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NBA MVP race is a joke

lawcalcock

Well-Known Member
Apr 8, 2016
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Why is everyone hyping Russell Westbrook and James harden for MVP? Why does the consumate team sport insist on rewarding ball hogs?? IMHO the race should be Kevin Durant or Kaiwhi Leonard...Two truly great players that never jack up 40+ shots per game
 
I wouldn't call Harden a ball hog since he creates so many open shots for his teammates...and he passes to them, unlike Westbrook. I know, I know...Westbrook's teammates can't shoot. Still, he has to do a better job of getting them involved if he wants to ever win a championship.

Durant won't win the MVP because his team won too many games without him. However, he is playing amazing this year. Legitimately he's a top 10 defensive player this season to go along with his offensive game.

So Kawahi gets my vote. Best two-way player in the game. I'm growing tired of hearing when Lebron turns it on he's still the best. I get that, but Kawahi does it game in and game out. He has to because, honestly, the Spurs aren't that good without him on the floor. Their rosters is full of players past their prime, in some cases (Manu) WAY past their prime.
 
You might be right on Kawahi...He has been terrific all season...Without the injury time off Durant has been an absolute beast..KD scores with such ease and efficiency it's unique among great scorers...I agree that Harden is not as bad as Westbrook...But he is still a ball hog...Finally, who knows how good Westbrook's teammates are...Russ hogs the ball and shoots so much i never get to see them play...
 
Law...Let me say that I enjoy your posts very much and agree on about 90% of your opinions. However I disagree on Harden and Westbrook. I really don't think either of them is a ball hog ; they just do what they have to do in order to win. Harden led the league in assists and Westbrook was third. They are just the best options to score if their teams are to have a chance.
I am not a Thunder fan but I love watching Westbrook play. His motor runs at about 1,000 % all the time and I believe he may be the most athletic of all the players in the NBA. What he did this year was absolutely amazing. ...averaged a triple double (including leading the league in scoring at 37+ per game). Kwai is probably is the best all around player in the league (including defense) but the Spurs play a different kind of game so he doesn't handle the ball as much as Westbrook and Harden. If I needed one basket with 10 seconds on the clock I think I would choose Durant. Another freak.
The talent in the NBA is peaking again and there are five or six guys in their prime who are sure fire Hall of Famers. Fun to watch.
Still hard to imagine that the Thunder had Durant, Harden and Westbrook and didn't win a championship.
 
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LOL at the OP saying Harden and Westbrook are ballhogs. They are literally FIRST and SECOND in the NBA in assists this season.

Harden has more assists this season than Kawhi Leondard has in his entire career.
 
LOL at the OP saying Harden and Westbrook are ballhogs. They are literally FIRST and SECOND in the NBA in assists this season.

Harden has more assists this season than Kawhi Leondard has in his entire career.

Dude please..They dump off a few assist to justify jacking up 35-40 per game...Harden is not as bad as Westbrook..But he is a ball hog...I don't believe a championship can be won if your point guard takes most of your shots...The Thunder have games where Russ literally takes more shots than his teammates combined...No excuse or justification for that volume of shooting
 
Westbrook should be a shoo-in for the MVP. Anyone who can average a triple-double (that's assists, rebounds, and points) for an entire season would be the choice of any knowledgeable basketball fans and especially coaches. Interesting tidbit that the "Big O" averaged a TD ( 11, 10, 30 respectively) for his first six years in the NBA. Jordan is often touted as the GOAT (he was/is the most popular player ever ... not the best in my eyes), but he was a pitiful rebounder for his size, leaping ability and quickness. Any NBA guard who can average 10 ribbies per game impresses me!
 
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Westbrook should be a shoo-in for the MVP. Anyone who can average a triple-double (that's assists, rebounds, and points) for an entire season would be the choice of any knowledgeable basketball fans and especially coaches. Interesting tidbit that the "Big O" averaged a TD ( 11, 10, 30 respectively) for his first six years in the NBA. Jordan is often touted as the GOAT (he was/is the most popular player ever ... not the best in my eyes), but he was a pitiful rebounder for his size, leaping ability and quickness. Any NBA guard who can average 10 ribbies per game impresses me!

 
Dude please..They dump off a few assist to justify jacking up 35-40 per game...Harden is not as bad as Westbrook..But he is a ball hog...I don't believe a championship can be won if your point guard takes most of your shots...The Thunder have games where Russ literally takes more shots than his teammates combined...No excuse or justification for that volume of shooting

Top two players in the league in assists are just "dumping off a few assists." ??? It's ok to admit when you're wrong and not dig the hole deeper. It will give you more credibility for future posts.
 
We can certainly agree to disagree, but I'll stand by my belief that Westbrook should be the MVP. It wouldn't be too hard to find video on LeBron, Steph, KD, Harden, Leonard or any other player standing around, getting easy rebounds or slacking off on defense over an 82 game NBA season.
 
This argument is utterly ridiculous. Westbrook is averaging a triple-double, leading the league in scoring, 3rd in assists, 10th in rebounds as a PG, 12th in steals.

Seriously? I mean seriously? This isn't an argument, and your credibilty as a knowledgeable basketball poster is seriously in question...
 
Westbrook by a country mile . Yes he jacks up a ton of shots and he pads stats . However, take Durant off the Warriors they are still a #1 seed . Take Kahwi off the Spurs and they are still Elite . Cleveland without Lebron is still a playoff team with Kyrie and Love both healthy . Take away Russell and you have the worst team in the NBA in OKC . I would even argue in Golden State that Draymon is more valuable than Durant . That team is soft as Charmin with out Draymon .
 
Westbrook by a country mile . Yes he jacks up a ton of shots and he pads stats . However, take Durant off the Warriors they are still a #1 seed . Take Kahwi off the Spurs and they are still Elite . Cleveland without Lebron is still a playoff team with Kyrie and Love both healthy . Take away Russell and you have the worst team in the NBA in OKC . I would even argue in Golden State that Draymon is more valuable than Durant . That team is soft as Charmin with out Draymon .

I agree that the case you're making is the best one that can be made for Westbrook. It's much better than the triple double argument. Why do people obsess over those 3 stats? With the use of advanced analytics, we can delve deeper into the numbers and we are able to discern, for instance, that he pads his rebounding stats. Nevertheless, without Russ, the Thunder are bad. Not quite the worst team in the NBA, but certainly not a playoff team.

I don't disagree with much else you wrote except the part about the Spurs without Kahwi. They do have the best coach in the game, so maybe they would still be elite. I have my doubts, though. Kahwi's emergence has masked that the addition of Aldridge has been a disappointment. Kawhi is the only all-star level player on the Spurs right now. I could easily see them getting swept by Golden State, which is assuming they get by the Rockets.
 
I think the reason people obsess over averaging a triple double is because it hasn't been done in 50 years (since Oscar). And there have been some pretty good players in the NBA over that 50 years. I thought I would never see it again.
 
Dude please..They dump off a few assist to justify jacking up 35-40 per game...Harden is not as bad as Westbrook..But he is a ball hog...I don't believe a championship can be won if your point guard takes most of your shots...The Thunder have games where Russ literally takes more shots than his teammates combined...No excuse or justification for that volume of shooting
Exaggerate much? Harden takes 19 shots per game. He has totally changed his style of play this season and his team went from 41 wins to 55.
 
There it is right there...They are all great players and terrific athletes...But padding stats don't make a player valuable in my book...It's about winning championships....I'd take Kawahi Leonard and Durant over both of them all day 6 days til Sunday

Harden and Westbrook have the same number of championships as Durant and one fewer than Leonard.
 
Harden and Westbrook have the same number of championships as Durant and one fewer than Leonard.

Durant will correct that in about a month...No team with Westbrook on it will win a title..Russ took more shots than any player in the league..In fact the next closest was 400 shots behind him..People keep saying his teammates suck..I don't get how anyone knows..they spend about 40 of the 48 minutes watching Westbrook with the ball
 
Exaggerate much? Harden takes 19 shots per game. He has totally changed his style of play this season and his team went from 41 wins to 55.

Yeah i know i am being tough on Harden...he is obviously playing a better brand of ball under the new coaching staff...Yes his play has made the Rockets much better...Getting rid of Dwight Howard was a big help....Westbrook took more shots than any other player in the league...You can't win a title with that kind of point guard play...I don't know how his team mates are supposed to improve their game watching him handle the ball all night...

I still don't see either as a MVP...If you are so valuable your team should have a great record...But the pundits on tv ignore all of that...Most fans think whatever the pundits tell them to think...Because of the media obsession with the triple doubles and Oscar Robertson's 50 yr record, Westbrook will win it...If it works for some fans i wont lose any sleep over it..Just think it's good to look from a different point of view..
 
Durant will correct that in about a month...No team with Westbrook on it will win a title..Russ took more shots than any player in the league..In fact the next closest was 400 shots behind him..People keep saying his teammates suck..I don't get how anyone knows..they spend about 40 of the 48 minutes watching Westbrook with the ball
Yes - and Westbrook didn't have the ball for 40 minutes when they had Durant. What's your point? Less talent equals less options...seems pretty logical to me.
 
Historically, the NBA MVP Award has been a JOKE!!! Take a look at the list of winners and you will incessantly scratch your head and rub your eyes. Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and John Havlichek NEVER won the award in their illustrious careers. Oscar Robertson only won it once in his illustrious career. Nate "Tiny" Archibald led the league in Scoring & Assists in the same season and he DID NOT win the award?!!! Michael Jordan scored over 3,000 points in 1987 and DID NOT win the award. Air Jordan won it five times when he should have won it at least SEVEN times!!!
 
Historically, the NBA MVP Award has been a JOKE!!! Take a look at the list of winners and you will incessantly scratch your head and rub your eyes. Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and John Havlichek NEVER won the award in their illustrious careers. Oscar Robertson only won it once in his illustrious career. Nate "Tiny" Archibald led the league in Scoring & Assists in the same season and he DID NOT win the award?!!! Michael Jordan scored over 3,000 points in 1987 and DID NOT win the award. Air Jordan won it five times when he should have won it at least SEVEN times!!!

Agreed...The award seems to follow the media narrative of the season rather than who is truly a valuable player...This season the narrative is Westbrook averaged a triple double...So he gets the award
 
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