Who Won The NBA Finals MVP?

The answer to the question on everyone’s mind: Who won the NBA Finals MVP?

The Case for LeBron James

It is fair to say that LeBron James had an incredible NBA Finals. He averaged a triple double for the series and led his team to a come from behind victory in game seven. His individual stats were great, but he also made everyone on his team better. LeBron James is the clear choice for Finals MVP.

His leadership and play during the Finals

In the entire history of the NBA, only one player has averaged a triple double in the Finals. That player is LeBron James, who did it in the most recent Finals series against the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. In Game 7, he put up a triple double with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, leading his team to victory and winning himself the Finals MVP award.

It was a hard-fought series, and James played an incredible role in leading his team to victory. His performance was truly impressive, and he deserving of the MVP award.

His statistical dominance

LeBron James is often maligned for his perceived lack of a killer instinct, but the fact remains that he is one of the most dominant players in NBA history. Averaging 27.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game for his career, James has been a statistical juggernaut since he entered the league as a 18-year-old rookie in 2003.

Last season, James averaged a career-high in points (28.1), while also adding 8.6 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. He led the league in minutes played (37) and was second in the NBA in PER (29.1). The only player who was better than James in PER last season was Russell Westbrook, who missed out on the MVP award because his team didn’t make the playoffs.

In the playoffs, James averaged 34 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game while leading the Cavaliers to their first ever NBA title. He became just the third player in NBA history to average a triple double in the Finals, joining Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. For his efforts, James was named Finals MVP for the third time in his career.

All of this is to say that LeBron James is one of the most dominant players in NBA history, both statistically and physically. He has led his teams to nine Finals appearances and has won three championships. At just 32 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The Case for Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard was the best player on the court in the NBA Finals. He averaged 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three-point range. Leonard was also the primary defender on Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averaged 22.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three-point range.

His leadership and play during the Finals

Kawhi Leonard proved himself to be a true leader during the NBA Finals and was rightfully awarded the Finals MVP. His calm demeanor and outstanding play helped the Toronto Raptors win their first ever NBA Championship, and he quickly became a fan favorite in Canada.

During the six-game series, Leonard averaged 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range. He was also named Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career, solidifying his status as one of the best two-way players in the league.

In Game 6 of the Finals, Leonard put up 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals to help lead the Raptors to a 114-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors. He also hit a clutch three-pointer with just under a minute remaining to give Toronto a six-point lead and seal the win. It was an amazing performance that capped off an incredible series for Leonard, and it cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of his generation.

His defensive impact

Coming into the 2018-19 season, there was a lot of talk about Leonard’s ability to defend multiple positions. With Draymond Green out for much of the season, Leonard took on the challenge of defending the best player on the opposing team every night. He did an incredible job, using his quickness and strength to guard everyone from point guards to power forwards.

In the playoffs, Leonard upped his defensive intensity even more. He was a big reason why the Warriors struggled to score in the half court, and he also did a great job of protecting the rim. His combination of size, athleticism, and smarts made him an incredibly tough assignment for any player in the league.

Offensively, Leonard was excellent as well. He averaged 27.5 points per game in the playoffs, and he did it efficiently, shooting 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. He was also a great playmaker, averaging 7.5 assists per game in the Finals.

In Game 6 of the Finals, Leonard put up one of the best performances in NBA history, scoring 36 points on 16-of-22 shooting from the field and adding nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks in 45 minutes

The Case for Other Players

The NBA Finals MVP has been awarded to a member of the winning team since the 1969-70 season. In recent years, the debate for who should win the Finals MVP has been narrowed down to two players: the star of the winning team or the best player on the losing team. There have been a few cases where the best player on the losing team has won the Finals MVP, but this is usually when the losing team’s star player is injured or unable to play. So, who should win the Finals MVP?

Draymond Green

In a series where the two best players in the world went head to head, it would be expected that one of them would win the Finals MVP. However, that is not the case this year. The Finals MVP was Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. While LeBron James and Kevin Durant put up spectacular numbers, it was Green who was the most important player for the Warriors and it showed in his stat line. He averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks per game.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving put up impressive numbers during the Finals, averaging 27.5 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range. He also played solid defense on Stephen Curry, the two-time MVP and one of the best shooters in NBA history. However, some might argue that Irving’s supporting cast was just as important to the Cavs’ success.

For example, Kevin Love averaged 17.2 points and 9.8 rebounds during the Finals, while shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range. Tristan Thompson was a force on the glass, averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, and he also chipped in with 8.0 points per game. Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue did an excellent job of managing his team’s minutes and exploiting matchups, and his players responded by executing his game plan to perfection.

In the end, Irving was a deserving winner of the Finals MVP award, but it could be argued that he would not have been able to lead his team to victory without the help of his supporting cast.

Who Should Win?

The impact of the media

In recent years, the media has played an increasingly large role in deciding who should win the NBA Finals MVP. In 2010, Kobe Bryant won the award despite averaging only 22.5 points per game in the Finals. LeBron James won the award in 2012 after averaging only 17.8 points per game in the Finals. And in 2014, Kevin Durant won the award despite averaging only 28.8 points per game in the Finals.

The impact of the media on who should win the NBA Finals MVP is significant because the media is often responsible for creating public opinion. And public opinion often has a sway on who actually wins the award. For example, in 2016, Steph Curry was unanimously voted as the NBA Finals MVP after he led the Golden State Warriors to victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But if you look at his stats, LeBron James was actually more deserving of the award. He averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game in that series, while Curry only averaged 22.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. However, because of his strong public image and popularity with fans and media members alike, Curry was able to win the award despite not being as statistically deserving as LeBron James was that year.

The impact of the voters

The decision of who should be named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals is one that has been heavily debated throughout the years. Some say that the award should go to the best player on the winning team, while others believe that it should be given to the player with the most impact on the series.

There are a few different ways to look at this issue. First, it is important to consider what the word “valuable” actually means. The dictionary defines it as “worth a great deal of money,” which would lead one to believe that the award should indeed go to the best player on the winning team. After all, without a championship, there is no real value to be had.

On the other hand, “valuable” can also be defined as “having great worth or importance,” which would lead one to believe that the award should be given to the player with the most impact on the series, regardless of whether or not their team won. This would be in line with other major sports awards, such as MVP of the regular season or MVP of the playoffs, which are not necessarily given to players on winning teams.

Ultimately, it is up to each individual voter to decide who they believe is most deserving of the title. There is no right or wrong answer, and it is often a difficult decision to make. However, it is important to keep in mind what criteria you are basing your vote on before making your selection.