Overrated: Derrick Rose

In my last Overrated blog I went after Hall of Famer Tom Brady http://bayaniflores.blogspot.com/2011/11/overrated-tom-brady-and-giselle.html.

Derrick Rose is a much smaller fish but when you win MVP you have been put on a short list of the greatest players of all-time. When you don't deserve to be on that list, you are by definition Overrated.

Rose is a very good young point guard; but the league MVP? When was the last time a player won MVP when they were only the third best player at their position? Answer: NEVER. Well, until last year of course. Handing him 3rd best might be generous since there's some people out there that think Westbrook and Rondo should be in the discussion. Take a look at these two players statistics:

                              FG%       3pt%      FT %      Reb        Ast         Blk          STL         TO          PTS

Player A               .422         .330       .842         4.6         8.2          0.4           1.9          3.85         21.9

Player B               .445         .332       .858         4.1         7.7          0.6           1.0          3.43         25.0

These two players are Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook wasn't on anyone's ballot for MVP. So why was Rose handed MVP when he's a very similar player to Westbrook?
Because the media/voters hate Lebron James and conspired individually to not allow him his third straight MVP award. So they chose the flashiest player on the team with the most wins. (yes, I do realize what I did there)

I'm tired of these hack sports reporters pushing their personal agendas while giving credit to the most polarizing offense player and discounting defense:

               Denver's defense/special teams plays amazing and lead the Broncos to victory. The hero is Tim Tebow and his 10 completions.

               Patriots defense neutralizes one of the best offenses in NFL history. Tom Brady wins MVP throwing 145 yards and one touchdown.

               The Bulls win 62 games on the shoulders of the best defense in the league. Derrick Rose wins league MVP as the LEAST important part of the number one ranked defense and the most important part of the 15th ranked offense.

Of the 8 Bulls that qualify for enough minutes Rose is the 6th most important player according to adjusted +/- statistics (According to basketballvalue.com since 2011). Luol Deng being far and above the most valuable Bull in terms of team performance with or without him. I'm not saying he's the 6th most valuable player on the team, but I'm just saying.

If everyone were free agents and there was a draft for the 2012 playoffs, Rose would be taken somewhere between nine and fifteenth. Here's eight players that would unquestionably be chosen before Rose: James, Wade, Paul, Howard, Bryant, Nowitzki, Williams, Durant.

I concede that the league MVP doesn't always need to be the best player in the NBA but he should be close. Rose received 113 first place votes to Lebron's 4. Is he that much better than Lebron? Let's see how they stack up side by side?

Rose is a better free throw shooter.

Lebron is better at 3-point shooting, mid-range shooting, finishing around the basket, posting up, penetrating, passing, shot blocking, stealing, team defense, individual defense. If you don't believe the comparison then you obviously didn't watch the Eastern Conference Finals last year. 

Lebron is probably the best all around defender ever. Not only can he guard every single player in the league; in almost any circumstance he would be the most effective defender versus that player. Lebron is so good on defense that players have trouble scoring when they're on a fast break with a 10 foot head start.  





The truth is, the media had a personal vendetta against James and Rose was the recipient of this. He will probably never win another MVP. If you went down the list of players that have won MVP you will see that Rose is by far the worst player to have won this award. (List Below)

Edit: I wrote most of this last year. Last night I was watching the Bulls beat the Heat (the NBA's overwhelming favorite to win the championship) last night without their MVP. All I ever hear is how the Bulls would have no offense without Rose and how he has no help. Well, they scored 106 points against the vaunted Heat defense. Not too shabby for a team without their "only" scorer.
The Bulls offense seems to become stagnant when Rose is on the floor. This is not all his fault but it wouldn't surprise me if Rose becomes the next Carmelo Anthony. A great isolation player and that's it.

This year the Bulls are 10-4 without their MVP. 

2010-11	Derrick Rose	Chicago
2009-10	LeBron James	Cleveland
2008-09	LeBron James	Cleveland
2007-08	Kobe Bryant	Los Angeles Lakers
2006-07	Dirk Nowitzki	Dallas
2005-06	Steve Nash	Phoenix
2004-05	Steve Nash	Phoenix
2003-04	Kevin Garnett	Minnesota
2002-03	Tim Duncan	San Antonio
2001-02	Tim Duncan	San Antonio
2000-01	Allen Iverson	Philadelphia
1999-00	Shaquille O'Neal	Los Angeles Lakers
1998-99	Karl Malone	Utah
1997-98	Michael Jordan	Chicago
1996-97	Karl Malone	Utah
1995-96	Michael Jordan	Chicago
1994-95	David Robinson	San Antonio
1993-94	Hakeem Olajuwon	Houston
1992-93	Charles Barkley	Phoenix
1991-92	Michael Jordan	Chicago
1990-91	Michael Jordan	Chicago
1989-90	Magic Johnson	Los Angeles Lakers
1988-89	Magic Johnson	Los Angeles Lakers
1987-88	Michael Jordan	Chicago
1986-87	Magic Johnson	Los Angeles Lakers
1985-86	Larry Bird	Boston
1984-85	Larry Bird	Boston
1983-84	Larry Bird	Boston
1982-83	Moses Malone	Philadelphia
1981-82	Moses Malone	Houston
1980-81	Julius Erving	Philadelphia
1979-80	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Los Angeles
1978-79	Moses Malone	Houston
1977-78	Bill Walton	Portland
1976-77	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Los Angeles
1975-76	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Los Angeles
1974-75	Bob McAdoo	Buffalo
1973-74	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Milwaukee
1972-73	Dave Cowens	Boston
1971-72	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Milwaukee
1970-71	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Milwaukee
1969-70	Willis Reed	New York
1968-69	Wes Unseld	Baltimore
1967-68	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia
1966-67	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia
1965-66	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia
1964-65	Bill Russell	Boston
1963-64	Oscar Robertson	Cincinnati
1962-63	Bill Russell	Boston
1961-62	Bill Russell	Boston
1960-61	Bill Russell	Boston
1959-60	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia
1958-59	Bob Pettit	St. Louis
1957-58	Bill Russell	Boston
1956-57	Bob Cousy	Boston
1955-56	Bob Pettit	St. Louis