Who’s The Real NBA MVP? A Case For Russell Westbrook

January 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

 Russ vs. Steph Curry 

Westbrook Stats (Per Game): 27.4 PPG, 8.1 APG, 7.0 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 3.9 TOPG, .434/.286/.838 shooting 

Curry Stats (Per Game): 23.8 PPG, 7.8 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 3.1 TOPG, .484/.413/.907 shooting 

As has become a trend in this article, Westbrook wins the overall statistical battle. While Curry’s shooting numbers are only further proof that he’s probably an alien, Westbrook’s dominance in all facets of the box score (particularly in rebounding) give him a major nod over Curry that he didn’t quite have versus LeBron or Harden. 

However, we must put those numbers into context. As compared to the other three candidates that we’ve discussed, Steph has a MUCH better cast around him. The need for him to score 35+ points in order for the Warriors to win is nonexistent. Until Durant comes back, Westbrook almost has to score that much, if not more, in order for OKC to eek out wins. 

Furthermore, the Warriors are incredibly prone to blowing teams out. This season, Golden State is posting an absurd +10.1 point differential. This means that Steph is frequently out of the game early in the 4th quarter whereas it seems every Thunder game since the trade deadline has come down to the wire. 

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But that may be the very reason why Curry loses out on the MVP race in the end. It’s hard to say that Steph is the most valuable player in the NBA when it’s not even 100% sure that he’s the most valuable player on his own team. Klay Thompson has turned into a human Howitzer cannon, shelling opponents into an oblivion if they give him even a fraction of an inch of breathing room on the perimeter. Draymond Green has been some sort of weird Dennis Rodman/Rasheed Wallace hybrid, crashing the boards like every rebound personally insulted his mother and seems to somehow play 12 positions in a sport that only requires five. That roster around Curry is INSANE. 

If you take Russ away from the Thunder, it would be optimistic to hope for 38ish wins in the hellish landscape that is the Western Conference (and if Durant isn’t there, 25 is probably optimistic). Take Steph away from the Warriors? That roster is so unbelievably deep that they’re probably still a safe bet for 45-50 wins. If Steph is truly the MVP you would have to be able to point to irrefutable evidence that he is the primary reason for every player around him surging, a la 2005-2006 Steve Nash. 

So is there evidence of this? As usual, let’s turn to the tape!  

In the play, Steph Curry comes up with a an incredible cross-court steal, goes coast to coast, and then puts up a ridiculous behind the back layup. Queue the MVP chants. What goes missed here, however, is Draymond Green’s contribution to the play. 

Boris Diaw attempts to back Draymond down into the post. Being the impressive defender that he is, Draymond denies the backdown and forces Diaw into an ill-advised, cross court pass. Not only has Green’s impeccable body positioning forced Diaw out of his usual pivot point in the low post but Draymond also manages to irritate the pass JUST enough to allow for Curry’s steal. Steph had an amazing finish, but Draymond created the play. 

It’s not just defense though. There’s no denying that Steph is an all-world force offensively. There is currently no player more deadly from the league’s most dangerous shot. He’s a freak. However, a lot of his “freakishness” stems from his fellow “freaks” on the floor.  

This clip is a 60-second montage of three backbreaking shots from Steph Curry. If you were watching the game live, you honestly felt bad for the Bucks as there was literally nothing they could do defensively to stop the onslaught. They were caught like a deer in the headlights (and no, I will not apologize for that idiotic pun). However, you can actually attribute all three of Steph’s looks to incredible plays by his teammates. 

Play 1: Andre Iguodala sets an off-ball screen underneath the goal that sets Curry free. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, Klay Thompson is operating as chief ball handler and therefore Khris Middleton cannot cheat over to deny Steph an open three. Steph makes ‘em pay. 

Play 2: Steph is operating as chief ball handler this time with a trailing Draymond Green. Steph goes into “destructo-mode” and sends poor Tyler Ennis careening into the floor. Ersan Ilyasova gets caught between a rock and a hard place (read: Draymond taking an open three or Curry taking an open three) and opts to watch helplessly. Steph makes ‘em pay. 

Play 3: Shaun Livingston gets his chance to be the ball handler. Livingston snakes across the top of the key, sucking in three defenders that all try to occupy about a two-foot window of space on the floor. Things get ugly to the point that Ennis literally runs into Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph is left sitting alone on the perimeter. Steph makes ‘em pay. 

In all three instances, Steph is set up by the rest of his supremely talented roster. I’m not attempting to take anything away from Curry. He’s the most ridiculous shooter I’ve ever witnessed. But as I stated earlier, in order for Steph to be the MVP at his current numbers with his current roster, he would need to be able to point to the roster’s success and take ownership of it. As such, it appears more that Golden State is just a monster of team and Curry is their best player. It’s enough to be the favorites for the NBA title. Not quite enough for Steph to trump Russell singlehandedly dragging the injury maligned Thunder into the playoffs. Edge: Westbrook.

Next: The Verdict?