Elite 11 - 2013 MVP Finishers

Four NBA MVP awards in five years? Bill Russell and LeBron James are the only two.

 

11 - Stephen Curry (Warriors) 4th Season (25 Years of Age)

78 Games, 22.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 45/45/90 Shooting (FG/3PT/FT)

47 Wins, West #6 Seed, 21.3 Player Efficiency Rating (17th), 11.2 Win Shares (7th)

Memorable: One of the most glaring All-Star snubs of the decade instead landed on the MVP ballot, complete with a league-record 272 threes and a first career trip to the postseason.

10 - Dwyane Wade (Heat) 10th Season (31)

69 Games, 21.2 PPG, 5.1 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 52/26/73

66 Wins, East #1 Seed, 27-Game Win Streak, 24.0 PER (7th), 9.6 WS (13th)

Memorable: A seventh Top 10 MVP showing and another season over 20/5/5 rounded out a decade of backcourt dominance in Miami; the 27-game win streak was fun, too. 

 
9 - Russell Westbrook (Thunder) 5th Season (24)

82 Games, 23.2 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.2 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 44/32/80

60 Wins, West #1 Seed, 23.9 PER (8th), 11.6 WS (5th)

Memorable: First Top 10 finish for the dynamic three-time All-Star and fifth straight regular season without missing a game (something that unfortunately didn't continue in the Playoffs for OKC). 

8 - James Harden (Rockets) 4th Season (23)

78 Games, 25.9 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 44/37/85

45 Wins, West #8 Seed, 22.9 PER (11th), 12.8 WS (4th)

Memorable: Traded a few days before the season began, Houston's bearded guard rocketed to stardom in a leading role, going from Sixth Man of the Year to Top 5 NBA scorer.   

7 - Tim Duncan (Spurs) 16th Season (37)

69 Games, 17.8 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.7 BPG, 0.7 SPG, 50% FG, 82% FT

58 Wins, West #2 Seed, 24.4 PER (6th), 8.3 WS (24th)
 
Memorable: The Spurs manufacturing their 14th consecutive 50+ win season surprised nobody; the late-career resurgence of the team's anchor from gracefully-fading legend to Top 7 MVP finisher certainly did (11th Top 7, first in five years).  

6 - Tony Parker (Spurs) 12th Season (30)

66 Games, 20.3 PPG, 7.6 APG, 3.0 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 52/35/85

58 Wins, West #2 Seed, 23.0 PER (9th), 9.4 WS (T15th)

Memorable: With a second straight Top 6 MVP finish and fourth Top 10 in eight seasons, the best point guard in Spurs history continued to pave his way from San Antonio to Springfield.
 

5 - Kobe Bryant (Lakers) 17th Season (34)

78 Games, 27.3 PPG, 6.0 APG, 5.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 46/32/84

45 Wins, West #7 Seed, 23.0 PER (10th), 10.9 WS (T8th)

Memorable: In a Laker season more designed for E! than ESPN, its greatest player discarded drama for determination and willed an eighth Top 5 MVP season in a row (11th overall, but one that abruptly ended with a torn Achilles in mid-April).  

 
4 - Chris Paul (Clippers) 8th Season (28)

70 Games, 16.9 PPG, 9.7 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 48/33/89

56 Wins, West #4 Seed, 26.4 PER (3rd), 13.9 WS (3rd)
 
Memorable: The All-Star Game MVP directed the Clippers to the top of the division for the first time in franchise history and added a fourth-place finish to previously-high slots of second ('08), third ('12) and fifth ('09).

3 - Carmelo Anthony (Knicks) 10th Season (28)

67 Games, 28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 45/38/83
54 Wins, East #2 Seed, 24.8 PER (4th), 9.5 WS (14th)

Memorable: The first NYK scoring champ since soon-to-be Hall of Famer Bernard King in 1985 led the success-hungry franchise to its first division crown in 19 years and 50+ win season in 13.

2 - Kevin Durant (Thunder) 6th Season (24)

81 Games, 28.1 PPG, 7.9.0 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 51/42/91
60 Wins, West #1 Seed, 28.3 PER (2nd), 18.9 WS (2nd)

Memorable: While not content being the league's second-best player yet again, the three-time MVP bridesmaid guided the Thunder to 60 wins with across-the-board percentages second-to-none in league history for a 28+ ppg scorer.

1 - LeBron James (Heat) 10th Season (28)

76 Games, 26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 57/41/75

66 Wins, East #1 Seed, 27-Game Win Streak, 31.6 PER (1st), 19.3 WS (1st)

Memorable: With a hard-earned championship comfortably in tow from the previous season, the best got better - both individually and as a team - in an elite escalation amongst pro basketball greatness (and a single vote from an unprecedented, unanimous MVP sweep).  

New for 2013: Anthony (3), Duncan (7), Harden (8), Westbrook (9), Curry (11)

Out from 2012: Kevin Love (6), Dwight Howard (7), Rajon Rondo (8), Steve Nash (9), Derrick Rose (11)

NBA Legacy. 2013.

First Round Fortune & Failure - 2013

 

 

The Top 30 players entering the 2013 NBA Playoffs in order of highest career series winning percentage in the first round (minimum two series played, excluding any missed entirely or significantly due to injury).

- Blake Griffin (Clippers) and Monta Ellis (Bucks) enter the '13 Playoffs 1-0 in the opening round, although Ellis accomplished his series win with the Warriors. Brandon Jennings is 0-1 with Milwaukee. Golden State teammates Steph Curry and David Lee are participating in their first playoff series, as is Brook Lopez with the Nets in their first season in Brooklyn.

- Derrick Rose (1-2 for the Bulls when healthy) missed the entire season due to injury, and Rajon Rondo (a spotless 5-0 with the Celtics) had his season wiped out in January. Typically-late-April regular Dirk Nowitzki is out of the mix for the first time since '00 after compiling a 7-5 mark over a dozen consecutive first-round series with the Mavericks.

- Near All-Star J.R. Smith didn't make the cut here either, but the Knicks' second-best scorer enters the postseason with a career Round 1 record of 1-5 (1-4 Nuggets, 0-1 Knicks). Another almost All-Star, Josh Smith, is 3-2 with the Hawks.
 

100% - LeBron James (7-0) Cavaliers 5-0, Heat 2-0

89% - Manu Ginobili (8-1) Spurs

87% - Kobe Bryant (13-2) Lakers*

*Season ended eight days before the 2013 Playoffs began with a torn Achilles 

86% - Tim Duncan (12-2) Spurs

82% - Tony Parker (9-2) Spurs

78% - Ray Allen (7-2) Bucks 1-2, Sonics 1-0, Celtics 5-0  
          
          Paul Pierce (7-2) Celtics

75%  - Deron Williams (3-1) Jazz (first series with Nets)

67% - Kevin Durant (2-1) Thunder

          James Harden (2-1) Thunder (first series with Rockets)

          Russell Westbrook (2-1) Thunder

64% - Steve Nash (7-4) Suns 4-3 (two stints), Mavericks 3-1 (first series with Lakers)

63% - Pau Gasol (5-3) Grizzlies 0-3, Lakers 5-0 

          Dwyane Wade (5-3) Heat  

60%  - Al Horford (3-2) Hawks  

           Dwight Howard (3-2) Magic (first series with Lakers)

57% - Joe Johnson (4-3) Suns 1-1, Hawks 3-2 (first series with Nets)

50% - Jason Kidd (8-8) Suns 1-4, Nets 5-1, Mavericks 2-3 (first series with Knicks) 

          Chris Bosh (2-2) Raptors 0-2, Heat 2-0
         
          Chris Paul (2-2) Hornets 1-2, Clippers 1-0

          Marc Gasol (1-1) Grizzlies

          Paul George (1-1) Pacers
 
46% - Kevin Garnett (6-7) Timberwolves 1-7, Celtics 5-0 

40% - Luol Deng (2-3) Bulls 

29% - Tyson Chandler (2-5) Bulls 0-2, Hornets 1-1, Bobcats 0-1, Mavs 1-0, Knicks 0-1 

25% - Joakim Noah (1-3) Bulls 

          Zach Randolph (1-3) Blazers 0-2, Grizzlies 1-1  

20% - Andre Iguodala (1-4) 76ers (first series with Nuggets)

11% - Carmelo Anthony (1-8) Nuggets 1-6, Knicks 0-2 

0%  - Ty Lawson (0-3) Nuggets  

 

NBA Legacy. 2013.

NBA Player of the Month - All-Time Tally

NBA Player of the Month honors have turned into LeBron & Kobe vs the field over the years



When LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were named the Eastern and Western Conference Player of the Month, respectively, for February 2013, it marked the 12th straight season - every one since the league split the honor into conferences in '01-02 - at least one of the two had been so honored (James didn't enter the NBA until '03-04, but Bryant covered for the pair before then).

James has claimed the distinction nine straight seasons (eight in which he won multiple times), and equaled his own single-season record from '09-10 with four straight months being selected. Bryant extended his streak to eight years in a row, and it is a record sixth time their selections have coincided in the same month. In fact, LeBron and Kobe have run laps around the field over the past decade in their dominance of the regular season.   

Most Eastern Conference Player of the Month Selections (2001-13):

24 - LeBron James
 6 - Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade  
 3 - Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal

- James has distanced himself from his next-closest conference peers by a staggering four-to-one ratio since receiving his first honor in November '04 (15 total wins with the Cavaliers, nine and counting with the Heat). He has racked up a remarkable 13 of the last 18 East selections and 19 of 30 since January '08, including an unprecedented six in a row spanning his back-to-back MVP seasons of '09 and '10.

- James has two months remaining to become the first player ever to win Player of the Month five times in a single season. He has also accumulated the honor six straight years in January - by far the record streak for a specific month (Bryant had a stretch of three straight Aprils from '06-08 and Kevin Garnett with Februarys from '02-04).

-  Despite LeBron's near-monopoly on the honor in recent years, Pierce ('01-02), McGrady ('02-03), Howard ('07-08, '10-11) and Wade ('08-09) all compiled two selections in the same season, with Howard going back-to-back in November and December '07.

- Allen Iverson would land fourth in the East if pairing his two choices with the two additional ones he earned prior to the conference split in '01. McGrady and Pierce would both supplement their total by one, and Jason Kidd would sneak onto the list with a combined three selections. 

Most Western Conference Player of the Month Selections (2001-13):

16 - Kobe Bryant
 8 - Kevin Garnett 
 7 - Chris Paul

 6 - Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki  
 3 - Steve Nash, Chris Webber

- Doubling up his nearest competition, Bryant has tallied West Player of the Month honors in 11 of the 12 years of its modern format. His first selection (bringing his career total to 17) came in December '00 when one player in the entire league was chosen.

- As mentioned earlier, Bryant and James have been selected as their conference's recipient the same month as each other a record six times. The James/Durant and James/Paul combos are next with four months apiece. The consistently great Bryant's season-high is two selections, which he accomplished over four straight seasons ('06-09).

- Garnett holds the West record for Player of the Month honors in a season (4) and consecutive months (3), both achieved during his '03-04 MVP campaign with the Timberwolves. Like Bryant, Garnett also won another time prior to '01, in January '00.

- The great Tim Duncan has only received two West Player of the Month distinctions, although he also picked up a league-wide one in March '99. Shaquille O'Neal (Lakers, Heat) and Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets, Knicks) are the only players since '01 to win the honor in both conferences (one time per conference for both).
 
Most NBA Player of the Month Selections, Original Format (1979-2001):

16 - Michael Jordan 
10 - Shaquille O'Neal
 7 - Larry Bird, Karl Malone 
 6 - Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon

 5 - Patrick Ewing 
 4 - Charles Barkley, David Robinson
 3 - Alex English, Moses Malone, Dominique Wilkins

 

- All-time greats abound above, but players with two selections range from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Jeff Ruland. One-time-winners vary from Hall of Famers John Stockton and Clyde Drexler to Kelvin Ransey and Cedric Ceballos. The '80-81 season was the most unique in the honor's history (the year Ransey won), as Freeman Williams was also selected that season, as was Magic Johnson - for October - the only time the honor didn't start with November (the Lakers played their first game on October 10th, though, so it wasn't too much of a stretch).

NBA Legacy. 2013.

NBA ASG 2013 - Wish You Were Here



A mere seven years since welcoming the NBA All-Stars in 2006, seven of the same players return for the '13 contest in Houston: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh haven't missed one since '06 - although three of the four are now defending-champion teammates; Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are back after previously thought to have likely completed their final all-star lap two years prior; and Tony Parker returns for the fifth time as a representative for the Spurs, a team and franchise often seemingly unaffected by time itself.

Seven also represents the number of first-time selections, with six rising from the East in a year with more open spots than usual (Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo injured, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson tapering off, Dwight Howard switching conferences). Like every year, though, there is no shortage of near-miss choices, especially in the perennially-deep West, even after two spots freed up due to injury-plagued Kevin Love and Dirk Nowitzki seasons.     

2013 NBA All-Stars:

East Starters:

Rajon Rondo (Celtics) - 4th All-Star Selection
Dwyane Wade (Heat) - 9th
LeBron James (Heat) - 9th (3rd with Heat)
Carmelo Anthony (Knicks) - 6th (2nd with Knicks)
Kevin Garnett (Celtics) - 15th (5th with Celtics)

West Starters:

Chris Paul (Clippers) - 6th (2nd with Clippers)
Kobe Bryant (Lakers) - 15th (ASG record 15th straight)
Kevin Durant (Thunder) - 4th
Blake Griffin (Clippers) - 3rd
Dwight Howard (Lakers) - 7th (1st with Lakers)

East Reserves:

Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers) - 1st
Jrue Holiday (76ers) - 1st
Luol Deng (Bulls) - 2nd
Paul George (Pacers) - 1st
Chris Bosh (Heat) - 8th (3rd with Heat)
Tyson Chandler (Knicks) - 1st
Joakim Noah (Bulls) - 1st
*Brook Lopez (Nets) - 1st

*Lopez, who would have anchored the East misses, was selected as Rondo's injury-replacement

West Reserves:

Russell Westbrook (Thunder) - 3rd
Tony Parker (Spurs) - 5th
James Harden (Rockets) - 1st 
David Lee (Warriors) - 2nd (1st with Warriors)
Zach Randolph (Grizzlies) - 2nd
LaMarcus Aldridge (Blazers) - 2nd
Tim Duncan (Spurs) 14th


2013 "Wish You Were Here" All-Stars:

Eastern Conference:

Backcourt - Brandon Jennings (Bucks), Monta Ellis (Bucks)

Frontcourt - Paul Pierce (Celtics), David West (Pacers), Al Horford (Hawks) 

Wild Cards - Josh Smith (Hawks), Carlos Boozer (Bulls) 

Jennings and Ellis form a high-scoring, combo-snub backcourt in Milwaukee, with both players landing here for the third time in four seasons. Although it would be a stretch to give their respective teams three representatives, the steady Pierce and Boozer are helping keep the Celtics and Bulls in the playoff mix without Rondo and Rose. West and Horford are fine frontcourt selections on second-tier contenders, and all-time "Wish You Where Here" leader Josh Smith (fourth consecutive year) gets the nod over emerging Piston big man Greg Monroe.   

Western Conference:

Backcourt - Stephen Curry (Warriors), Damian Lillard (Blazers)

Frontcourt - Serge Ibaka (Thunder), Al Jefferson (Jazz), Marc Gasol (Grizzlies)

Wild Cards - Ty Lawson (Nuggets), Danilo Gallinari (Nuggets)

Curry and Gasol rank amongst the top non-selections of the past five years, with Curry supplying the offense and a remarkable shooting touch, and Gasol providing the defense as arguably the game's best all-around center (unfortunate for him, during the year the position was rightfully removed from fan voting). Anthony Davis captured a national championship, top draft pick honors and an Olympic gold medal in '12, but Damian Lillard is running away with the '13 Rookie of the Year award. The Northwest Division rolls out further near-miss players with the rock-solid Ibaka and Jefferson, while Lawson and Gallinari tag-team representation for the superstar-by-committee Nuggets (with Lawson narrowly edging Clipper super-sub Jamal Crawford). 

NBA Legacy. 2013.