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The 16-17 MVP Race

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Who is the MVP of the season so far?

  • James Harden

    Votes: 17 16.5%

  • Russell Westbrook

    Votes: 33 32.0%

  • LeBron James

    Votes: 46 44.7%

  • Kevin Durant

    Votes: 1 1.0%

  • Kawhi Leonard

    Votes: 4 3.9%

  • Other (specify in thread)

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Total voters
    103
I think Westbrook is improving his chances. Im not sure if he isnt spilling over into the selfish alan iverson-esque area and hurting his teams sometimes, but even Jordan did that sometimes too.
 
23Lebron said:
I think Westbrook is improving his chances. Im not sure if he isnt spilling over into the selfish alan iverson-esque area and hurting his teams sometimes, but even Jordan did that sometimes too.
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I'm not sure if that team wins 3 games without Westbrook

I know it's the trendy meme for everyone to put what Russ is doing down, but it's beyond ridiculous.

What Westbrook is doing is on another level. To have the type of impact on W/L as he is having as a point guard is ludicrous.

He has a 42% usage percentage. That's unreal. He is that team
 
The Wizard of Moz said:
I'm not sure if that team wins 3 games without Westbrook

I know it's the trendy meme for everyone to put what Russ is doing down, but it's beyond ridiculous.

What Westbrook is doing is on another level. To have the type of impact on W/L as he is having as a point guard is ludicrous.

He has a 42% usage percentage. That's unreal. He is that team
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Yeah, I suppose you are right. But perhaps it is also an indication of just how much the rest of the team is terrible? I guess that does make him more "valuable" to his team. The award is kind of vague on the meaning of MVP.
 
23Lebron said:
Yeah, I suppose you are right. But perhaps it is also an indication of just how much the rest of the team is terrible? I guess that does make him more "valuable" to his team. The award is kind of vague on the meaning of MVP.
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I think it is not usual for a player to win MVP on a team with a record as bad as the Thunder have, but it is also not usual to do what Russ is doing.

I just looked it up on bball reference and no one has even had a usage rate of 40% before this season. Kobe was the closest with 38.74%.

I know everyone will hate me for it, but I think Russ should be MVP even over Bron. LBJ is the best player without a doubt, but what Russ is doing is special and I really think he should be rewarded for it.
 
The Wizard of Moz said:
I think it is not usual for a player to win MVP on a team with a record as bad as the Thunder have, but it is also not usual to do what Russ is doing.

I just looked it up on bball reference and no one has even had a usage rate of 40% before this season. Kobe was the closest with 38.74%.

I know everyone will hate me for it, but I think Russ should be MVP even over Bron. LBJ is the best player without a doubt, but what Russ is doing is special and I really think he should be rewarded for it.
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I totally agree with this. I have Russ at 1, Harden at 2, LBJ at 3, and Kawhi at 4. I really think all of them have legitimate cases to win the MVP, and won't be irritated/upset with whoever wins it.

Let me pose it like this, though. OKC is playing really well right now, but they also have a tough schedule the rest of the way, including games against Warriors (we need a game thread!), Spurs, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Nuggets, as well as a four game road trip. If they can find a way to go 10-3 over the next thirteen games - something that will be very difficult - and get the five seed, I think a Westbrook MVP would be very likely. That would mean over their last eighteen games the Thunder would have been 15-3, Russ still averaging his same usage percentage and triple-doubles, and a fifty win season, I frankly don't know how you could deny him the award.

Either way, this has been an incredible season. On top of his already great career, this is one of those years that can get you into the HoF after you retire. It's been so much fun to watch him play, and that says nothing of Harden, LeBron, Kawhi, and others who are also having amazing seasons.
 
jking948 said:
View: https://twitter.com/jkubatko/status/843870794468020225
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I still think the MVP of the league should be part of the top 4 teams but as far as value to their team, it's hard to make a case against Westbrook. I know right now anytime LeBron sits, our team is shit. But if they went through camp without him, with Kyrie and Love I think we'd still be a playoff team. Especially if LeBron didn't come back and we had a few more top 3 pick. We'd be a better Minny IMO.
 
If Russ manages to swing OKC to a fourth seed in the west he'd probably get my vote to but man.... Harden has just been un-fucking-believable this season, I am absolutely stunned at how good he's been.
 
Ugh. I HATE the RWB bandwagon.

A few reasons:

The last time someone outside of a top 3 seed won MVP the NBA Finals were televised on tape delay (mid 1970s - Kareem).

He is shooting BELOW league avg TS%. And is on pace to break the all time TO record (Harden WILL beat him there).

The defensive rebounding stat padding is out of control. His DRBD% has gone up 50% from last year. His off rebounds are essentially identical the last 3 seasons. Why? He is essentially taking rebounds from his teammates (and that's impossible to do on the offensive end). To what end? Westbrook is leading the NBA in uncontested rebounds. Now OKC and their supporters will tell you that is to start transition offense earlier. But even granting that, it certainly isn't providing his team more possessions. If you remove those he is essentially averaging the same # of rebs as Harden. Harden's %s are so far ahead of RWB that if he missed his next 177 shots he would have the same eFG% as Russ. AND he is leading the league in Assts.

Lastly, OKC was #17 in offense before the Taj/McD trade (up to #14 now). So OKC is a ~league avg offensive team. Harden has his team at 115.5 pts/100 possessions. That is .1 away from the best offensive team in the history of the game. When LeBron is in the Cavs have a 118.5 rating. THATS what MVP caliber players do for offenses.
 
If Russ gets OKC into the top 4, I think he steals it from Harden.

Cavs probably need to finish 10-2 or better for LeBron to have an outside shot.
 
Czvosec said:
If Russ gets OKC into the top 4, I think he steals it from Harden.

Cavs probably need to finish 10-2 or better for LeBron to have an outside shot.
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Russ might be nudging back into the lead here in the final stretch. 57-point triple double tonight to get the win in OT. They're now only 2 back of Utah for 4th, and they have the tiebreaker. It's getting really interesting now.
 
If the Cavs hadn't pissed away games earlier in the season and were, say, 57-19? Tonight would have been the bow on an MVP season.
 
The fact that anyone ever mentioned Durant's name even as a consideration for MVP is disgusting to me

He's a luxury on that team. I seriously think they would win the West without him without even going to a game 7
 
The Wizard of Moz said:
The fact that anyone ever mentioned Durant's name even as a consideration for MVP is disgusting to me

He's a luxury on that team. I seriously think they would win the West without him without even going to a game 7
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They replace KD with Matt ^&%$#@! Barnes... and they're back to rolling.
 
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