And Your MVP Is…Russell Westbrook?
Is Russell Westbrook headed for MVP status or disaster? We examine how Westbrook’s teammates can impact his MVP chances.
The conversations on the MVP race have quickly taken off after Russell Westbrook signed his 3-year 85$ million dollar extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The almost unanimous consensus is Westbrook should run away with the MVP this year.
As LeBron James turns 32 in December the expectation is that he will coast through the season conserving energy for the playoffs.
The Warriors acquiring Kevin Durant will cut everyone’s touches decreasing the likelihood of Steph Curry repeating as MVP.
Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard are both superstars in their own right, but playing with Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, respectively, makes it difficult for either to stand out.
This would leave one man standing at the top of the MVP mountain and his name is Russell Westbrook.
While many fans, Thunder ones in particular, simply cannot conceive of a world where Westbrook does not win the MVP next season, it’s important we avoid glossing over the glaring basketball issues with this team.
The talk from pundits and fans alike have reached almost delusional levels. With mentions of Westbrook even averaging a triple double for the entire 2016-2017 season putting him in the rarefied air of the great Oscar Robertson. Now if anyone had the talent and raging passion to pull this off its Westbrook. The team, however, that’s a much different story.
Who will Westbrook pass to? Victor Oladipo and Andre Roberson are both mediocre spot up three-point shooters and nobody off their bench is any better.
Steven Adams can’t stretch the floor as he’s yet to show a mid range jump shot and Enes Kanter athleticism is suspect making it difficult to run high pick and rolls.
While Serge Ibaka wasn’t his best last season, he was a huge force in the pick and roll game as he could both spot up and finish at the rim.
The passing lanes on drives to the rim are going to become much smaller since there is no Durant on the wing forcing the defense to stay honest.
This means the defense will collapse on Westbrook every time he drives making his primary decisions to do one of three things; shoot contested mid range shots and lays up, force tight passes to Adams and Kanter in the lane, or kick it out to Oladipo or Roberson on the wing and pray they make a jump shot.
When you combine this with Westbrook’s tendency to have periods of poor shot selection and high turnovers it almost smells of disaster.
But, there is hope. We know the formula the Thunder need to follow for Westbrook and this franchise to have a historic year. We’ve seen it before with the 2010-2011 Chicago Bulls led by their own hyper athletic point guard in Derrick Rose.
Rose won the MVP that year after having one of the best seasons in Chicago post Michael Jordan.
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The team was perfect. Carlos Boozer was the stretch four with both mid range and finishing abilities. Kyle Kover kept the defense honest and stretched the floor with his three-point shooting. Joakim Noah was incredible at finishing on the pick and roll and screening off the ball. Luol Deng was a slasher who could spot up when necessary and create his own shot off the dribble.
Defensively, combining Noah, Deng, Brewer, Rose, and Boozer, led by the rugged defensive mastermind of Tom Thibodeau, stifled opposing offenses creating many fast break opportunities.
The question for the Thunder is, how much can their team resemble the 2010-2011 Bulls?
Steven Adams plays with as much intensity as Noah, but that’s about it. The Thunder ranked 12th in defense efficiency last season while the Bulls ranked 1st in the 2010-2011 season. And the Thunder have no one near the shooting ability of Kyle Kover.
For Westbrook to have the MVP year we all want and expect his teammates must make significant improvements in their game. And…
They have to win.