The people that vote on these awards, and the message is "winning matters". Westbrook played in 3 games, his team lost two of them. Lillard played in 3 games, his team won all three. They may have also noticed that Westbrook missed nearly as many shots (55) in those three games than Lillard attempted (57). Maybe they looked at the shooting percentages: 49.1 FG%, 50% 3FG% and 93.3 FT% for Lillard vs. .382 FG%, .143 3FG% and .879 FT% for Westbrook and were a tad more impressed by the guy who can actually throw the ball in the ocean. And then there were TOVs: 5.0 TOVs/G for Westbrook vs. 2.0 TOVs/G for Lillard. Yep, Westbrook's stats were video game like all right, especially the TOVs and missed FGAs. You know, the stats that cost his team wins... BNM
He seems to have broken out of his shooting slump. Came at a big time, too. We definitely needed those wins over SAS and OKC and avoided the "trap game" let down in SAC. BNM
I really dislike Westbrook and I love Dame, but Westbrook's numbers have been historic over the past couple of weeks. He deserved the award. Hell, he had his cheekbone dented and stayed in the game to take the last shot.
He also took the 2nd to last shot, the 3rd to last shot, the 4th to last shot, the 5th to last shot...
Really depends on what they are voting on. If they are voting on a guy with good numbers who also wins then Dame gets it, if they are voting on pure numbers then Westbrook beats everyone and its not even close. Same thing that gets talked about when the AS game comes up every year and before Blakes rookie year it was all about how good your team was, if you weren't on a good team then doesn't matter what you were putting up you weren't getting in.
No way does Lillard get POM for February. He was in a shooting slump before the AS game. His 31-point game that clinched POW was actually in March, not February. In spite of his cold shooting earlier in the month, he still shot better than the "record setting" Westbrook (good thing it was a short month with an extra long AS break, or he might have set a record for most missed shots in a month). Steph Curry and James Harden are more deserving than Lillard and probably as deserving as Westbrook - both scored over 26 PPG on FAR fewer FGA than Westbrook. Westbrook missed 145 shots in February, Curry missed 100 and Harden missed only 97. Here's some February numbers to ponder: Russell Westbrook: 31.2 PPG 9.1 RPG 10.3 APG USG% 37.7 TS% .580 Damian Lillard: 20.7 PPG 4.4 RPG 5.3 APG USG% 26.4 TS% .583 Steph Curry: 26.4 PPG 4.0 RPG 6.6 APG USG% 31.2 TS% .624 James Harden: 26.7 PPG 6.4 RPG 7.6 APG USG% 29.5 TS% .602 Westbrook will probably win it due to all the hype about nearly averaging a triple-double for the month, but my dark horse candidate for February POM is DeAndre Jordan. DeAndre Jordan: 16.0 PPG 17.2 RPG 0.8 APG USG% 17.1 TS% .611 Since Blake Griffin has been out, Jordan has been a beast. Back in January, I said he didn't deserve to be an All Star, but he's been playing like one for the past month. Westbrook missed almost as many shots (26) in the PHO loss as Jordan missed the entire month (29) Now, if only the guy could learn to shoot FTs. Never mind, I hate the Clippers and need Jordan to remain a liability on the floor in the closing minutes of close games... BNM
I know it's now March, so it doesn't impact February POM voting, but I found the following coincidence interesting: Russell Westbrook missed shots: 26 and 18. DeAndre Jordan total rebounds: 26 and 18. BNM
Shame Ed O. isn't alive any more because he's FUCKING VINDICATED! He was rooting for Jordan to be drafted in the lottery back when. Side note: how come I remember shit like that and I can't remember my own name half the time? Priorities, brain!
I believe that was sarcasm related to Ed's apparent disappearance around these parts. At least I hope so.
I was talking about POTW award not Month. I don't think Lillard deserves to win it for February nor do I think he should have even won it for the week he did.