Contributing to his impressive season averages, Westbrook went on a bunch of multi-game, high-scoring streaks. In this case, we’re going to go through it on a skill-by-skill basis. He raised his average by 6.9 points, while increasing his field goal, 3-point and foul shooting percentages by almost 4 percent each. That triple doesn’t get Harden the most scrutinized award in sports. Basically, that’s six extra shots for four extra points.
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There’s only one day left in the 2016-17 NBA season, and the 2017 NBA Playoffs get started this Saturday. Oladipo was the second overall pick for a reason, and Gordon was the main piece traded for Chris Paul six years ago.
Now one of them will be gone by May. After signing his extension Westbrook has played like a man possessed the entire season, leading the team in scoring. And of course, the Rockets aren’t the Sixers. If the best players are being used more, they are going to have more opportunities to accumulate counting stats. Or, if you want this in the simplest terms possible, Harden scores 1.53 points per field goal attempt. To accomplish something so rare surely qualifies a player to win the award generally bestowed upon the league’s best player.
Not only did Harden break the record for most points created, but he did so with stunning efficiency.
Leonard probably won’t win MVP, but he’ll nearly certainly get some votes for first place. Small forwards Doug McDermott and Andre Roberson will also not play because of sore knees. Westbrook is third in the league at 23.8 points generated.
Oscar Robertson didn’t win MVP when he averaged a triple double (actually he finished third).
Westbrook scored his 36th triple-double of the year with 39 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Harden finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 24 minutes. The game was tied at 116-116 with 1:49 to go. Passing that leads to more passing is a relevant skill.
Still, this journey will be much different for Westbrook. Only sitting downstairs, near courtside, live, can you appreciate the faster-than-a-speeding-bullet style of a whirring Westbrook.
Even their rebounding numbers are a bit misleading. Maybe not top 3, but top 8 for sure. Here’s what’s working for him: he’s the best player on the planet. There’s no doubt that all eyes will be on Westbrook and Harden as the two ex-teammates clash for personal dominance while battling towards the ultimate goal – an National Basketball Association title. That might not seem much, but it amounts to around three full games based on their averages.
Harden said he is not getting caught up in the MVP discussion and gave Westbrook kudos after the contest.
Last season the Rockets needed to win their final regular-season game to make the postseason and reach a 41-41 record. That answer, to me, is very clearly James Harden. All-in-all, the two rosters are fairly similar. The Thunder finish the regular season at home on Wednesday night against Denver, and Donovan said they will have more conversation with Westbrook before deciding if he will play in that game or not. That end of year collapse that they’re in the midst of had them barely win 50 games and even had them fall out of the top seed in the East.
More milestones await James in these playoffs, too.
Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs: Leonard epitomizes what the San Antonio Spurs organization is about, excellence in a quiet manner.
Harden is not a flawless player. His impact on both ends of the floor and proven playoff experience is why the Warriors will beat the Spurs and go to the NBA Finals for a series rubber match. Still, his defense is next-level bad, and that disqualifies him this year from the MVP discussion.
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Of course, when considering who deserves the MVP award, the performance of the team should matter a great deal.
