Is Russell Westbrook Really A Clear Cut MVP?
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA season has headlines as always. But one of the biggest ones has been Russell Westbrook and his play and the comparisons are similar to Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who averaged a triple double one season, which currently Westbrook is matching (10 Assists per game, 10.6 Rebounds per Game, and 31.7 Points per game, which also leads the NBA). People are applauding Westbrook's season, and to be honest, they should. It is VERY impressive. But.........the question is, is he the MVP of the NBA?
This is the spot where I take a long pause.
It felt like Westbrook "needed to get his" agianst the Warriors in the playoffs last year, what I felt like was a contributing factor in Oklahoma City's demise in that series. And possibly a reason why Durant split Oklahoma City.
Something about Russell Westbrook hasn't sat right with me since really the Western Conference Finals against Golden State last year. And I want to re-hash it. Yes, we know Oklahoma City was up 3-1 in that series, and honestly dominated it to that point. I get they lost to the Warriors in Game 5 in Oakland. I figured that going back to the Bay for the Warriors that they would win that. But I keep replaying Game 6 in my head and then kept thinking of the first 4 games where Kevin Durant put on a Herculean show on the Warriors and many re-considered who was the best player in the NBA. And I remember when the game was close in the 4th. It seemed like Westbrook was no longer interested in playing the team game, but more of to show "hey, I am also superstar in my own right too! Let me show the world I can also beat Golden State!"
Was that the right time to do that? And it seemed like Durant and Westbrook were not on the same page that game at all, especially in the 4th quarter where Oklahoma City imploded. The results were a bit concerning with Westbrook: Yeah, he scored 28, but on 10 of 27 shooting (0-5 from 3), 9 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals. I get all of that. So on a stat sheet, he looked good aside from the 10-27 FG. (And Durant shot horrible too)
Iguodala completely frustrated Westbrook down the stretch.
But look at the 4th quarter of that game carefully. Yes, he had 8 points (4-4 from the line, 2 of 7 from the field; 1 of 6 from the field for Durant in the 4th), but the Warriors really pressured Westbrook and this was the concerning issue: 4 turnovers committed by Westbrook in the final 1:40. When the first turnover was committed, the game was tied. Then Klay Thompson sank ultimately the game-winning 3. After that, lost ball, lost ball steal, lost ball steal. And replaying that game, the first thing I thought was "Westbrook is really interested in being THE Hero, not necessarily winning the game." And again, it felt like the team had some chemistry issues to be worked on, notably toward Durant and Westbrook. It came off as both wanting to be "the guy" (maybe Westbrook more than Durant as we are seeing now). And when you have two players with egos of Durant and Westbrook, it can wear thin on a team and fast. And it did in the last quarter of Game 6 and again in Game 7 (where it just looked like there was no more fluidity to the Thunder).
In a blog from Beyond the Metrics, Westbrook's stellar play also comes at a costly price with his turnover rate, as it did in Game 6 last year. Of course, only 5 turnovers in Game 6, albeit 4 of them in the last 1:40. But also, ever since Durant left in the controversial manner that he did and became NBA's top villain outside of Oakland and wherever bandwagon fans are, people looked at Westbrook as the hero, especially since he signed an extension to stay in Oklahoma City. And he came off smiling as if "yep, Durant left, knowing OKC is MY team now and I will be regarded as the guy who stayed loyal to MY team" Whether that is true and if it is, if it played a factor in Durant's exit and how he didn't even bother to tell his superstar teammate about it remains to be seen (as that rivalry has been well-documented) and I am not going to get into that.
Maybe it is becoming more frustration, but it seems like when you get under Westbrook's skin, you can take him off his game enough for the Thunder to lose.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
However, despite all of Westbrook's heroics, even with the triple-doubles he has conjured up in 2016-17, the Thunder are 7th in the Western Conference and really stuck in neutral. Now I don't think they will completely tank and bottom out to the point they're on the outside looking in, but Oklahoma City is just not very deep outside of him. Add on top of it, the turnover rate, only former teammate James Harden has more in the league and Westbrook's mouth has netted him 16 technical fouls (thus ranking him 3rd in that category). And anytime he is playing it just has a feel/vibe of "I'm going to get my numbers and I don't care how I do it." And I don't see that as MVP material.
I am not saying that Westbrook SHOULDN'T be considered an MVP candidate. Without him, Oklahoma City is probably a 60-loss squad. Plus what he's done is historic. But winning the MVP isn't necessarily about stats but more of who can make their teammates and players around them better. For all the grief Durant got for leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State, he has fit in very well, played under the team game better than what anybody expected, and until his injury, was an MVP candidate himself. On the other hand, has Russell Westbrook done the same in Oklahoma City this year? According to the record and how the team has played, the simple answer is no.
-Fan in the Obstructed Seat
