Here we are. The NFL season is winding down and the question is now coming up.... who should be the MVP this season? After 11 games for most of the teams in the book, it's honestly a toss up at the moment between two QBs, one of which has been here before, and the other, no one expected to get here, at least not this fast. However, you could also add a few other names to this discussion as well, which leads me to this small list of MVP candidates for this year. To be fair, you'll see a few candidates who likely won't win at all and a few possible candidates left off from winning teams (it's hard to pinpoint a true MVP for the Steelers and the Vikings can't seriously place faith in Case Keenum just yet), but for the most part, this is really a two man race at the moment, but anything can happen in the NFL over the next 5 weeks. Who will win MVP? Let's take a look. *Todd Gurley
-A long shot? Yes. Deserving? Probably not of the award. But as far as the consistency goes, it's either Jared Goff or Gurley who deserve the credit for their huge success this year and the lead in the NFC West. The beauty of the NFL MVP award is that it changes so quickly due to the fact that one or two games can alter the entire race. Gurley has well over 1100 yards from scrimmage already and has been a huge factor in the Rams being successful. Will Gurley end up as the MVP? Doubtful, but his hard work this season can't be ignored and should at least be somewhat recognized.
*Cam Newton
-This is a huge long shot.... a huge long shot. However, Cam has shown flashes of greatness and somehow, the Panthers are deadlocked in a tie for first place in what is currently the most competitive division, the NFC South. If the Panthers can win the division and obtain a top 4 seed in the NFC, there might be a discussion to be had about Cam and another MVP. Once again, I don't expect Cam to actually seriously be considered, as this is mostly a two man race, but much like in all sports, there have to be other choices on the outside. Cam hasn't been perfect, but if the Panthers could finish the season at 11-5 or even 12-4, Cam might deserve a mention at least.
*Drew Brees
-Does Brees deserve MVP consideration? Maybe... but if we had to pick someone, perhaps Kamara deserves it a little more? No? Well, fine. Brees hasn't been his usual stat stuffing self, but it hasn't mattered. He still has over 3000 yards passing so far, and can likely hit over the 4000 yard mark before the season ends, and although his total number of touchdowns are below his average, the Saints are 8-3, and likely a playoff team if they can keep this up. Brees is a big part of that success, as evidenced by his heroics in a recent game against the Redskins. Will Drew Brees be a serious MVP contender? Probably not, but he deserves a little bit of discussion in the conversation. *Tom Brady
-This is a broken record. Brady likely has a chance to win but I'll be honest, his consistency this season is the main reason why he should be given the top consideration. His numbers this season are amazing, and at 40, the way he controls the game is beyond belief. Where he loses this argument somewhat is the fact that the Patriots haven't shown too many flashes of greatness at times, and they should more likely be 7-4 than 9-2. However, their record seems to be better than the actual team this year, but much like the Cavs in the NBA this year, they'll likely be in the Super Bowl. Brady is the biggest reason for their success and any other year, he would be an easy and undisputed choice for MVP, but I just don't think this year is his year... though he has a big chance to win, there is one player who has rose up to become the man who could steal it from Brady and the front-runner at the moment.
*Carson Wentz
-Let's be honest... Wentz is the MVP and the award is his to lose at this point. While Brady has better numbers as I said, we can't forget that a lot of those early Patriots games saw their defense not get the job done, and the 9-2 Pats should probably be 6-5 or 7-4 heading into week 13. However, enough about Brady. It's time for Wentz now. This is his year and he's owning it. Success can be so fleeting in the NFL, but this year? Carson Wentz is playing football at a much higher rate than anyone expected. Will Wentz continue playing well into the end of the season? If he does, he's the MVP. No one predicted the Eagles would be 10-1 and the no. 1 team in football, but here they are. They have a tough stretch going forward to close the season, but if they can come out of that with a few more wins and secure the no. 1 seed in the NFC, the MVP award will undoubtedly be his. The Patriots and Brady are exactly where we expected them to be, but the Eagles have exceeded that, exceeded the Patriots and then some. As of now, the MVP award will go to Carson Wentz, but as we know... anything is possible in the NFL.
When we talk about that era of WWE when they seemed to be rejecting of transition and progressing, we always have to talk about the stars that WWE never really pulled the trigger with. That time period would be the 2005-2009 era where the only huge stars the WWE really made were Batista, Randy Orton, and John Cena. Edge would rise to prominence as well, but it was mostly guys like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho (here and there), Jeff Hardy, JBL, and a few other well known names kept the company alive. Before the company put focus into the next wave of guys, they had some interesting talent rise up who deserved a main event spot, but were never given them. During 2006-2009, no wrestler exemplified that other than MVP.
The thing about MVP was that he was brash, arrogant, and for me, a talented black wrestler. He had a gimmick that was pretty simple, but it still worked. His promo skills were natural given that he was a native of Miami, Florida (by way of Opa-Locka also), known for notorious shit talkers. Taking a gimmick that was a mix of the Rod Tidwell character from Jerry Maguire (I'm assuming Vince liked that movie) and Terrell Owens, MVP would be created. A self obsessed athlete that has all the money, lives luxuriously, and always has women around. This was the initial basis of his character and despite how stereotypical it was, it still seemed to work. When MVP was appearing on Smackdown to talk to Teddy Long, the WWE played it as if he was a "free agent", keeping with the sports theme of his character. A press conference would be announced and it was noted that MVP signed with Smackdown to the biggest contract in history. I'll admit, the earlier parts of this MVP story was just not executed the right way.
Fast forward to after his first feud with Kane (and subsequently The Undertaker alongside another promising upstart Mr. Kennedy), and MVP was slightly a disappointment. He was seen as over the top and a joke almost, as his inflated tunnel for his entrance and his odd attire (many called him a Power Ranger) made him very tough to take serious. MVP wrestled in what was supposed to a bodysuit made for athletes, though it didn't really look like that. After his Kane feud, he would attempt to move into a situation that led people to take him more serious. Enter Chris Benoit. Perhaps Benoit saw something special in MVP. Whatever the case, MVP and Benoit would begin a feud over the US Title leading into WrestleMania 23 and beyond. Though MVP would come up short at Mania and at the following PPV Backlash, he would win a two out of three straight falls match for the title over Benoit at Judgment Day 2007. This would be the final Benoit PPV match in his career. MVP then embarked on a big journey and a mini feud with a legend. His brief feud with Ric Flair was seen as a test I'd assume and MVP was up to the task. He could keep up with Flair somewhat on the mic and at Night of Champions, he would cleanly defeat Flair to retain the US Title, one of his most important wins in his career. It was after this feud however that MVP would reach the peak of his WWE career.
We know Matt Hardy as a genius in wrestling, from his Version 1 days to his BROKEN brilliance, Matt has always been able to make gold out of anything in wrestling. He would end up feuding with MVP after his Flair feud and they would end up making pure magic. After a decent match at the Great American Bash, it was believed that health/injury issues (MVP had a heart condition) caused the feud to slow down for a seconf, in terms of in ring action. While they didn't really have one on one matches for a little while, there were moments that we were treated to, such as Evander Holyfield appearing to get involved, a beer drinking contest that saw Stone Cold stun MVP, and much more. MVP was also given his own talk segment with a full set up, called the VIP lounge and MVP used this to hone his promo skills and further his feud with Matt. Shortly after Summerslam, Matt and MVP would be put into a makeshift tag team and they would end up winning the tag team titles in their first go round from Deuce and Domino. Eventually, Hardy and MVP would start to get along as tag champions, leading to the hilarious odd couple style tag team that we had seen before in WWE. Regardless, for months, MVP and Matt would go back and forth as tag champions, winning matches and getting over with the fans. This is where the MVP popularity began to take off as he was a double champion (Tag and US Titles), but the truth was he was just holding this title until he and Matt broke up, then dropping the belt to Matt. However, an injury would put a halt into those plans, as Matt would be sidelined for months with an appendix issue. Matt and MVP would drop their tag titles, MVP would turn on Matt and be a full fledged heel again, then Matt would take some time away to heal and rest up.
During this time, MVP edged in short but fun feuds with Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair (again), and entering himself into the Money In the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 24. Matt Hardy made his return and the feud rekindled briefly. At Backlash the next month, MVP would drop the US Title to Matt, ending his interesting reign at 343 days. Throughout this time, MVP began honing his look even more. Adding a durag and more black bodysuits into his attire, MVP felt closer to himself than the athlete gimmick he was given. The WWE would go back to this gimmick again a bit when it was realized that due to lack of success, MVP didn't get his "incentive bonus" and would soon lose his inflated tunnel. 2008 was a rough year for MVP, despite him being pretty popular and over with fans as a heel/tweener, he was forced to go on an unnecessary losing streak, which I assume was to put him in better favor with the fans. He would get a shot at the WWE Title once in this time, going for the belt in a Championship Scramble, but for whatever reason, he didn't even get any follow up after this match. He we struggling on Smackdown until Triple H helped him win his first match in months over the Big Show which helped MVP turn into a fan favorite sort of.
Still, the transition was done oddly and it didn't register as much. He was still over, but it seemed like fans had a slightly rough time taking to him this go round. Still, he managed to win the US Title again as 2009 was getting underway, defeating Shelton Benjamin and engaging in a small feud with him during this time. MVP would be in another MITB match at Mania 25, but come up short again, though many wanted him to win. It seemed like WWE didn't see the potential in MVP that he really had. MVP was moved to RAW in the Draft and would end up kicking off his arrival with a mini battle against Randy Orton, who was the WWE Champion, but it meant nothing as he was sent back into the mid card soon after. After dropping the US Title to Kofi Kingston, MVP was once again lost in the WWE shuffle as he had been prior to his Benoit feud and after losing the US Title the first time.
MVP would be put with Mark Henry briefly in a strange pairing for a tag team, but the short lived partnership didn't seem to have any success. Following that small tag team run, MVP would get into a solid feud with the Miz, yet again over the US Title, and that was how he ended up starting 2010, his final year with the company. He wouldn't Winn the US Title back, and sure enough, the WWE would have him in yet another MITB match at Mania 26, but MVP would be successful yet again. At this point, it seemed like WWE had given up on him, despite being popular still amongst the fans. The WWE ended up sending him back to Smackdown, but it was clear the WWE didn't know what to do with MVP or his talent. He had a brief feud with CM Punk and Luke Gallows alongside Rey Mysterio, but that was quickly scrapped and MVP did nothing for months.
He would be on the Smackdown show usually, but would miss the PPVs or be stuck doing dark matches, like when he lost to Zack Ryder in a dark match at Fatal Four Way or defeated Chavo Guerrero in a dark match at two different PPVs on the year. It was an embarrassing moment to see WWE waste him and his talent like that but also not a surprise. WWE was centered on Batista, Taker, HHH, Jericho, Cena, Orton, HBK, and Edge during the heyday of MVP and he was never going to get a fair chance in that era. He would end up asking for his release after a horrible showing at Survivor Series 2010 where he was the first man eliminated at the 5 on 5 match. Despite a shot at the Intercontinental Title against Dolph Ziggler, MVP was given no other opportunities and after getting his release from WWE, he would never look back. If anything, this story will let you know that the WWE is capable of letting good talent go to waste. MVP wasn't the greatest, but he was fun to watch and had something sort of special. It's a shame WWE never really gave him the shine he deserved beyond the US Title picture.
Though I'm not personally his biggest fan, James Harden is having one of the best years of his career, possibly his best. It is a bit expected to be honest, as Harden has shown that he's the leader of the Rockets, and with Mike D'Antoni as the Rockets head coach, you knew he was due for a big year and that the Rockets offense would be overpowering for a majority of the teams. Their output in the preseason hinted at the dominance they would have, so if you're surprised that the Rockets are in contention and a slight title contender, you might have been sleeping on the Rockets. For those that weren't sleeping on the Rockets, Harden's season is beyond impressive, but we knew that he was going to have a great year. He's leading the league in double doubles, has a top 3 team in the tough and vicious Western Conference, and he's leading the league in assists. That's nothing short of spectacular for a player that's in the West and today, we wanted to take a brief look at why James Harden has a case for the MVP. Let's take a look at his season.
*63 Double Doubles And 22 Triple Doubles
-While it isn't quite the feat of the record breaking season for Russ, this is still largely impressive. Considering that he leads the league also in double doubles with 63, this is an impressive feat. Harden has been just shy of a triple double many times this year, speaking to a level of consistency that you have to be a top tier player to keep up. To put it in perspective, only two players this season have more than 20 triple doubles this season: Harden and Westbrook. In terms of double doubles, there are only three guards in the top 15 of that list: Harden, Westbrook, and John Wall. Harden leads the NBA with just one more double double than Westbrook, and to end up with 63 double doubles on the season is honestly one of the all time great feats in this particular era of basketball.
*Leading The League In Assists
-James has a pretty solid team to help, but he's the piece that drives that team 100%. Currently sitting at 11.2 assists per game, Harden will end the year as the assists leader and he's earned every right to do so. He's made plays down the stretch and seems even more comfortable in the point guard role than he was in the shooting guard role. He's in the top 3 of scoring and averaging 8 rebounds, but his most impressive stat to me is his 11 assists per game. Dishing out dimes to Lou Williams, Ryan Anderson, Patrick Beverly, Clint Capela, or Eric Gordon, Harden was always able to find the open man or the open shooter for a quick three or lob it up to Capela for a big slam. It's not easy to put up 29 points a game and lead the league in assists, but Harden did just that. That Mike D'Antoni offense usually doesn't fail and Harden has worked very well within it.
*Getting The Rockets To The 3rd Seed And 55 Wins
-Though Harden and the Rockets were always going to be a solid team, it's watching them work so well together that's the most fun. After the Clippers and Thunder went on a downward spiral after the loss of a few key players to injury, Houston began to pull away with the 3rd seed. Sure, the Warriors and the Spurs were locks to win the 1st and 2nd seeds, but many of us weren't aware that the Rockets would be no. 3 and win 55 games. No matter what anyone says, there is no way you expected THIS. Sure, Harden has a very solid team around him, but the fact remains his superb season is what led them to such a great record and a top seed. For Harden to put up 2,000 points plus in a season and help create over 4,500 points for the entire season shows the level of consistency it took to push that team even further. A no. 3 seed, 55 wins, and an all around great season that includes breaking the three point record for most threes in a season. The Rockets and Harden have been nothing short of superb this year.
*Two 50 Point Triple Doubles
-It's never been a season where we witnessed multiple 50 point triple doubles. Two people have done it. This season. Westbrook and Harden. Harden has had interesting moments this year. Harden had his first 50 point triple double during a tough battle with the Knicks. Registering 53 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists, Harden led the Knicks to victory. This game was at the end of December 2016, on New Year's Eve, a great way to start the year off for Harden. His second 50 point triple double came three weeks later in a hard fought victory over the 76ers as Harden put up 51 points, 13 assists and 13 rebounds on 57% from the field and 54% from three. In these two performances, Harden showed up and led his team, but most of all, the Rockets got the win in both of those games. When we talk about valuable, that's exactly what it is all about. Leading your team.
Final Thought
Is James Harden my personal pick for MVP? No. Could he be yours? He most certainly could. The thing about Harden that makes him have such a strong case for the MVP is not just his stats, but his team. The MVP award most of the time goes to the players with the best teams and the top 2 seeds, although by that logic, Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard have better cases for the award, the fact still remains Harden is playing out of this world. To average a double double is always a special feat to me (especially when this includes assists) and to put up a triple double in over 25% of the games on the season shows the level of play you are bringing to the table every night. Can James Harden win MVP? He has every chance to and he has a lot of things working in his favor. Is he my pick? No, he'd be my 2nd pick personally, but the fact remains, if he wins, there's nothing you nor I can say about it because he definitely would deserve it.
So, Steph Curry isn't a MVP candidate this year to many. If you ask me, he's probably 5th or 6th in MVP voting this year under Russ, Harden, Kawhi, Isaiah Thomas, and LeBron James in that order. Now, with that out of the way, we have to take a look into his year so far. The season is getting ready to end, but Steph has seemingly set himself up to have a tremendous season. Shooting 47% from the field and a career low near 41% from three point range, Steph is currently averaging 25.3 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 6.6 assists per game. To put it in perspective, during Steph's first MVP season, he put up 23.8 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 7.7 assists per game. While Steph has seen a higher amount of points and rebounds (barely) per game this season compared to 2 seasons ago, this year was seen as a slump season. Was that accurate? Somewhat.
His shooting percentages have taken a hit, and his shooting slump really made things tough for him percentage wise, but if this is a bad season, it's only a bad season by Steph standards based on the year he had last season. Steph put up 30 points a game, pulled down a career high in rebounds, averaged almost 7 assists, was the NBA steals leader, and put up 400 three pointers, which was 100 plus more than his first MVP season. When the Warriors added Kevin Durant, who is a 26 to 27 point scorer in his own right, we knew Steph would take a hit and that his numbers would suffer a little bit. However, he's exactly where he should be. With Durant out for over a month, it allowed Steph to truly find his leadership role again, and he's once again looking like a two time MVP. He's had meetings against the three main MVP candidates in the West the last few weeks, and he's outplayed each of them in those games, showing a focus that will be vital for the Warriors for the rest of the playoff season I'm sure. So, is Steph having a bad year? A slump year? Let's examine his year.
*Steph Struggles To Adjust
-The first game of the season for the Warriors saw them get annihilated by the Spurs, but it was because they were a new team trying to figure things out. Despite the clear issues that they faced, Kevin Durant seemed to fit in well as the Warriors went on a 12 game winning streak as the Warriors attempted to make KD feel right at home in their run and gun offensive style. Steph had some rough games in the beginning of the season, none worse than the 0 for 10 performance he had from three against the Lakers early on. It ended the streak he had of consecutive regular season games with a three, and it showed a weakness in him that we didn't see much the previous two seasons. Despite that, Steph would have some really good games, but by his standards, it seemed like he wasn't fully in rhythm like that. The Warriors found their way, but Steph was struggling off and on, even during their initial 12 game win streak early in the season. Would he find his rhythm? Of course he would.
*Steph Breaks The Three Point Record
-After a terrible game of going 0 for 10 from three, Steph decided to go as hard as possible and break the record for the most threes in a single game. After having a 150 plus game streak of hitting a three end, Steph went and lit up the New Orleans Pelicans for 46 points on 13 of 17 from three, making another mark in history. That's crazy in a big way. Steph ended up making 400 threes the previous season, then break the record for single game with threes in the next season. It's a testament to his greatness that he was able to pull off these feats.
*Steph Begins To Find His Rhythm
-As KD was coasting and enjoying a fairly easy season (so it seemed), Steph was finally finding his rhythm again. He would start to fit comfortably alongside Durant as leaders of the team, and had big time games against the Wolves, Lakers, Suns, Raptors, and Pelicans where he seemed to be in rhythm. The only issue is that it seemed like it wasn't consistent enough, as Steph would follow a great two games in a row up with a subpar performance once or twice in a row. It wasn't the MVP we were used to seeing, but he was still adjusting, and the Warriors were winning huge games by large margins. It did seem like he found his rhythm after the Christmas Day loss to the Cavs, and he would put together a consistent string of great games and shooting performances afterwards. As the All Star Break approached, Steph was putting up crazy numbers on the Hornets, the Clippers (and once after All Star), and a few more teams. Had Steph finally found the rhythm for the remainder of the season?
*Shooting Slump And 5 Losses In 7 Games
-There was a time where Steph was going 2 for 8 from three, 0 for 9 from three, and that persisted for a short period. His confidence seemed shot, and his shots just weren't falling. The shooting slump affected him and the Warriors as games they usually would have won were going to the final moment or they were losing to lesser teams. Then, when KD went out, it was on Steph to take the reigns again like he had in the past. It seemed as if Steph was exhausted and outside of two solid games over the Knicks and the Hawks, the Warriors took losses to the Wizards, the Bulls, the Wolves, the Celtics (at home), and of course the Spurs (a game where Klay, Steph, Andre, and Dray didn't play). This slump signaled that it could be trouble for the Warriors and as the Spurs inched closer to getting the no. 1 seed, the Warriors knew needed to regroup. *Steph Leads The Warriors On A Win Streak Without Durant
-As of this writing, the Warriors have won 13 games straight (they're playing a game as I finish this with Steph sitting out). If there was ever a stretch where Steph put in his MVP campaign, this was it. In those 13 games, he's averaged about 28 points per game, 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and he's been in that 50-40-90 club during this time, shooting 50% from the field, about 47% from three, and of course 92% from the free throw line. Some of these tough wins over the Grizzlies, Rockets, Spurs, Wizards and Thunder (all playoff teams) have shown that Steph is still very much the leader of the offense on this team and that's the way it needs to be for the Warriors to go further and further. This stretch of wins shows you just how valuable Steph is, in case you forgot.
*300 Three Pointers
-This is why I think his year is one of the best we've seen this season. In addition to averaging 25 points, nearly 7 assists, and almost 2 steals per game, Steph has put up well over 300 three pointers this season. As of this writing, he has 313 three pointers, and though he won't break his own record, you'd have to admit that for a guy who is supposedly having a down year that being the only man to ever hit over 300 three pointers (and do it in back to back seasons) is one hell of a feat. The legacy of Steph as the greatest shooter ever continues to grow when he does things like this.
*Steph Puts 42 on The Wizards And The Suns
-This was essentially the MVP game. Steph had some great games during the season, but the Wizards is his best game thus far if I had to say so. Even better than his 13 three pointers game just about. Well maybe not better than that, but it was right there with it. He was excellent and in the Human Torch mode, showcasing that he's not lost a step and that he's in rhythm for the playoffs, which would be dangerous for every single NBA team. He would also show out against the Suns in the last game, putting up 42 points (with 11 assists) in a really efficient shooting night, and he outscored the entire Suns team in the first quarter 23-18. That right there is just yet another testament to the true greatness that Steph possesses and with him in rhythm going forward, this will be interesting, especially now with Durant back in the fold.
Final Thought
Is this really a bad season for Steph? Not at all in reality. Is it the season he had last year? No, but anyone expecting him to have the season he had last year was delusional. He's having a great year overall, and by all means, if shooting nearly 48% from the field, 41% from three, with 25 points a game, 313 three pointers on the season, and almost 7 assists a game is a bad season (with a 65-14 winning record and the no. 1 seed in the West), then I'm sure 99% of the players in the league would love to have that "bad year". Is Steph having an unanimous MVP year? No, not at all, but he's having a damn good year and is still one of the top 5-6 players this season regardless (if you think otherwise you're not watching close enough). Will Steph continue his rhythm into the playoffs? One can only hope for the Warriors" sake, but if he does.... it's going to be a tough road for any team in the NBA.
Introduction
I know. I know. A lot of you will read this and say "triple doubles don't make you MVP", and you know what, that's absolutely correct. A bunch of triple doubles does not make you the MVP by far. A lot of you who have posters of LeBron on your wall will say "LeBron deserves the MVP every year, every season" and you're incorrect. LeBron is always a top tier MVP candidate. Sometimes he deserves it, and sometimes he doesn't. Get over it. The last two seasons for LeBron have been very good, but there's usually someone in the regular season doing more extraordinary or just as extraordinary things without nearly as much help as LeBron has. This season, individually, no one is having a better season than Russell Westbrook.
At the moment, he's sitting at a record setting 41 triple doubles, tied for the most ever in NBA history in a season. Now, for many, this means a lot, as it's been 55 years since the last time we've seen someone put up this many triple doubles or anything even close to it. Russ is a different kind of athlete. He's like a tank, a machine that's played in all 78 games this year and shows no signs of fatigue or slowing down. It's amazing. Where a few other MVP candidates have missed a game or two, played through a tough injury and lost, or just rested a few games because they "earned it", Russ has no intention of doing so even as the season is basically over. That takes nothing away from what anyone else this season . Russ should be resting for the playoffs shouldn't he? Nope. He doesn't need to. This is what makes his incredible feats even more exciting and special. There is the argument against Russ of course that his team doesn't have enough wins, but it's not necessarily as big of a factor as it usually would be. There are exceptions to the rule in NBA history, but rarely. Rarely. Rare. Like averaging a triple double. Like being the no. 1 for your team and still facilitating and running the entire offense to put up 41 triple doubles. That's going to be the talking point of any Russ for MVP conversation and it's not a bad talking point like some want to say. The fact remains, Russ is making history and you have to award history. He's leading a team that without him would be lost. We are here today to kick off our three part series of the "EOTR Case For MVP", and we have to start with the proverbial front runner in Russell Westbrook. Let's get into it.
*Why Russ Should Be MVP (w/ @Peagle05 and @TrueBlueLowry21)
James Harden fans and apologists not withstanding, I think his team is better than Russ and the Thunder. Let me explain. Harden has naturally better players around him, sixth man of the year candidates, and some very solid shooters (which is vital to surviving in this game). Because of this, he would naturally have the better record or that would be expected. I know, some of us didn't expect Houston to be a third seed, but to be honest, that was more of me hoping they didn't than my actual expectations. The Thunder went 55-27 last season with a fully healthy KD and Westbrook to earn the third seed. This year, with all their ups and downs, they're 45-33 and could finish the season somewhere between 47-35 and 49-33 depending on these last few games. The odds have been stacked against them it seemed however though. A down year for Steven Adams, a Victor Oladipo who is inconsistent and was unhealthy during a stretch, as well as a two month period without Enes Kanter were really tough moments for the team and they managed to persevere during that tough stretch. After a few trades, which could have messed up the flow of the team, they picked things back up. I think we expected Russ to ball out this year, but he is having one of the greatest individual seasons I've ever witnessed ever. Not just because he's averaging a triple double, but it's because of what he adds and the role he has for his team. He's the most valuable player this year period. Don't believe me? I'll let Matt and Peagle tell you why.
Peagle- Russell Westbrook is the MVP. Hands down, stop arguing, SHUT. THE HELL. UP. People whine about how the MVP became about who had the best season and not who's most valuable to their team? Cool. Russ is having the best statistical season (Check), and look at the Thunder roster. That's a 20 win team without him. (Check).
I'm not gonna dump on anyone else to prop Russ up, because Harden is showing the hell out, but there are things about that Rockets team I cannot ignore (Sixth Man of the Year winners/candidates). The man is AVERAGING a triple double. Something that I'd wager that everyone reading this has never seen, only heard about. Give props, pay homage and most important of all, give that man that trophy.
TrueBlueLowry21- Westbrook is my choice for MVP for a few good reasons.If we're going off the standard meaning of the award then Westbrook is without a doubt it. Yes, we can state that he has over 40 triple doubles, but there's something that others don't seem to grasp. If we took Westbrook off that OKC team then the Thunder without a doubt would be nowhere near a playoff spot. They're currently 6th in the playoffs, and you can say without Westbrook, the Thunder are likely the worst in the Western Conference.... maybe 3rd worst at best. Russ is valuable to his team because, let's face it, that's basically their only chance to do anything offensively. Westbrook is the MVP based off of how valuable he is to his team.
5 Of His Best Games This Season
It's hard to really pinpoint his 5 best games this year and this season, when his team is 32-9 when he records a triple double, and his career high in points came in a loss to Portland. He's had some great games in losing efforts as well and some amazing victories this year. Here's the 5 games that I feel are his best this season to help his case for MVP.
*50 Point Triple Double # 1
-Statiscially speaking and percentage wise, this wasn't his best game by far, but it was something that I hadn't witnessed personally before and to do so in just the 2nd game of the season, it let you know the type of season Russ would have. The Suns are a tough team when they want to be and for Russ to put the team on his back and lead them to victory here was something very important for the direction of the Thunder. Russ was still getting the rust off from missing months in the offseason, but he looked like a machine on a mission in this game. We should have known that was just the beginning in a 51 point, 13 rebound, and 10 assist night.
*36 Points, 17 Assists, 11 Rebounds Against The Nuggets
-I chose this game because it showcased that Russ was growing in his game. Despite a slightly underwhelming shooting night from the field, Russ was 15 for 17 from the free throw line and 3 for 4 from three. He managed to pace the floor and lead the offense, and any game where you can dish out 17 assists and lead your team to a victory is a big game. This remains one of the games where Russ didn't necessarily have shot falling, but he found a way to get to the line, score, and dish out assists to the guys who were hot from the field that night. This is an all around complete game for Russ and while some may criticize it, I really enjoyed it.
*45 Points, 11 Assists, and 11 Rebounds In A Win Over Boston
-The Celtics are a top team in the East. For Russ to go in and have the kind of night that he did, it showcased exactly the level of athlete that Russ is. 45 points on 53% from the field and 71% from three with 88% shooting from the free throw line. Russ was truly on a roll here and he led his team the best that he could against a possible contender in the East. This is what makes me put this one on the list over some of his games against the Raptors, Knicks, Houston, Cleveland (which was a great win) and more, because this was a true showing of Russ and his leadership in crunch time when he was needed. *57 Points In A Triple Double And Win
-Simple as this. 57 points. 11 aasists. 13 rebounds. In a comeback victory over the Magic. Many have called this the "MVP statement" triple double and in a way, it really was. However, I prefer the Memphis game he had a few games later not because it was a better shooting night, but because he did it against one of the toughest defenses in the league and an actual playoff team on the road. Here he was on the road against a weaker Orlando team and it seemed like the Thunder were all but done until Russ took over and helped bring them back in the game and finish with the highest amount of points ever in a triple double, the second 50 point triple double for him this season, and the 3rd 50 point game on the season for him. Russ is really something amazing to watch and this is one of those games you have to see to believe.
*45 Points, 9 Rebounds, 10 Assists, And 5 Steals Against Memphis
-I just watched this game once more to make sure it was as amazing as I thought it was. It's the last game he played so far as of this writing and it's one of the most interesting games and probably the best game for Russ of the season overall (next to his win at Boston). With 45 points on 56% shooting and 61% from three, along with 9 rebounds, 10 assists, and 5 steals, Russ had one of the most efficient nights in his career. He hit a dagger three pointer to close the game out with about 17 seconds left to go. If there's a game you look to when deciding the MVP, this is the Westbrook game you should show them. That speaks volumes because it is NOT ONE of his 41 triple doubles and this might be his best night. Amazing honestly.
Final Thought
Russ is putting on a show for all of us this season and though some think he isn't deserving of the award, he is. We could go into more detailed stats, but we leave that for NBA Twitter and those who dissect numbers just to prove their point. What matters just as much as the numbers, is how you lead your team and to me, there is no better leader this season than Russell Westbrook. He doesn't have two sixth man of the year candidates on his team and a Mike D'Antoni structured offense. He doesn't have two All Stars with a very solid bench. He doesn't have a 20 year system that hasn't failed on his side either. He lost the 2nd best player in the NBA and a former MVP and instead of adjusting and falling off tremendously, the Thunder are only about 6 or 7 games overall below what their record was last year (they could finish at 49-33, just 6 games below of what they did last year). The fact remains, Russ has done more with less and for that reason, in addition to those 41 triple doubles and averaging 31.8 points, (leading the league), 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists a game, which is something we never thought we would witness. Simply put, there is no player more valuable to their team this season than Russ, and there is no one that is having a better individual season either. I love how the narrative now is to downplay how vital those triple doubles have been because it is Russ who is doing them. I wonder if it was someone like KD, LeBron, or even Harden with 41 of them and averaging one how the narrative would be different. Regardless, if I had to make a pick for MVP, with all due respect to the amazing season that James Harden is having, my top choice is Russell Westbrook. However, don't fret Harden fans, part two of this Case for MVP series will look at his season and his case for the award. We here at EOTR and DAR Sports believe in being objective about sports and fair. Something that a majority of ESPN personalities don't. However, I'll say it again: Russ for MVP.
