NBA Roundtable: How do you define Most Valuable Player?

Every year, there’s a hugedebate surrounding the NBA’s Most Valuable Player race. There’s noclear-cut criteria for MVP, which begs thequestion:

How do you define MostValuable Player?

We asked our BasketballNews.comstaff to share their thoughts.

Ethan Fuller: TheMVP award should recognize the best regular-season performance.That means the best statistical season, with some extra weight puton winning -- not necessarily the best player on the best team.The MVP award doesn't have to go to the best player in basketball.If that were the case, LeBron James would have swept the decade --and that's not really an award to savor. If a player is putting upmonster numbers on a playoff team that clearly needs them, they'rean MVP candidate.

Nekias Duncan:For me, MVP is the most impactful player on the floor for a greatteam. There is a statistical baseline that should also be reached —this is what knocks a guy like, say, Rudy Gobert down a peg or twofor me — but it’s a blend of impact, traditional stats, andwins.

Moke Hamilton:Ahhh, the age-old debate about the MVP award. I think, over theyears, it’s changed. When Steve Nash won his two MVP awards, that’saround the time that we began hearing people use “team success” asthe major barometer for value. Personally, I’d define the MVP as atwo-way matrix that measures an individual’s productivity with thesuccess of their team. In other words, the more incredible theplayer’s statistical production is, the less I’d be concerned abouttheir team's success. I’d have no problem voting for Bradley Bealif he averaged 42 points per game, so long as the Wizards made theplayoffs. On the other hand, I’d be hard-pressed to not vote forChris Paul if he led the Suns to, say, 68 wins and the West’s toprecord -- even if his statistical contributions weren’t“incredible.” (For what it’s worth, if I had a vote this year, mytop three would be Nikola Jokic, Chris Paul and Joel Embiid, and Ithink I’d be inclined to give it to Paul, though I wouldn’t make myfinal decision until the regular season ends). Again, for me, it’san equation that takes both the team’s success and the player’sstatistical contributions into account.

Alex Kennedy:The NBA will never provide a clear definition for MVP because theylove the fact that we spend so much time debating who deserves theaward every year. Since everyone is grading from their own rubric,there are typically a handful of candidates that have a compellingcase for the award each season. For me, I define MVP as acombination of individual production, team success, andavailability.