Kenton Gibbs
Kenton Gibbs
Don’t let the Houston Rockets’ blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder detract from facts; Russell Westbrook is the MVP. This shouldn’t be up for discussion yet somehow it is, so let’s put it to rest. Westbrook’s season was something that most readers have never seen in their lifetimes. Any other year there’s only one other player who would stand out for the honor, but Russ is putting up astronomical numbers.
Let’s start with the obvious fact that he’s averaging a triple-double. Not only is he averaging a triple-double, but it’s a 30-point triple-double. There aren’t many players to ever average 30 points per game. Over the 70-year history of the NBA, only 67 players have ever averaged that many points. No player has averaged 30 PPG and 10 assists per game since Oscar Robertson.
The most popular argument against Westbrook is that the James Harden-led Rockets team is much better than Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder. There’s only one major flaw in this logic: the word “team.”
Westbrook and Harden are the on-court leaders of the team, not the entire team. Neither Westbrook nor Harden makes acquisitions for their teams. So those who believe the wins are solely a product of them and not of Rockets management acquiring then-free agents Lou Williams as well as Eric Gordon. Williams and Gordon are 6th Man of the Year Award candidates. No one on the Thunder is competing for anything of the sort.
The Rockets are a mediocre team without James Harden. Without Westbrook, the Thunder would be a train wreck to say the least. The Thunder only had four players other than Westbrook average at least 9 PPG. The Rockets without Harden had nine players who scored an average of at least 9 PPG.
Furthermore, Harden has another advantage over Westbrook: coaching. Houston’s Mark D’Antoni has 13 years of NBA head coaching experience, while Oklahoma’s Billy Donovan is in just his second year after departing the University of Florida. Also, D’Antoni’s system is custom-made for players like Harden to thrive. All offense makes Harden look even better, don’t let the high steals per game average fool you. Harden has often been publicly criticized for his poor defense.
This award is supposed to be about the player who is the most valuable to his team winning. If that’s not the case, then it should be renamed best player on a really good team award. Harden had an amazing regular season. His 24.8 estimated wins added to the Rockets is impressive; however, he came in second to none other than Westbrook who totaled 27.5. Long story short, the stats make the clear case that Westbrook adds more value to his team than Harden. End of story.