Russell Westbrook for NBA MVP?

You mean the Lebron wo is the all time leader in assists as a forward? The one who gets criticized for passing too much?
How exactly does Durant make his teammates better than LeBron?

 

Let's not forget Anthony Davis, who's having one hell of a season: Leads the league in blocks, 4th in points, 10th in rebounds (don't have time to dig deeper in stats, but IIRC he's up there in true shooting percentage, too).

 

If he isn't already the best player in the league, he will be in the next three or four years.

 

With Harden an MVP candidate in Houston, Westbrook an MVP candidate and Durant one of the best players in the game, that means an MVP-caliber Durant had two MVP-caliber teammates in OKC, and they still got their doors blown off by LeBron's Heat in the Finals.

 

He leads the league in "player efficiency rating," whatever the hell that is.

Don't get me wrong, he's a great player. But he's not in the league of the others mentioned here. He most certainly will be, but he's not yet.

 

The best player on the planet does not always have the best season.

 

oo

I have no clue how anyone would form this opinion. Lebron is the best passing and playmaking forward in the game, one who's constantly trying to create shots for his teammates. Durant, on the other hand, is a classic shoot first scoring forward. So how the hell do you conclude Durant "makes his teammates better" than Lebron?

Durant certainly doesn't seem to make his best teammate better. Westbrook looks like Superman whenever Durant's not playing, but considerably more mortal when KD is by his side. That's been a clear pattern with those two for years now.

 

Westbrook is averaging 3.5 ppg more than Curry, but he's taking 4.5 more shots per game. I know they don't have anyone else to score when Durant is out, but (to pick a particulately egregious example) 43 points isn't as impressive when it takes you 38 shots to get there.

 

That's one of the reasons I'd vote Curry or Harden over Westbrook right now. Westbrook is the worst shooter of the three, from the floor, the 3-point line and the foul line. And, he and Harden turn the ball over more than Curry does. Curry has become a really good defender, too - maybe the best of the three mentioned here.

I have to say, though, that Westbrook averaging 7 rebounds a game at his size is pretty phenomenal. And his current hot streak is rightfully swaying a lot of people.

 

I've always abhorred the whole 'you have to be on a winner' mentality to qualify for MVP. In any sport.

With that said, I'd toss my hat in the ring with Curry this year.

 

Harden: 1,615 points, 422 assists, 346 rebounds, 116 steals, 494 free throws (86%)
Curry: 1,382 points, 455 assists, 260 rebounds, 123 steals, 233 free throws (90%)

I'd probably go Harden then Curry but not because he has scored more points. You get into the whole "most valuable" thing and wonder which team benefits more from its alpha.

 

Xan, those cumulative stats are weird. (Rockets have played two more games so there's a small difference in scale at the least.) Also Harden plays 3.5 minutes a game more -- again, that could demonstrate his value more, but given the Warriors' eye-popping scoring margin and thus their ability to keep Curry at or under 30 minutes in so many games, it means a lot less in this case.

Also odd that you'd leave out Curry's higher 3FG % and makes per game. That's the #1 value-add he brings.