SA210
06-14-2007, 11:07 AM
LeBowen deserves MVP for shutting down LeBron
http://images.sportsline.com/images/author/10231.jpgJune 13, 2007
By Mike Freeman (http://cbs.sportsline.com/columns/writers/freeman)
CBS SportsLine.com National Columnist
Tell Mike your opinion! (http://cbs.sportsline.com/columns/writers/freeman)
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CLEVELAND –- The reason LeBron James (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/400553) is choking away these NBA Finals is because of Bruce Bowen (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/6485).
The reason LeBron may get LeBroomed is because of LeBowen.
http://images.sportsline.com/u/photos/basketball/nba/img10224800.jpg Bruce Bowen hasn't made life easy for LeBron James. (Getty Images) When you watch these Finals and see Cleveland's (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/teams/page/CLE) James suddenly morph into Vince Carter it's because of Bowen's suffocating defense. He is putting on the kind of defensive clinic we have not seen in the Finals since Michael Jordan or Dennis Rodman or Isiah Thomas.
He is the true Most Valuable Player.
Bowen won't win the award.
But he deserves it. He is the epitome of an MVP.
The MVP will go to Tim Duncan (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/6552) or Tony Parker (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/240304) because they are the sexier choices. Parker will get votes because of Eva Longoria alone. In fact my guess is the voting will go Parker, Duncan, Longoria and Bowen.
It is true that Parker was the best player in the first two games and Duncan is the combustion process that mobilizes the San Antonio (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/teams/page/SA) offense but the most consistently good player in the Finals has been Bowen.
In LeBron's jersey, nose against his skin, and in LeBron's jock -- that has been Bowen. He has completely and utterly punked James. It has been a thorough undressing of a superstar.
James has gone 22-for-60 from the field thus far against the Spurs. That's awful. Yet that is the effect Bowen has on players. He walks onto the court and the player he's defending goes into a deep chill.
The poop heads and cynics will say that Bowen has had plenty of help. There is some truth to that. Stopping James is an example of the merciless and death defying efficiency of that total San Antonio defense.
Bowen is front and center of the effort. Watching him play has been a total joy. James is spit and polish while Bowen is just spit. And knuckles. Pure spit is winning this battle.
Did you see the Spurs medical staff working on a deep cut on Bowen's chin in Game 3? Nothing fazes him. He chases James relentlessly and gets knocked around by elbows and hip checks and still he is a bug in James' high tops. He won't go away. He must have been a shutdown corner in another life.
His defense on James in Game 1 typifies what Bowen has done. After torching what had been a fairly solid Detroit defense James was just 4-for-16 with 14 points and six turnovers in the opener against the Spurs.
Unfortunately players like Bowen do not win series MVP awards. Defense isn't thrilling. It doesn't generate ratings. Dunks do. Not a shadowy, non-flashy defender like Bowen.
I love this quote from the normally non-quotable Gregg Popovich following Game 3: "I'm just thrilled by Bruce Bowen. You know he's guarding somebody that's going to be a Hall of Fame player when it's all said and done, obviously. And he's playing for (43 minutes) and he scored 13 points and got nine rebounds. What a yeoman effort on his part. I just thought he was fantastic from beginning to end and I think he really set the tone for our team."
There is another reason why Bowen is probably dead for MVP consideration. Bowen has a reputation as a thug, the NBA's version of an enforcer. It might be David Stern's worst nightmare for Bruce "MMA" Bowen to be given that award.
So what if he is the occasional head butt entrepreneur and skilled undercutter? Don't be a phony because you'd want him on your team.
Parker will probably be named the MVP. Or Duncan.
Even if they don't deserve it and Bowen does.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/10224782/1
:king King Bowen
http://images.sportsline.com/images/author/10231.jpgJune 13, 2007
By Mike Freeman (http://cbs.sportsline.com/columns/writers/freeman)
CBS SportsLine.com National Columnist
Tell Mike your opinion! (http://cbs.sportsline.com/columns/writers/freeman)
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CLEVELAND –- The reason LeBron James (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/400553) is choking away these NBA Finals is because of Bruce Bowen (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/6485).
The reason LeBron may get LeBroomed is because of LeBowen.
http://images.sportsline.com/u/photos/basketball/nba/img10224800.jpg Bruce Bowen hasn't made life easy for LeBron James. (Getty Images) When you watch these Finals and see Cleveland's (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/teams/page/CLE) James suddenly morph into Vince Carter it's because of Bowen's suffocating defense. He is putting on the kind of defensive clinic we have not seen in the Finals since Michael Jordan or Dennis Rodman or Isiah Thomas.
He is the true Most Valuable Player.
Bowen won't win the award.
But he deserves it. He is the epitome of an MVP.
The MVP will go to Tim Duncan (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/6552) or Tony Parker (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/240304) because they are the sexier choices. Parker will get votes because of Eva Longoria alone. In fact my guess is the voting will go Parker, Duncan, Longoria and Bowen.
It is true that Parker was the best player in the first two games and Duncan is the combustion process that mobilizes the San Antonio (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/teams/page/SA) offense but the most consistently good player in the Finals has been Bowen.
In LeBron's jersey, nose against his skin, and in LeBron's jock -- that has been Bowen. He has completely and utterly punked James. It has been a thorough undressing of a superstar.
James has gone 22-for-60 from the field thus far against the Spurs. That's awful. Yet that is the effect Bowen has on players. He walks onto the court and the player he's defending goes into a deep chill.
The poop heads and cynics will say that Bowen has had plenty of help. There is some truth to that. Stopping James is an example of the merciless and death defying efficiency of that total San Antonio defense.
Bowen is front and center of the effort. Watching him play has been a total joy. James is spit and polish while Bowen is just spit. And knuckles. Pure spit is winning this battle.
Did you see the Spurs medical staff working on a deep cut on Bowen's chin in Game 3? Nothing fazes him. He chases James relentlessly and gets knocked around by elbows and hip checks and still he is a bug in James' high tops. He won't go away. He must have been a shutdown corner in another life.
His defense on James in Game 1 typifies what Bowen has done. After torching what had been a fairly solid Detroit defense James was just 4-for-16 with 14 points and six turnovers in the opener against the Spurs.
Unfortunately players like Bowen do not win series MVP awards. Defense isn't thrilling. It doesn't generate ratings. Dunks do. Not a shadowy, non-flashy defender like Bowen.
I love this quote from the normally non-quotable Gregg Popovich following Game 3: "I'm just thrilled by Bruce Bowen. You know he's guarding somebody that's going to be a Hall of Fame player when it's all said and done, obviously. And he's playing for (43 minutes) and he scored 13 points and got nine rebounds. What a yeoman effort on his part. I just thought he was fantastic from beginning to end and I think he really set the tone for our team."
There is another reason why Bowen is probably dead for MVP consideration. Bowen has a reputation as a thug, the NBA's version of an enforcer. It might be David Stern's worst nightmare for Bruce "MMA" Bowen to be given that award.
So what if he is the occasional head butt entrepreneur and skilled undercutter? Don't be a phony because you'd want him on your team.
Parker will probably be named the MVP. Or Duncan.
Even if they don't deserve it and Bowen does.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/10224782/1
:king King Bowen