Picking an MVP for Each NBA Playoff Team Using Analytics
The Eliminated
| Team | Player | nERD |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers | Paul George | 20.1 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Chris Paul | 10.4 |
| Boston Celtics | Amir Johnson | 3.5 |
| Charlotte Hornets | Cody Zeller | 2.3 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Vince Carter | 1.7 |
| Detroit Pistons | Marcus Morris | 0.3 |
| Houston Rockets | James Harden | -0.1 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Zaza Pachulia | -0.2 |
The eliminated teams have pretty small sample sizes to draw from, so there are some pretty funky names on this list.
Props should go to Paul George, however, who would be a playoff MVP frontrunner, if his team hadn't (barely) been eliminated by the Raptors in the first round. His 20.1 nERD still ranks fourth in the entire league.
Through seven games, PG13 averaged a league-leading 27.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks per contest, while shooting 45.5% from the field, 41.9% from three-point range, and 95.3% from the charity stripe.
We are now two games into every conference semi-final matchup and George still leads the postseason in total points (191) and Offensive Win Shares (1.2) and is tied for first in total Win Shares (1.7), despite having been eliminated in the first round.
It's simply great to see Paul George, two years removed from a horrific leg injury, back and making waves in the NBA Playoffs.
