What if the MVP runners up won the award in each season?

[fpliii]

How would your perception of the non-winners change? What about of the winners? What about the legacies of both?

(BTW just playing devil's advocate here...I'm not a big 'MVP' guy since it's a very 'weird' award, but this question seemed interesting so I thought I'd steal it from another site)

MVP Runner-Ups (vote share in parentheses for comparison)
2013 Kevin Durant (.632 vs .998 for winner James)
2012 Kevin Durant (.735 vs .888 for winner James)
2011 Dwight Howard (.531 vs .977 for winner Rose)
2010 Kevin Durant (.495 vs .980 for winner James)
2009 Kobe Bryant (.577 vs .969 for winner James)
2008 Chris Paul (.706 vs .877 for winner Bryant)
2007 Steve Nash (.785 vs .882 for winner Nowitzki)
2006 LeBron James (.550 vs .739 for winner Nash)
2005 Shaquille O'Neal (.813 vs .839 for winner Nash)
2004 Tim Duncan (.582 vs .991 for winner Garnett)
2003 Kevin Garnett (.732 vs .808 for winner Duncan)
2002 Jason Kidd (.712 vs .757 for winner Duncan)
2001 Tim Duncan (.569 vs .904 for winner Iverson)
2000 Kevin Garnett (.337 vs .998 for winner Shaquille O'Neal)
1999 Alonzo Mourning (.655 vs .701 for winner Malone)
1998 Karl Malone (.726 vs .934 for winner Jordan)
1997 Michael Jordan (.832 vs .857 for winner Malone)
1996 David Robinson (.508 vs .986 for winner Jordan)
1995 Shaquille O'Neal (.576 vs .858 for winner Robinson)
1994 David Robinson (.880 vs .723 for winner Olajuwon)
1993 Hakeem Olajuwon (.660 vs .852 for winner Barkley)
1992 Clyde Drexler (.584 vs .938 for winner Jordan)
1991 Magic Johnson (.518 vs .928 for winner Jordan)
1990 Charles Barkley (.667 vs .691 for winner Johnson)
1989 Michael Jordan (.704 vs .782 for winner Johnson)
1988 Larry Bird (.659 vs .831 for winner Jordan)
1987 Michael Jordan (.591 vs .964 for winner Johnson)
1986 Dominique Wilkins (.522 vs .981 for winner Bird)
1985 Magic Johnson (.338 vs .978 for winner Bird)
1984 Bernard King (.491 vs .858 for winner Bird)
1983 Larry Bird (.485 vs .960 for winner Malone)
1982 Larry Bird (.661 vs .735 for winner Malone)
1981 Larry Bird (.513 vs .658 for winner Erving)
1980 Julius Erving (.143 vs .665 for winner Jabbar)
1979 George Gervin (.163 vs .521 for winner Malone)
1978 George Gervin (.338 vs .403 for winner Walton)
1977 Bill Walton (.117 vs .644 for winner Jabbar)
1976 Bob McAdoo (.425 vs .442 for winner Jabbar)
1975 Dave Cowens (.321 vs .567 for winner McAdoo)
1974 Bob McAdoo (.498 vs .583 for winner Jabbar)
1973 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (.387 vs .507 for winner Cowens)
1972 Jerry West (.479 vs .709 for winner Jabbar)
1971 Jerry West (.217 vs .912 for winner Jabbar)
1970 Jerry West (.609 vs .664 for winner Reed)
1969 Willis Reed (.266 vs .602 for winner Unseld)
1968 Lenny Wilkens (.320 vs .747 for winner Chamberlain)
1967 Nate Thurmond (.324 vs .846 for winner Chamberlain)
1966 Jerry West (.227 vs .407 for winner Chamberlain)
1965 Oscar Robertson (.212 vs .535 for winner Russell)
1964 Wilt Chamberlain (.448 vs .754 for winner Robertson)
1963 Elgin Baylor (.465 vs .718 for winner Russell)
1962 Wilt Chamberlain (.358 vs .699 for winner Russell)
1961 Bob Pettit (.333 vs .568 for winner Russell)
1960 Bill Russell (.496 vs .720 for winner Chamberlain)
1959 Bill Russell (.351 vs .773 for winner Pettit)
1958 Dolph Schayes (.495 vs .570 for winner Russell)
1957 Bob Pettit (.235 vs .365 for winner Cousy)
1956 Paul Arizin (.259 vs .432 for winner Pettit)

Most MVP Runner-Ups
4 - Larry Bird, Jerry West
3 - Kevin Durant
2 - Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, George Gervin, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Bob McAdoo, Shaquille O'Neal, Bob Pettit, David Robinson, Bill Russell
1 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Dave Cowens, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Bernard King, Karl Malone, Alonzo Mourning, Steve Nash, Hakeem Olajuwon, Chris Paul, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, Dolph Schayes, Nate Thurmond, Bill Walton, Lenny Wilkens, Dominique Wilkins

Upon a quick glance, the composition of these lists looks a lot different (and have a lot more variety, sort of like MVPs in a sport like MLB) than those for the actual winners. What do you think?

[NLZ]

idk what's worse, Shaq only winning once or only being a runner-up twice. Dude was just too dominant for only 3 top 2 nods.

[lilgodfather1]

Paul definately deserved that 2008 MVP. ROBBED.

[The Mamba]

Paul definately deserved that 2008 MVP. ROBBED.
An argument could be made for CP3, LeBron, Kobe, and Garnett that season.

Kobe did carry that team to quite an impressive record in that conference before they stole Pau Gasol.

[Aussie Dunker]

Bird top 2 finish 7 out of 8 years... Impressive

[Whoah10115]

Hell, the years Shaq was a runner-up shouldn't even have been years he was runner-up...tho I would never have him as a runner-up. I would have given him 2 MVP's tho, back-to-back.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Wouldn't change my perception of any player. MVP is a subjective award voted on by sportswriters. I don't need a majority to tell me how well someone played when I saw them myself. I'd say that I agree with the MVPs more often than not, but I've also disagreed with too many for me to praise the selections. Even if I agreed with 100%, it's still a subjective award. As far as the general public and these player's legacies? Maybe slightly, but I doubt they'd change much, they'd still have seen them play and dominate, they'd still have the same championships and numbers, and ultimately, that's what people look at the most. Kareem would still be the leading scorer and have 6 rings, MJ would still have 6 rings and the clutch performances, hell, nobody looks down at Kobe because he was only voted MVP once. They look at the 5 rings and amazing individual feats on the court, where it matters.


idk what's worse, Shaq only winning once or only being a runner-up twice. Dude was just too dominant for only 3 top 2 nods.

Well, he did miss a fair amount of games, but I think he should have definitely been voted MVP in 2001, in addition to his 2000 season, that was when Shaq was as much of a clear cut best player as we've seen. Missed too many games in '02, and Duncan had closed the gap, but I think Shaq should have been 2nd in voting rather than 3rd. I'm fine with either runner up as he was voted in 2005, or Shaq being voted MVP, which he almost was. Top 2 is fine in '95, and I'd have also been fine with him being voted MVP. Missed too many games in '98, though it was one of his better years, and he was having an MVP-caliber first year in LA in '97 before he missed a lot of time. LA had the best record in the West at the all-star break, iirc.

So in my opinion, he should have at least 5 top 2 finishes, and 2-4 first place finishes.


Paul definately deserved that 2008 MVP. ROBBED.

He had a strong case, but I think Kobe was the right choice. He was amazing that year, his best ball from an all around standpoint. IMO, it's at least a top 2 season for him along with '06.

[Segatti]

MVPs affect very little the legacy of the players in my view. First because it is a regular season award, second because of the doubtful choices.

[kennethgriffin]

kobe = 1 time mvp , 1 time runner up

shaq = 1 time mvp, 2 time runner up





:facepalm

[fpliii]

kobe = 1 time mvp , 1 time runner up

shaq = 1 time mvp, 2 time runner up





:facepalm

lol, not gonna argue with you


(BTW just playing devil's advocate here...I'm not a big 'MVP' guy since it's a very 'weird' award, but this question seemed interesting so I thought I'd steal it from another site)

the big money issue here is public perception

I'm going to start the same thread in a few days, but with Finals runner-ups instead (teams and Finals MVPs)

[fpliii]

bump

[Psileas]

To be honest, I'd be seeing the award as a joke. I still have issues with the whole thing, but the runner-ups winning would overall skew the situation much more for me. It would be like the overall #2 draft picks being drafted 1st.
Let me mark the seasons, giving "points of disapprovement":

1 point (no major issues):

1957
1959
1962
1964
1970
1973
1976
1981
1993
1994
1995
1997
1998
2002
2005

2 points (slight issues)

1956
1958
1960
1963
1969
1975
1978
1988
1989
1990
1999
2001
2003
2006
2007
2008
2011

3 points (generally disagree)

1961
1966
1972
1974
1975
1979
1982
1991
2004
2012

5 points (no way) --> Blunders have to account for more than a 1-point differential

1965
1967
1968
1971
1977
1980
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1992
1996
2000
2009
2010
2013

That's an average of 2.83 points of disapprovement per season - i.e, I'd be at the "I often find it hard to agree with their logic" level.