A simple formula to determine the NBA MVP

Seeking balance.

With so many players being out with extended injuries, I’m again re-examining how to select the NBA MVP. I was wondering, how many games can a player miss and still deserve the award?

I knew without looking it up that most years, the MVP has played 90% or more of their team’s games. Most others played around 85% of games. I was thinking of dropping the standard to 75%, but was looking for a precedent.

In the 1977–78 NBA season, Bill Walton was given the Most Valuable Player award.

He had played 58 of 82 games, just 71%

But, the Trail Blazers were 48–10 when he played. They were 10–14 without him. The 58 total wins were first in the NBA by three games and first in the Western Conference by nine.

I haven’t investigated that season to determine if Walton should have won the award, but it’s understandable why he did. I decided that there doesn’t need to be any minimum number of games played to win MVP.

Nevertheless, showing up and playing in victories is in large part what a “most valuable” player is supposed to do.

On the other hand, if the five regular starters of a team stays healthy throughout the season, playing almost every game, and the team finishes with the best…