Who will be FMVP this year ?

[ChipotleWest]

Tim Hardaway Jr.

[winforlose]

All I can say is you might want to brush up on your Ant facts.

[SK21209]

I'm going to say Tatum. There seems to be a "whomever comes out of the West is the favorite to win the Finals" sentiment that's swung too far IMO. The Celtics have had a really easy path thus far, but they were a +18 net rating in 5 games against the Heat and +8 in 5 games against the Cavs. The Nuggets were +8 in last year's playoffs and we for a year we heard about how dominant a playoff run it was.

If they have Porzingis back, I think they're still the favorite.

[bisme37]

I don't think so, because I think the C's have a better chance of winning the title if they take the ball out of Tatum's hands more.

Not completely remove him from the offense but have him do more damage off of the ball. The guards are better playmakers and the Celtics offense is at its best when they keep the ball moving and finding open shooters... and conversely it's at its worst when Tatum is standing at the top of the arc dribbling the air out of the ball for 18 seconds and then casting up a heavily contested 3 pointer. Which by the way his raw stats are still pretty good but his efficiency is at an all time low particularly because he's been far too willing to kill possessions with bad shots this postseason.

I don't think your assessment of JT's playmaking is true at this point. C's have been best with the ball in his hands and he's makes the right play with regularity now.

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I don't agree because that's only taking into account how his teammates perform with the ball in his hands. And yeah they're going to perform better because the guy who pulls the most defensive attention has the most options available to him for making plays.

But you're leaving out an incredibly important factor which is Tatum's own efficiency. He's actually a really efficient and productive scorer off ball but he's been a dreadful one this postseason on ball. He's shooting 29% on pull up jump shots and 45% at the rim. He was also a sub 30% shooter on pull up 3 pointers all regular season so this isn't some blip on the radar either.

I guess the question is - do you think the Celtics need their best player to be efficient offensively to win the title? If it doesn't matter because they have such a high floor with their defense and spacing anyway then I guess proceeding as normal will work. But if Tatum needs to outduel a guy like Anthony Edwards or Luka Doncic for the Celtics to win, him creating so much offense for himself on ball is not going to cut it.

The version of Tatum I've been watching is not interested in outdueling people or going hero ball. He has a good feel for the game and can do that when the moment calls for it (like his NBA record 51 points in a Game 7 last year) but for the most part he's just drawing doubles and traps and making the right play and the Celtics are winning.

This is how teams are guarding him and the Celtics this postseason:

Spoiler:

I don't know how the Pacers and/or Wolves/Mavs would guard him but if it's like that and he's leading the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks with a low turnover rate like he did in the last round and the Celtics win, I think there's a good chance Tatum wins FMPV regardless of his personal shooting percentages. I really don't know how anything you posted makes a case for anyone else on the team being the better player this postseason (as you said about White) or a more deserving FMVP.

[Harry Garris]

I don't think your assessment of JT's playmaking is true at this point. C's have been best with the ball in his hands and he's makes the right play with regularity now.

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I don't agree because that's only taking into account how his teammates perform with the ball in his hands. And yeah they're going to perform better because the guy who pulls the most defensive attention has the most options available to him for making plays.

But you're leaving out an incredibly important factor which is Tatum's own efficiency. He's actually a really efficient and productive scorer off ball but he's been a dreadful one this postseason on ball. He's shooting 29% on pull up jump shots and 45% at the rim. He was also a sub 30% shooter on pull up 3 pointers all regular season so this isn't some blip on the radar either.

I guess the question is - do you think the Celtics need their best player to be efficient offensively to win the title? If it doesn't matter because they have such a high floor with their defense and spacing anyway then I guess proceeding as normal will work. But if Tatum needs to outduel a guy like Anthony Edwards or Luka Doncic for the Celtics to win, him creating so much offense for himself on ball is not going to cut it.

The version of Tatum I've been watching is not interested in outdueling people or going hero ball. He has a good feel for the game and can do that when the moment calls for it (like his NBA record 51 points in a Game 7 last year) but for the most part he's just drawing doubles and traps and making the right play and the Celtics are winning.

This is how teams are guarding him and the Celtics this postseason:

Spoiler:

I don't know how the Pacers and/or Wolves/Mavs would guard him but if it's like that and he's leading the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks with a low turnover rate like he did in the last round and the Celtics win, I think there's a good chance Tatum wins FMPV regardless of his personal shooting percentages. I really don't know how anything you posted makes a case for anyone else on the team being the better player this postseason (as you said about White) or a more deserving FMVP.

FMVP is a very narrative heavy award. Whether it’s fair or not I do think if the efficiency issues continue it will cost Tatum the FMVP. Because the picture that’s been painted around him is here’s a guy who’s bad at making pull up 3 pointers who continues to take far too many of those shots, even if he’s otherwise playing well.

[warriorschamps]

Tatum or Brown.

How far we have fallen. Feels like a Tony Parker FMVP

Why? We don't how the finals MVP will play? I think the FMVP is going to have to play very well for his team to win.

[warriorschamps]

I'm going to say Tatum. There seems to be a "whomever comes out of the West is the favorite to win the Finals" sentiment that's swung too far IMO. The Celtics have had a really easy path thus far, but they were a +18 net rating in 5 games against the Heat and +8 in 5 games against the Cavs. The Nuggets were +8 in last year's playoffs and we for a year we heard about how dominant a playoff run it was.

If they have Porzingis back, I think they're still the favorite.

I agree. For me the Wolves are the favorites then the Celtics, then the Mavs then the Pacers. Having said that it's sports so it will probably end up being Pacers over Mavs in the Finals.