Don’t overthink this one, it’s simple. Russell Westbrook deserves to be the NBA MVP.
No, I am not going to sit here and say just because he averaged a triple-double this season he automatically deserves it; the triple double is a novelty stat anyway. It is much more about the narrative throughout the NBA this season, which dates all the way back to July 4.
Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in free agency, sending an earthquake across the landscape of basketball. Meanwhile, Westbrook prepared to put an OKC team lacking talent on his back and carry them into the playoffs, no matter the cost.
The Durant-Westbrook storyline consumed the basketball conversation until around the All-Star game, and since then, it’s been Westbrook’s out of this world stat lines. It’s Westbrook’s regular season, and everyone else is just playing in it.
Many James Harden supporters will say that Harden was more efficient than Westbrook, but player efficiency ratings say otherwise: Westbrook’s PER is 30.7 and Harden’s PER is 27.4. It should be acknowledged that Harden’s had a higher shooting efficiency than Westbrook, but shooting is just one aspect of the game.
Westbrook recorded 10.4 APG, 10.7 RPG and 31.6 PPG. Russ is only 0.8 assists behind Harden while he averaged 2.5 more points and 2.6 rebounds more than Harden.
While some act like Westbrook is hurting his team by chasing stat lines, the Thunder are 33-9 when Westbrook records a triple-double. Think about that.
Take Westbrook off the Thunder and they would be in the league’s basement with the Nets and Suns. He leads the league with a 12.4 value over replacement player, 3.4 points higher than Harden and 5.1 higher than LeBron James. VORP, much like wins above replacement in the MLB, should be one of the main elements in evaluating who is the most valuable player.
Without James, the Cavaliers still have Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving and would be a playoff team. Without Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs still find a way to win because Gregg Popovich is the basketball equivalent of Bill Belichick. Then that leaves Harden.
Take Harden and Westbrook off their respective teams and the Rockets will be better than the Thunder. Harden’s supporting cast is stronger than Westbrook’s, and just because Las Vegas didn’t anticipate 50-plus wins for the Rockets doesn’t mean that they could have just misevaluated the talent on that team. Separated by eight wins, people act like the Thunder didn’t make the playoffs, but realistically they won just four fewer games than the Cavaliers while playing in a more difficult conference.
Harden is helped not only by that supporting cast, but also his coach and system, which are better than what Westbrook is working with. Watching Thunder games, it’s clear what Billy Donovan’s game plan is: hand the ball to Westbrook and let him create. Honestly, good for them for realizing their best chance, otherwise I can imagine Russ would be upset with not controlling enough of the offense.
On the other hand, Mike D’Antoni’s system is what makes it look like Harden elevates the play of players around, not Harden himself. Think back on the past few seasons, did he elevate the play of teammates last season? Definitely not. Harden’s season is the product of an elite player made even better by the system he is in.
The culmination of Westbrook’s MVP campaign had to be in Denver, just a week ago, when he nabbed his record 42nd triple-double and dropped a 50-16-10 stat line including a 36-foot dagger at the buzzer to win the game. That game summarized the entire season for Westbrook; he’s on a team who would lose most of their games without him dominating.
The MVP should be a stamp that marks that year in basketball history. In a few years when we look back on the 2017 regular season, we will remember Westbrook’s triple-double record, the drama with Durant and his utter dominance on the floor with highlight reel plays and game-winning shots. If anyone other than Russell Westbrook’s name is called on June 26 at the 2017 NBA Awards Show, we all look back in 10 years and ask how Russ got snubbed.
