Is Russell Westbrook the MVP So Far?
The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t exactly gotten off to the start they wanted to, as they are currently 15-16 and outside of the playoff race in the Western Conference.
However, a lot of that has been because star players Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook missed a lot of time to start the season, leaving the team to be ran by players who are usually playing lesser roles.
Head coach Scott Brooks has had to experiment a lot early on in terms of creating balanced lineups that are completely different without Durant and Westbrook, but it has certainly been a challenge attempting to match the talent of the rest of the teams in the conference.
Now, Westbrook has returned, but Durant has still had trouble staying healthy and remaining on the court, something that may have a major effect on the team going forward in terms of making it into the playoffs.
Luckily for Oklahoma City, Westbrook has been playing at a very high level and has been leading the team to big wins against teams that are considered contenders in the league, including the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The question is though, is Westbrook a legitimate MVP candidate because of his excellent performance?
Many people who consider candidates for the MVP race put scoring statistics and all-around team performance at the top of the list. Well, Westbrook has certainly exceeded expectations in one of those areas.
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On the season, Westbrook is averaging 28.6 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting to go along with 7.2 assists per game and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Westbrook has not shown any kind of rust while trying to play after a relatively serious injury. His explosiveness and athletic abilities have all returned and have allowed him to wreak havoc on all of the league’s top point guards.
Westbrook has been efficient when getting to the rim, but outside of the basket area, he still has a lot of work to do in terms of getting a great look in the mid-range and beyond.
When Westbrook is able to hit the mid-range jump shot, then he is nearly unstoppable and the offense is usually firing on all cylinders. When he can’t hit the shot with consistency, then the Thunder are giving up way too many shot opportunities and are instead pedaling back on defense empty handed in the scoring department.
Three pointers haven’t exactly worked out too well for Westbrook either, as he is shooting 29.1% on the season, which is dismal for a back court player.
Even though Westbrook hasn’t been the most reliable scorer from the perimeter, he has still managed to put up numbers every game because of his ability to draw contact and get to the foul line.
Westbrook’s 82.7 percent shooting on 9.5 free throw attempts per game is one of the best marks in the NBA, and allows him to score points in a fairly reliable manner. No matter how off his shot is, Westbrook’s speed and ball-handling skills allow him the chance to get into the lane pretty much anytime he wants to.
Westbrook’s assists and rebounds have filled out the stat sheet for a player looking to contribute in all facets of the game, and his defense has been on par as usual, as he has not let any of the top guards in the game push him around while he is on the floor.
Having a guy that wants to go out there and guard the other team’s most dynamic perimeter player is definitely a luxury, and only helps to make Westbrook’s MVP case that much more appealing.
Has his team been able to succeed at a high level? Not particularly, but keep in mind with Durant gone the team is missing nearly one-third of its usual offensive production.
Westbrook has made others around him better, and has helped to motivate his teammates to new heights during games, something that may come in handy when a lot of these role players are asked to play big minutes in the playoffs against top-notch opponents.
Westbrook still has a lot of the same flaws that he has had in the past, including his poor shooting tendencies and shot selection, but there is no doubting the fact that he has the talent to match nearly any other player in the league.
With Durant missing a lot of time and LeBron James‘ team struggling to compete at a high level to this point, the MVP race is wide open right now, leaving a spot for Westbrook to enjoy the spotlight with other top guards and forwards in the NBA.
Westbrook may not be the definitive MVP at this point of the season, but his individual performance has landed him on the short list of players worthy of such an award.
The scariest part about all of this? Westbrook is just getting warmed up, as he will keep getting better as the season progresses like he usually does.
Look out NBA, Westbrook is coming, and he will show no mercy the rest of the way.
*Statistics courtesy of ESPN.