Is the current voting system fair and just?

Whenever there is a discussion on the awards/all-stars selection, the lack of clarity over the proper standard of measurement always has been problematic. Seemingly the voters (mostly media in this case) tend to focus more on the success of the teams these days rather than individual qualities. I am inclined to hear about your ideas on this issue whether you think it can be improved or if it is already working fine. If it needs an improvement, in what ways should the system change and on what measures.

The stats, how far can/should it be used to upgrade the system to be more fair and just?(perhaps benji can answer this)

Earlier I posted in a random question thread asking who the undeserving season MVPs in a recent history were. For now, I’m inclined to believe that Nash was a sure one and Kobe being the next. The reasons of them voted were mostly of the team success. I’d like to hear some ideas on this as well.

I suppose the fairest alternative to the media casting votes would be to set statistical criteria - say, a formula in the vein of PER - that is accepted as the measure of a player's value to their team and then award the MVP to the player whose stats produce the best result.

If it comes down to voting though, I say give the vote back to the players.

I suppose the fairest alternative to the media casting votes would be to set statistical criteria - say, a formula in the vein of PER - that is accepted as the measure of a player's value to their team and then award the MVP to the player whose stats produce the best result.

That would mean Mo Speights would be in contention for MVP every year

I just mentioned PER as a vague example. I'd envision such a formula still seeing familiar candidates in contention, with the winner being picked more objectively.

i like the idea of players and coaches voting. also make it so you cannot vote for anyone on your team. sure there will still be bad votes based on friendships but it wont be nearly as bad.

What about using the tendex calculator?

It's sth like that
The Tendex Formula=[(Points)+(Rebounds)+(Assists)+(Steals)+(Blocks)- (Missed Field Goal Attempts)-0.5*(Missed Free Throws)-(Turnovers)-(Fouls)]/(Player's Minutes)

Though i heard it favours the Big Man instead of Guard sometimes.
But it's really famous in Europe and here in Greece Bouroussis and Diamantidis have the greatest tendex averages this season so there's one big man and one guard so it's somewhat fair i believe

somethings are not fully defined by stats alone though (you heard me benji)

Would that formula tell which player is truly the most valuable though? That formula doesn't hold any regards to usage and win share, so I doubt it tells who the truly deserving MVP is.

That would mean Mo Speights would be in contention for MVP every year

Not even close. His PER is 18.

TENDEX is terrible. It doesn't even have any actual weights as PER does. (Which uses the actual value of the individual stats.)

The problem with using PER is that equalizes minutes. Something like win shares is better.

But first you have to define MVP. I define it as the player who most contributes to his teams wins and therefore look to the player who has the highest percentage of credit for his teams total wins.

Code:

2008-09
wade,dwyane   22.4%
jamison,antawn   20.9%
james,lebron   20.6%
bryant,kobe   19.4%
paul,chris   19.2%

2007-08
james,lebron   21.4%
bryant,kobe   20.7%
iverson,allen   20.3%
jefferson,al   19.8%
richardson,jason   19.6%

I'd rather rename and change the old awards while creating new awards that were all specific and exact with clear listed definitions and methodology if were going to move to some kind of objective data based system.

Anyway, yes the current system is fair and just. It operates within the rules that are setup, and I don't think there's been any accusations of cheating or fraud.

If we want to keep voting, there are some changes that I think would make it better.

For one, on the awards voting, the media should lose their vote. Especially when people admit to voting based on who gives better interviews. The coaches have shown they can vote in a way that's not horse-trading based on the All-Star reserves, so it should return to how it was prior to 1979 with the players voting.

For the All-Star game, it's an exhibition game for the fans, so the fans should vote for the entire team with no more than two players from one team making it. Yes, that's a popularity contest and it SHOULD be one.

Most important, we should get away from the notion that these awards and honors convey some kind of objective value on to the player. They are subjective and there's nothing wrong with that.

End of the season awards should be honors from your fellow players.
Making the All-Star team should be honors from your fans.

Involving the coaches and the media is just some absurd notion that they have objective unbiased opinions that can declare "the actual best" players.

Seems like Wade and James should have won in those years if the system was to provide fair result. I agree with you that way could be more precise in defining the MVP.

also...

End of the season awards should be honors from your fellow players.
Making the All-Star team should be honors from your fans.

+1 on your points.