OT: Russell Westbrook . . . Oh My!

[Kitaman]

This kid is ballin, and to believe he wasn't voted as a starter in the NBA All Star Game.

Harden, our own Kemba and of course Curry are doing their thing, but Westbrook has to be the best guard in the league right now.

38 triple doubles so far

Last night

57 points (record for a triple double)
13 rebounds
11 assists

He is not a gunner, which makes this season so remarkable. Of course he's doing all this against the best players in the world especially in the packed 'good guard' Western Conference.

 

[husky429]

MVP!

Though the race is really exciting this year. I wouldn't be surprised at all for Harden, Lebron, Russ, or even Kawhi to bring it home. This is a good time to be watching basketball.

 

[boog204]

I find him so polarizing. He is probably the most athletic basketball player I ever seen. I happened to watch the game last night (daughter went to bed early!) and his speed and explosiveness is other worldly. But his shot selection is atrocious some times and I know he does not have a lot of talent with him. But his shot selection was atrocious in the Olympics a few years back, too. He had seven first half turnovers (none in second, tho) and I found it a little bit odd at the end of the game (literally final two seconds) that he made sure to hand off the ball to a teammate so that they would be in possession for the shot clock violation. He was way too "aware" that he would be associated with the turnover (shot clock violation is a team turnover not player).

But, the dude dropped 57 in a triple double, including a three to tie, and has led a team of modest talent to a playoff birth while averaging a triple double. Pretty amazin.

 

[Rocktheworld]

The most entertaining part of this is Colin Cowherd every day finding a way to rip him

 

[bear]

He is not a gunner, which makes this season so remarkable.

Despite his awesome assist numbers, he is for sure a gunner. Averages the most shots per game in the league by a wide margin.

 

[superjohn]

This kid is ballin, and to believe he wasn't voted as a starter in the NBA All Star Game.

Harden, our own Kemba and of course Curry are doing their thing, but Westbrook has to be the best guard in the league right now.

38 triple doubles so far

Last night

57 points (record for a triple double)
13 rebounds
11 assists

He is not a gunner, which makes this season so remarkable. Of course he's doing all this against the best players in the world especially in the packed 'good guard' Western Conference.

I think he's the MVP but not a gunner?!??

 

[methodology]

No way he doesn't get MVP. It's almost a given he will average a triple double

 

[Kitaman]

I think he's the MVP but not a gunner?!??

My bad, limited NBA knowledge. Just thought that with the triple doubles it absolves him of that title.

 

[superjohn]

No way he doesn't get MVP. It's almost a given he will average a triple double

He might share it with Harden or Harden could even win it outright.

 

[tzznandrew]

My bad, limited NBA knowledge. Just thought that with the triple doubles it absolves him of that title.

He sort of hunts those assists sometimes, like Rondo did in his Boston heyday. Don't get me wrong, he's got great vision and makes great passes. But he racks up assists without making his teammates better like more classic point guards.

 

[husky429]

Odds in Vegas have harden most likely to win. Russ team isn't that great overall

 

[awfuldan]

Love Westbrook's game. Clearly the MVP to me.

I was just looking at the box score to last night's game: Thunder vs. Magic - Box Score - March 29, 2017 - ESPN

Check out Jerami Grant, with a +/- of +30 (which is 16 points higher than anyone else on the team) in just 19 minutes, without making a single shot. Kinda wild.

 

[auror]

Odds in Vegas have harden most likely to win. Russ team isn't that great overall

I think the tide will turn and Westbrook will win it (I've been on Team Harden most of the year). The Thunder actually have a decent record now. They're going to win 45 and maybe close to 50. If they get to 48 (5-3 in last 8), he wins it. I don't know what the odds are, but that seems like a good bet now.

 

[Blue Blood]

This kid is ballin, and to believe he wasn't voted as a starter in the NBA All Star Game.

Harden, our own Kemba and of course Curry are doing their thing, but Westbrook has to be the best guard in the league right now.

38 triple doubles so far

Last night

57 points (record for a triple double)
13 rebounds
11 assists

He is not a gunner, which makes this season so remarkable. Of course he's doing all this against the best players in the world especially in the packed 'good guard' Western Conference.

Isaiah Thomas has to be included in that list is well, in a normal year he'd be firmly in MVP conversations.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Despite his awesome assist numbers, he is for sure a gunner. Averages the most shots per game in the league by a wide margin.

Cowherd believes he has exposed that Westbrook is boosting his assist and rebounds stats for the sake of his triple doubles.

His assist rate falls off a cliff late in the game

He contests the fewest perimeter shots in the league

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Why do they not do two MVPs in every sport like they do baseball?

 

[joober jones]

He also has the Donnell Beverly connection

 

[FartMan69]

Why do they not do two MVPs in every sport like they do baseball?

Because the AL and NL were literally 2 different organizations for like a century

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Cowherd believes he has exposed that Westbrook is boosting his assist and rebounds stats for the sake of his triple doubles.

His assist rate falls off a cliff late in the game

He contests the fewest perimeter shots in the league

I wouldn't put it past Westbrook and the Thunder to be boosting his numbers.
Don't get be wrong, he's a phenomenal player.
But if he's really the Most Valuable Player, why are the Thunder only 6th in the West? They've got a really solid roster around him.
Take LeBron off the Cavs, they'd probably barely have a winning record.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I wouldn't put it past Westbrook and the Thunder to be boosting his numbers.
Don't get be wrong, he's a phenomenal player.
But if he's really the Most Valuable Player, why are the Thunder only 6th in the West? They've got a really solid roster around him.
Take LeBron off the Cavs, they'd probably barely have a winning record.

I think Cowherd said no MVP had ever come from a sub-50 win team, or a team that exited in the first or second round (as the Thunder likely will)

Or something like that

 

[auror]

I think Cowherd said no MVP had ever come from a sub-50 win team, or a team that exited in the first or second round (as the Thunder likely will)

Or something like that

The last time a team won less than 50 games and had an MVP was Moses Malone in the 1981–82 season.

That's why Westbrook was getting written off when the Thunder were on pace for ~45. But if the Thunder get to 48-50, I think he gets it because there is no obvious "Best player on the best team" thing since LeBron's Cavs might not finish first and KD's play/injury plus Steph's off season mean there isn't a winner coming from Warriors. IT plays no D and Kawhi probably just doesn't quite have the numbers in comparison to the other 2 frontrunners. So that leaves Harden vs. RW. I think momentum builds for RW since his team won't be that far behind and he'll have had the historic season.

 

[Rocktheworld]

 

[James]

Westbrook is not the MVP, I don't even have him second. It's harden far and away, take a look at the team standings and the beard's statline.

 

[auror]

Westbrook is not the MVP, I don't even have him second. It's harden far and away, take a look at the team standings and the beard's statline.

Okay, I'm bored. I'll bite. I see that his statline is worse (in RPM and PER aside from the triple double) than RW and that the Rockets aren't even 1st or 2nd in their own conference. What's the argument?

 

[James]

Okay, I'm bored. I'll bite. I see that his statline is worse (in RPM and PER aside from the triple double) than RW and that the Rockets aren't even 1st or 2nd in their own conference. What's the argument?

He has a higher ts% and more win shares, he has led the rockets to having the second best offense in the NBA. I don't buy westbrooks teammates being bad, he just doesn't make them better the same way harden does.