These are the numbers/facts without manipulation: Through Saturday, Player X has averaged 22.2 points on .444 shooting with 4.6 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.8 steals. He has been his conference’s player of the week four times. Player Y has averaged 24.9 points on .439 shooting with 4.2 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.0 steals. He has been his conference’s player of the week twice. They are essentially the same player, in other words. Player X is more efficient and a better rebounder and thief, but Player Y scores one more basket per game. Yet Player X isn’t even considered the most valuable player on his own team. And Player Y is about to be named the most valuable player of the entire league. Why Y? Perception is not reality. Reality is reality. Player X (Russell Westbrook) isn’t viewed like Player Y (Derrick Rose) because winning alters all, even facts, even if one team is 53-19 and the other is 47-24. Exceed our expectations, and we’ll give you trophies you don’t deserve instead of admitting that our expectations were, um, wrong. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/28/2137216/for-chicago-bulls-derrick-rose.html The article is 7/8 true. We have a hell of a defensive team. When we decide to use it, we are unstoppable. But, so were the Jordan teams! When they decided to play defense, no team could touch us, yet MJ want MVP's. He was important to that Bulls team. He carried them when needed. So does Derrick. Any statistician can read, the Bulls have the #1 defense and never watch a Bulls game. Then write a similar article. Anyone can do it! All anyone has to do it watch Bulls games., Even the loss to the Pacers, Derrick single handedly helped us tie the game and send it into overtime despite being down by 15. Does Westbrook do that? I think Durant might and would! Look at the recent Bucks game! When he changed into another gear, it was almost as if he he said, "Screw this, time to win!" Great players do that. Most of his article is true except the part where he says Derrick does not carry us. Clearly he doesn't want any of the Bulls 4th quarters!
I thought some points were interesting. i agree that in a sense you need to be in the right situation to win the MVP. I think players like Lebron, Wade, or even Westbroook as Betard brings out are at a disadvantage because of the players around them. Rose has been carrying his team throughout the year like you said TBF while these players trade with their teammates. The Bulls were without Noah and Boozer for many games and yet has been consistent. I don't care how many conference player of the week awards Rose has won. If anything it might help show that he is consistent throughout the years. Do i think Westbrook could carry the Bulls like Rose has? No but at the same time it's just an opinion and can't be proven. It's like when people say Rondo would still be as effective without the Celtic's lineup. We can argue back and forth about it but really can't be proven until it happens. To me Betard just comes off as bitter but that's probably because i have a little bias being a Bulls/Rose supporter
The hottest team in the NBA right now is the Lakers, on a 7 game winning streak. The second hottest team is Miami with a 5 game winning streak. Miami's 2 games behind the Bulls for #1 seed, and tied with Boston for #2.
No shit. Westbrook definetely isn't the top concern of other team's d and doesn't get as much defensive attention. I am sick to death of hearing why Rose shouldn't be the MVP. Make the case on who should be the MVP. Lebron's candidacy is laugable in comparision IMHO.
Well I wouldn't put Rose at #1 (I'd give it to Dwight), but I agree with Lebron. With Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh there, It would take him a career season (30-8-8 or something to that extent) plus having the best record in the league. Too much talent there, and they're not even #1 in their conference.
Being "the man" on a team is a lot different than being 2nd banana to Durant. Westbrook is a beast, but not everything in basketball is tangible. Its unknown at this point if Westbrook could fill Rose's role. There is a mental / competitive / leadership component that Rose certainly has. Westbrooks has yet to prove himself in this area.
Have you noticed how every person who issues a reactionary "Rose doesn't deserve the MVP" article always begins with the phrase "if you look at the stats . . ." It's like these people use stats as an opportunity to generate controversy and entirely discount what they see. This is, of course, giving the benefit of the doubt. It could be that they're just too lazy to watch games or too uninformed to understand what they see. There are some very good reasons to place Dwight Howard, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant in front of Rose, and I enjoy reading reasons for why those players have shined. That's very different than saying the Bulls wouldn't miss a beat if you swapped Rose for Westbrook, which is stupid. I do love the fact that the Bulls are making the dogmatic stats junkies look bad this season. We can only hope the Bulls continue to win, because the buzzers are circling and, should the Bulls fall early, there are ton of people ready to claim they've been right all along.
The solution is simple, it's called the eye test. Watch Rose for a game and you can tell he runs a team in a way far different way from Westbrook. He's on a different level, imo. It's pretty much Lebron, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant Chris Paul (when fully healthy), Deron Williams, and Derrick Rose. Westbrook is on the next tier with the Carmelos. Westbrook capitalizes on teams paying so much attention to Durant, Rose dominates in spite of all the attention. I pay attention to the stats, but there's a point where you just have to watch the game.
Yeah. I think believing you can effectively evaluate a player only using stats, regardless of the measure, takes a lot of hubris. The same goes for the reverse, although I'm not aware of anyone who says that stats are worthless. The real irony of the article is that it's from a Miami reporter, as if he hasn't had first hand experience with the limitations of a purse statistical analysis all season.