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1. Lebron
3. Duncan
2. Wade
4. Ginobili
3. Parker
4. Green
4. Pop
1. Lebron
3. Duncan
2. Wade
4. Ginobili
3. Parker
4. Green
4. Pop
Postseason MVP rankings: 1-5
Originally Published: June 6, 2014
By David Thorpe | ESPN Insider
Just when it seemed these playoffs couldn't get any more dramatic or surreal, they found a way to do just that. Game 1 featured the curveball we never saw coming, setting the stage for what has the potential to be the best Finals series in NBA history.
Perhaps ironically, considering the conditions Game 1 was played in, the oldest guy on the court in the Finals is the one standing tallest this postseason as of now.
1. TIM DUNCAN, SPURS
2014 POSTSEASON STATS
Duncan is just a marvelous example of what a tall player can do on both ends of the floor when he is also a brilliant basketball thinker. The Big Fundamental rocked the Thunder in the West finals and knocked around some swarming Heat players in Game 1 of the Finals by almost always being in exactly the right spot at the right time. His ability to make paint shots is great, but how he gets open -- the timing, the hands, the readiness -- is as elite as it gets.
GP MPG PPG RPG APG BPG SPG PER EWA* 19 32.6 16.7 9.0 2.0 1.3 0.3 21.81 3.2
From operating out of the pinch post to facilitating after an abbreviated pick-and-roll (he rolled just a little, helping to make the pass to him shorter and thus harder to deny or steal), Duncan was the cog that helped the Spurs keep the pressure on Miami in Game 1 until the dam finally broke. He remains a stellar defender, relying on staying tall and not fouling guys who are not likely to score anyway. In Game 1, he was also the coach on the floor, making sure his teammates were locked in and ready to do their job, something he has been doing since the '90s.
(Previous rank: 2)
Photo credit: Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports
2. LEBRON JAMES, HEAT
2014 POSTSEASON STATS
No one doubted LeBron could rebound from that awful Game 5 in the East finals and put together a great performance in Game 6 to end the Pacers' season. And he did just that. That dominance carried over to the start of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. We saw a different LeBron than the guy from the first five games of last year's Finals. He was attacking more and unafraid to take a jump shot, perhaps just to show Gregg Popovich that he has grown as a player and that backing off him wouldn't get into his head anymore.
GP MPG PPG RPG APG BPG SPG PER EWA* 16 37.9 27.0 6.8 4.9 0.6 1.9 31.15 6.2
LeBron had Miami in great position to win Game 1 before his body shut down. While there has been much debate about his cramping, we must recognize that his size (over 260 pounds easily) and his ability to play all five positions on offense while defending all five positions on defense mean he was likely expending more energy than any other player on the court at a size equal to or greater than almost any other player on either team.
The Heat could not keep his body cooled and hydrated, it appeared, and perhaps there was no medical way to do so. Either way, the Spurs throttled Miami without James on the court. As we saw in Game 6 against the Pacers, though, LeBron can lift himself and his team after bad losses better than anyone in recent memory.
(Previous rank: 1)
Photo credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
3. TONY PARKER, SPURS
2014 POSTSEASON STATS
Always pushing. Always on the attack. The Spurs were able to knock out OKC with Parker sitting out the second half of Game 6, but they would not have beaten Miami in Game 1, even with LeBron sidelined late, had it not been for Parker's relentless pushing of the pace.
GP MPG PPG RPG APG BPG SPG PER EWA* 19 30.5 17.3 2.3 5.1 0.1 0.6 16.07 1.5
The Spurs were having trouble handling Miami's ability to jump the passing lanes in the half court, meaning without early offense they would have been doomed. Enter Parker. His ability to make perimeter shots makes it that much tougher for teams to scheme for him, as they can no longer take the approach of letting him spot up like opponents used to. If they do, he makes them pay, as he did in Game 1.
(Previous rank: 7
Photo credit: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
4. DWYANE WADE, HEAT
2014 POSTSEASON STATS
He isn't the elite athlete he once was, in terms of pure speed, energy and ability to just be more dynamic than anyone else he faces. But he showed in the Pacers series that his craft game, always severely underrated in his prime, is back and strong.
GP MPG PPG RPG APG BPG SPG PER EWA* 16 34.6 18.7 3.8 4.1 0.3 1.4 20.66 2.8
Wade looked to attack the Spurs in Game 1, sometimes even getting a running start in anticipation of getting the ball thrown to him. As the game evolved, his activity waned, possibly because of the heat and definitely because his best facilitator was out with cramps. Still, his offensive talent is something the Spurs will be planning for in Game 2 and beyond, as Wade looks far more assertive and confident than he did last June.
(Previous rank: 3
Photo credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
5. CHRIS BOSH, HEAT
2014 POSTSEASON STATS
Bosh continues to reinvent himself, and the Heat are so much better off for it. Yes, he's a legit 3-point threat now and his shot-fake attack from the pinch post and from behind the line is an excellent weapon. But it's his toughness -- his ability to grab rebounds in traffic or win 50-50 balls in the air -- that has moved him up to another level of greatness.
GP MPG PPG RPG APG BPG SPG PER EWA* 16 33.6 15.4 5.9 1.1 1.2 0.8 19.48 2.4
Miami can't win this series without LeBron playing 36-plus healthy minutes every game, but it also can't win without a strong Bosh contribution almost every night.
(Previous rank: 9
Photo credit: Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports
If those rankings are for the entire playoffs, that's an awful, awful list..
Wow, so bad.
What a joke...
Sad thing is this is probably accurate for the people who look for finals MVP
I wonder if whoever wrote this actually watched the game. We defended him completely differently, guarding him much tighter and not giving him the open jumper. He was 5/8 at the rim and 2/6 on all other 2 point shots, hardly proving how he has 'grown as a player'.
I suspect we'll see the defence on him vary, sometimes gives space and sometimes played tighter. I have a feeling we would start giving him more space closer to the end of games.
Where is Manu?
U guys will be so pissed if Tony win the MVP this year..
Finals MVP? I won't... Means the Spurs won #5...
Exactly. (Unless Tony somehow pulls a Jerry West!
This is a joke Bosh was held under 10 points for like 4 games straight at one point
Well since Manu got it last year and Tim already has three I think itd be an ok pick.
At this point it's looking like each of the big 3 deserve it. Especially if those guys keep those averages through the series.
I don't expect Manu to have another good game this series so it's up to Tony and the other guys to carry us so yeah I wouldn't put him up there.
I want Manu to get it this year. He is the only one of our big three not to have one, and it would just be such a beautiful thing for this team if each of our big three had at least one Finals MVP. And if he did, I bet he would be the first one to have done it from the bench. I expect that is why he is not in the list above - bench players don't get considered…but Manu should.
However, I have to say that IF the Spurs win this year (big IF), and if Tim keeps playing the way he has - he will obviously have earned it.
That is what I was wondering too.
Plus, what about Diaw and Green, not to mention Leonard?
Make it a poll.
What's the point of calling it "playoffs MVP" if you're only going to include finals players? Westbrook should be there somewhere.
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