In light of the debate on whether or not Greg Slaughter of Ateneo should have been named MVP instead of National U's Ray Ray Parks since the later's team didn't make it to the Final 4, let us take into consideration on the definition of the Most Valuable Player award.
For this topic, let us consult the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, in his book, The Book of Basketball.
"Question no. 1: If you replaced each MVP candidate with a decent player at his position for the entire season, what would be the hypothetical effect on his team's records?"
If Greg Slaughter were to be replaced with a Alinko Mbah, Ateneo's record of 13-1, will definitely drop but not too much since in Slaughter's "absence", we expect Nico Salva and Kiefer Ravena to carry more of the scoring. (We could have included Ryan Buenafe if he had not left the team) Justin Chua will man the middle more for the team but still come of the bench. Chua will have more touches and continue to thrive under Coach Norman's system. Ateneo will still have one of those twice to beat slots in the Final 4 but with a chance of sliding to #2.
If Ray Ray Parks were to be replaced with Joseph Marata, minus of course the slashing and athletic ability, NU would be way below the their current standing. Parks not only gives NU a legitimate scoring option but he is versatile enough to help in the other departments. Ray Ray also has the ability to create shots for himself and his teammates thus making NU a much more deadly team. If Marata were there in NU, we expect Emmanuel Mbe's numbers to go up but it won't make much of a difference and NU will remain in the lower part of the standings, just like last year.
"Question no. 2: In a giant pickup game with every NBA player available and two knowledgeable fans forced to pick five-man teams, with their lives depending on the game's outcome, who would be the first player picked based on how everyone played that season".
We have to give credit where credit is due and Slaughter played a magnificently for the Blue Eagles but sadly played below my expectations. I expected Slaughter to churn a near double-double every game. I expected around a 20-9 with 2-3 blocks. Hey, he's 7 feet with international experience with the Smart Gilas National Team and he should be heads and shoulders above the rest, not just in height but also skill. Slaughter at times was a beast just like in their first game against Adamson where he single-handedly led the Blue Eagles to victory but at times, you just shake your head in disappointment when he doesn't dominate the game.
On the other hand, Ray Ray never seems to disappoint me. I'd be lying if I said that since he technically lost 2 games for NU, the one against UE where he missed the free throw and the putback, and the game against FEU where he just didn't want to take it strong to the rack despite scoring over 30+ points before the second overtime. More often that not, Ray Ray will torch the opposition with 20+ points, 8 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and blocks. He's a stat sheet stuffer and you would want him if your life depended on it. You would want a player who can give you a lot of everything rather than a player on who you are uncertain with their production.
"Question no. 3: Ten years from now, who will be the first player from that season who pops into your head."
This season would have to be one of the best, if not the best, in recent memory for the UAAP. You would remember a lot, the strong rookie class, the close games, the surprises etc. You would most likely remember three players, in no particular order, Kiefer "The Phenom" Ravena, Greg Slaughter, and Ray Ray Parks.
Ravena will be most remembered as "The Phenom" who played like a savvy 5-year veteran and not a rookie. You would remember Greg Slaughter as the 7'0 who consistently forced the opposition to double team him and his "thunderous dunks". As for Parks, you would remember him as the guy who nailed the behind-the-back no look shot in his final game.
To me, Parks had more impact this season than Slaughter. Slaughter relied on his height to dominate the paint and make opponents shake their head but Ray Ray dazzled his foes with moves. You couldn't stop him since he could drive to the rack or nail his silky smooth jumper.
"Question no. 4: If you're explaining your MVP pick to someone who has a favorite player in the race-a player you didn't pick-will he at least say something like, "Yeah, I don't like it, but I can see how you arrived at your choice".
To me this would be the most difficult point to prove since biases and binaries exists in this world. One could say that Greg Slaughter deserved it since Ateneo had the better record but as you ponder, Ray Ray almost single-handedly led NU to the Final Four despite having an off year from Emmanuel Mbe, no consistent play from their Point Guard and no legitimate back-up scorer. Now tell me, whose more valuable.
This can be all open to interpretation but as we use Simmons's guidelines, we can see that Parks really emerges as the Most Valuable Player. Yes I know his team didn't qualify for the Final Four and to this very day we use Statistical Points to determine the MVP but he exemplifies on what the word valuable means. Without Ray Ray, NU will probably be in the 7th in the standings with only UE and UP behind them and with his play.
Haters can continue to hate but its just my interpretation, just live with it.
