The Westbrook for MVP hype has gotten to be unbearable - it's also incredibly misguided. The biggest offender is ESPN's Mark Jackson. During the nationally broadcast Thunder loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last night, Jackson could not shut up for 30 seconds about how deserving Westbrook is of MVP consideration. Jackson is a simpleton, with an overly simplistic view of Westbrook's impact on his team's success (the true measure of an MVP). Jackson kept going on and on about how Westbrook is carrying his team to victory after victory with teammate Kevin Durant out with an injured foot. The facts say otherwise. It is Durant, not Westbrook, who is the true MVP of that team. Last season, Westbrook missed 36 games due to injury. During that span, the Thunder posted a 25-11 record. Durant played the best ball of his NBA career, rightly won the MVP, the Thunder went on to win 59 games, first place in the Northwest Division and 2nd seed in the Western Conference. This season, Durant has missed 32 games. In those 32 games, OKC is 14-18. Last season, when Westbrook was out, OKC kept right on winning. This year, when Durant has been out, OKC is a sub-500 team that is struggling for the 8th seed in the West. It is obvious that OKC needs a healthy Durant to win, but based on last season, they are fully capable of winning at an elite level without Russell Westbrook. As far as carrying his team to victory goes, the exact opposite is true. The criticisms of Westbrook are well known. He resorts to a selfish style of hero ball play way too often. He does it when Durant is healthy, especially during the playoffs, and is doing it to an extreme now. The more Westbrook tries to do, the more he tries to take over a game, the worse his team's chance of winning becomes. This can be illustrated quite easily by OKC's won:loss record when Westbrook dominates the ball to the detriment of his teammates. Russell Westbrook has attempted 30, or more, field goals 6 times this season (a ridiculous amount). In those six games, OKC is 1-5. He has also scored 38,or more points, 7 times this season. In those 7 games, OKC is 1-6. Still think Russell Westbrook is "carrying" his team to victories? The Westbrook fan boys and MVP hypers will point out that with Durant out, Westbrook has no choice but to call his own number 30+ times a game. That's simply not true. OKC's font office has done a great job of upgrading their other offensive options. The problem is, Westbrook chooses to ignore those options and tries to do it all himself. The last two games, both losses, both meaningless triple-doubles for Westbrook, are perfect examples of how Westbrook's selfish, hero ball style costs his team wins. Sure, Westbook scored 39.5 ppg in those two games, but is was an incredibly inefficient 39.5 ppg that costs his team victories by stealing shots from his more efficient teammates. Again, Westbrook fan boys will ignore the big picture by pointing out that he averaged 11 apg in those two games. What they will conveniently ignore is the fact that he also averaged 35 FGA and 22 missed FGs in those two games. As a PG, who dominates the ball, it is his job to get his teammates involved and create scoring opportunities for them. Westbrook is definitely capable of doing this, but way too often he chooses not to. In fact, OKC is scary good when Westbrook reigns in his own shot attempts and uses his unique athleticism to set up his teammates. The problem is Westbrook's ego will simply not allow him to share the ball when the game is on the line, no matter how poorly he's shooting and how efficiently his teammates are scoring. Here's a look at the shot distribution and scoring efficiency of OKCs 4 leading scorers in their last two games: OKC (113) vs PHO (117): Russell Westbrook: 39 points on 38 FGA = 1.03 pts/FGA (26 missed FG) Ennis Kanter: 18 points on 11 FGA = 1.64 pts/FGA (5 missed FG) Dion Waiters: 16 points on 12 FGA = 1.33 pts/FGA (6 missed FG) D.J. Augustin: 13 points on 8 FGA = 1.63 pts/FGA (3 missed FG) Total: 47 points on 31 FGA = 1.52 pts/FGA (14 missed FGA) OKC (112) vs. POR (115): Russell Westbrook: 40 points on 32 FGA = 1.25 pts/FGA (18 missed FG) Mitch McGary: 20 points on 13 FGA = 1.54 pts/FGA (3 missed FG) Serge Ibaka: 14 points on 12 FGA = 1.17 pts/FGA (5 missed FG) Anthony Morrow: 13 points on 4 FGA = 3.25 pts/FGA (0 missed FG) Total: 47 points on 29 FGA = 1.62 pts/FGA (8 missed FG) So, for those two games Westbrook averaged 39.5 ppg on 35 FGA (1.13 pts/FGA) and 22 missed FGs. His next three highest scoring teammates averaged a combined 47 ppg on 30 FGA (1.57 pts/FGA) and 11 missed FGs. That's right. Westbrook missed twice as many FGs as his next three highest scoring teammates combined. And, just so the fan boys don't accuse me of cherry picking only his most efficient scoring teammates, for the last two games, Westbrook has shot 26/70 = .371 FG% and his teammates have shot a combined 58/125 = .464 FG%. The fact is, Westbrook's selfish, ball hog style of play just cost his team two critical wins. Yeah, it's just two games, but it's indicative of a pattern. Westbrook is a Robin who desperately wants to drive the Batmobile. The closer the game, the more important the game,. the more the spotlight is on him, the more likely Westbrook is to don the cape and resort to hero ball - which almost always resorts in an OKC loss. The last four times the Thunder have made the playoffs, Westbrook has attempted more FG/36 than Durant - and shot at a much lower efficiency. For their careers in the playoffs: Russell Westbrook: 19.0 FG/36, .421 FG%, .286 3FG%, .519 TS% Kevin Durant: 17.7 FG/36, .462 FG%, .341 3FG%, .583 TS% So, why is Westbrook calling his own number more than Durant's? Simple: ego. And, ultimately it's Westbrook's ego that drives him to resort to selfish hero ball and hurts his team's chances of winning. That doesn't make him an MVP candidate in my book. If he would simply subjugate his own massive ego and defer more to the much more efficient Durant with the game on the line, OKC would be a much more dangerous team and a perennial NBA finalist. In the end, as a Blazers fan, I'm glad Russell Westbrook has bought into the MVP hype. It only further fuels his ego and will drive him to continue to resort to the hero ball style that hurts his team. Given his team's 1-5 record when he jacks up 30 FGA, I hope he continues to dominate the ball and steal shots from his more efficient teammates. Russell Westbrook's ego is our best weapon in our quest to win the NW division. So, here's to you Mark Jackson: keep up the good work! BNM
Post is incredible BNM as usual but just one thing. Didn't Westbrook and Durant both miss some games together this year? So while you are correct on the 14-18 without Durant then it could also be better (only slightly) if OKC fans said we are 14-13 with Westbrook playing hero ball and 0-5 with both guys out (just made up numbers as I haven't checked the real win/losses). At any rate, I am also glad that Westbrick thinks he needs to play hero ball! It is going to guarantee we win the division.
Well said BNM like always. There is only one other player I hate more than Harden. (Well kobe, but he's a shell of himself and of no concern). That player is Westbrick!
Let's hope when Durant leaves Westbrook plays like this every game including when he bolts to the Lakers.
The hate for Westbrook is understandable. But to hate on his skills is laughable. I suspect that if Durant was playing but Westbrook was out we would have coasted to an easy (or easier) win. As it was we escaped by the skin on our teeth. Sure, Westbrook doesn't get the mental aspect of the game as well as a serious MVP candidate should, but he's an amazing player.
Theres really nothing else that needs to be said here. I love your breakdown Talking to some of my friends who are OKC fans... They're blaming Brooks for Westbrook taking it 1 on 2/1 on 3 last night and not passing it out. That's fine if Brooks did indeed say to stop doing what was beating the Blazers in the first half.... Then Brooks needs to be fired. But I highly doubt someone that gets paid to be an NBA coach would go up to Westbrook and tell him to become a blackhole that is way worse than Kobe. I pointed out to my friends that in the first half the difference maker was Anthony Morrow for the thunder. That he had 13 points, was 4-4 shooting and 2-2 from three. Yet he didn't get a single shot in the second half.... They promply replied with. "you want Westbrook to pass it to Anthony Morrow when the game is on the line?" Yes I do... That's the right basketball play if he's open. Even Kobe passed it to Steve Blake in the playoffs because it was the right basketball play. Blake missed the 3, received death threats on his family.. but that's a diff topic. One of Michael Jordan's highlights is passing it to Steve Kerr for the top of the arch 3 for the win. Even players widely considered black holes pass the ball if it's the right basketball play. Westbrook is on his own level of selfishness and the Thunder will never win a ring with him. If only they have kept Harden LBJ might still be ring-less.
I agree. I can't stand Westbrook, but you still have to give the guy some credit. He is a great talent.
Westbrook obviously shoots too many shots at times and tries to play hero ball. But discounting Westbrooks positive attributes is as silly as ignoring his faults. The OKC team has been horrible without Westbrook this season and lost early in the playoffs when he was out two years ago. Until part way through the 4th quarter last night Westbrook was the most dominant player on the court and played exceptional with a triple double, excellent passes and efficient shots. He was terrible down the stretch and tried to do everything himself. Maybe a little bit of the blame can be fatigue and a lot of the blame can go on Scotty Brooks. Brooks is one of the worst coaches we've ever had in basketball. He puts his players in positions where its very difficult for them to excel. He's has arguably 3 of the best players at their positions and has created a terrible team environment. Even when Westbrook was injured or is resting their offense is predictable, elementary and inefficient. Its very perplexing watching Westbrook because he's both the most talented physical specimen in the game outside of LBJ but has periods of some of the worst basketball IQ I've seen. If he learns how to make better decisions and Durant comes back that team has the individual talent to dominate the league. But those are some big ifs.
Last 3 games: Triple Double Biotches! +/-: +0 Triple Double Biotches! +/-: +4 Triple Double Biotches! +/-: -12 Total +/- for the last 3 games: -8 edit: correction: he was -12 against us, not -9
Good post, but maybe moot as far as MVP consideration goes. The longer we go without hearing anything, the more I'm thinking reconstructive facial surgery and significant time lost. But maybe I'm just being hopeful.
The real LVP is Andre Robertson. Guy can't hit the ocean with a pebble, allows us to double team whoever we want on defense and dents the skull of their star. League wide the LVP has to be Josh Smith. Say what you want about Westbrook but his teammates love his hard play.
I'm guessing one of those hard plastic face masks, no loss of time and ESPN will cum all over themselves.
I think the MVP is the dude he used to coach and I'm surprised Jackson isn't pushing his name. Steph Curry. His team has the leagues best record will finish that way and he has been the key reason for it.
I agree with the underlying message of the post though. He isn't the leagues MVP. Does he deserve mention? Why not.
When I think MVP of the league, it's usually the player that is the star of a team with the top 3 record in the league. Also, this very same player shows leadership by not acting like a complete asshole. As much as I hate Harden, he is way more deserving than Westbrick. And the leading MVP candidate should be Curry.
