The Roar
The Roar

Nikolas Donadic

Roar Rookie

Joined March 2017

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I'm occasionally clever, never not sarcastic, and always paying attention.

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It’s really hard to go wrong giving the award to anyone this year (Westbrook, Harden, Kawhi, etc.). Under typical circumstances I would agree that the MVP’s team would need to be a top four seed, but when a guy is doing something that hasn’t been done in 50+ years and the team around him is less than spectacular I think an exception might need to be made.

I can understand the award going to the field, but considering the run that Russ has been on this season, I think it’s just too hard to overlook. If he can’t win MVP putting up these kinds of numbers, then the “top four seed” thought might as well become a requirement of the award, because I can’t envision anyone having a much better season–and still ending up a bottom four playoff team.

OKC’s loss to Houston showed why Westbrook is the true MVP

I wholeheartedly agree with you that both players have had a special season this year. My point was simply that Westbrook is working with less around him, which (in my opinion) makes his performance more impressive and thus deserving of the MVP. To me OKC scoring 125 and still losing is in part a product of another Mike D’Antoni team not playing very great defense, but rather winning by scoring an exorbitant amount (137 points).

You are also right that Harden would have taken over the scoring load if need be, but this accentuates the argument I tried to make for why Russell Westbrook should be the MVP. Westbrook scored 39 and his team still lost by 12, which showed that even on a night when he put forth a Herculean effort and his team shot above their season average from three, they were still unable to keep up with the scorching hot Rockets. Harden didn’t have to take on the brunt of the scoring load against a playoff team, Westbrook–while he didn’t play a flawless game–did all he could and couldn’t get the game within single digits.

As I mentioned to Jeff dustby, I saw this one game as a way to discuss the Thunder’s lack of perimeter shooting and overall offensive talent as a whole. I will try to convey that better next time.

OKC’s loss to Houston showed why Westbrook is the true MVP

In my opinion, this game was a microcosm of the season as a whole. I saw Houston’s hot shooting from the field, as well as from behind the arc, in this game as a manifestation of the talent disparity between these two teams. Moreover, with 10 games remaining in the regular season–and none of them being between Houston and OKC–I felt that making a statement about the MVP race now wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. That being said, you are right though. This was only one game out of 82.

OKC’s loss to Houston showed why Westbrook is the true MVP

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