Burning Questions: Who Has Been the MVP of the NBA So Far This Season?
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Peddle's take:
Russell Westbrook has forced his way into basketball's collective conscious time and time again this season with some purely ridiculous stat lines.
In the 16 games since February 1st, in particular, Russ has averaged 32.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per contest, while shooting 45.2% from the field, 34.8% from long range, and 88.2% from the free throw line.
That span includes six triple-doubles (five of which occurred in a six-game span), five 40-point performances, and career highs in scoring (49 on March 4th), rebounding (15, also on March 4th), and assists (17 on both February 22nd and March 8th). To say Westbrook is playing at a peak level would qualify as the understatement of the year.
Just look at how he's destroying the league:
| Russell Westbrook (2014-15) | Average | League Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 27.3 | 1st |
| Assists | 8.3 | 4th |
| Assist Percentage | 48.2% | 1st |
| Steals | 2.1 | 2nd |
| Player Efficiency Rating | 29.8 | 2nd |
| Win Shares per 48 Minutes | .234 | 5th |
| Box Plus/Minus | 11.7 | 1st |
| Value Over Replacement Player | 5.7 | 3rd |
| nERD | 10.6 | 8th |
But it's not just the fact that Westbrook is putting his name in the history books alongside greats of the game like Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson on a nightly basis with his numbers that makes him a strong MVP candidate (although that certainly doesn't hurt); it's that he's also been forcibly dragging the Thunder back into playoff contention with little help from last season's MVP, Kevin Durant (who has missed most of the season with various injuries). On that note, wouldn't two teammates winning MVP awards in back-to-back seasons make for an interesting story?
The numbers are sick. The narrative is fun. The 15 games Westbrook has missed due to injury and the Thunder's relative low standing in the Western Conference are just details.
#LetWestbrookBeWestbrook
#LetWestbrookBeMVP
