phenomenal in the 4th quarters as well been god awful everywhere else however.

I know you made sure to actually give context that he’s been horrible the rest of the time, but the level of horrible he’s been just does not deserve props for the 3 minutes a game he’s good. He is sinking them

I think if you are the bus driver of your team and you play to your expected standards then you should win MVP. This is not JT situation where JB is 1B, or Steph because he wasn’t as good as he was in the reg szn. It has to go to Jalen Brunson. 

He’s creating most of the shots for the Knicks

He’s missing more than almost anyone on the team. Sub-50% trueshooting is catastrophic, I don’t think you grasp this.

offensive load Brunson has to carry in this series

Huh?

Throwing up bad shots instead of passing to Mikal and KAT who’ve been largely frozen out is difficult?

This should be a lot higher. The panel this year is looking like it’s gonna be something like:

1. RJ (ABC)
2. PJ Carlesimo (ESPN Radio)
3. Joe Vardon (Athletic)
4. Stefan Bondy (NY Post)
5. Jeff McDonald (San Antonio Express News)
6. Tim Bontemps (ESPN.com)
7. Tim Reynolds (AP)
8. Dan Devine (taking over Vince Goodwill’s Yahoo seat)
9. Jeff Zillgitt/Shaun Powell (NBA.com)

Source: degenerate gambler

really should be a playoff MVP, it’s so matchup/gameplan depedent

It’s a little different. As good as Brunson is, he has nowhere near Steph’s gravity. It was always a straight up dumb argument to pick Iguodala in 15 or Wiggins in 22 over Steph because the warriors get a ton of 4 on 3 possessions with how teams guard Steph. San Antonio is happy to guard Brunson 1v1 a lot of possessions and his efficiency is still in the tank.

they would lose without any one of kat, og or brunson. but OG has been the most valuable. great defense, great transition defense, counting stats, efficiency are off the charts. 

Idk man if Brunson has a efficient 25+ point game in game clincher for the series I think he will take it. But it is super close.

KAT I think won’t win it although everyone knows how important he actually is to the team

from u/gaiusoctavius on an old post:

“It is an old reference to music charts. A fast climbing song was given a “bullet” to identify it and so it became part of the lexicon for radio DJ to say it and then it became something everyone used.”

I agree and they probably won’t care about it if/when they win the finals either

After game 2 I would have said KAT was leading.

Everyone knows that. The question is who’s the MVP of this series. If the finals MVP automatically goes to the best player from the season for the winner, then there’s no point of voting on it.

what?

he has been one of their worst players this series. he isn’t a defender, he’s absolutely no elite defender, mikal and KAT are being routinely iced out, he’s taking 25 shots a game and converting on barely over a third of them…

he was the best player when his 2 misses almost spoiled the 29-pt comeback if not for OG’s 2-way heroics? what?

he was the best player when OG is literally putting up efficiency in the finals that has never been done before???

if this is your logic. why didn’t tatum win it in 2024? he was allowed to shit it up and get rewarded with fmvp regardless? why have it as a vote at that point? he didn’t, because he was bad. not because jaylen brown has it “easier” as the 2nd defensive focus, because tatum was bad. the same reason brunson has been bad.

Yup it’s genuine CTE that people have to convince themselves it’s anyone other than OG

We’re supposed to deduct points from OG by nature of him not being the lead ball handler, as if he’s getting “easier” shots. Apparently efficiency is bad. But Brunson is throwing up bullshit 25x a game and making hardly any of them is somehow good. Even if it turns into fastbreak layups that have to be blocked with seconds left

They should share it

What?…

OG is literally putting up efficiency that has never been done before

That is not on Brunson. That is on him.

Brunson missed both would-be gamewinners and that could’ve been the game, 2-2 going back to Texas. That has to matter when you pretend Brunson can have a “clutch” shot when he was ⁷⁄₂₅ the rest of the game or ¹¹⁄₂₅.

It’s between Brunson and OG at this point. But KAT has been incredibly important to this team too.

what? this is extremely extremely extremely stupid.

Brunson went ⁷⁄₂₅ in one game man. SEVEN OF TWENTY FIVE

the guy is barely cracking double-digit shots made while putting up TWENTY FIVE A GAME

that is abjectly horrible. and you think him not winning it is insanity?

did you watch brunson piss away the chance of fulfilling that 29-pt comeback? he missed both shots and made OG run the full court to block a fastbreak layup…missed the shot and stood around as OG put it back to win it…and you think it’s insanity for anyone else to win it?

good god, man