As the 2014-2015 NBA season nears to an end and the playoffs
are getting ready to take off, there remains a looming question on everyone’s
mind: who is truly this year’s Most Valuable Player? This late during the
season the MVP race is usually clear cut, as players have had a sufficient
amount of games to prove their self-worth. Yet, this year things have changed
and the MVP race shows three high octane players’ neck-and-neck sprinting
towards the finish line. In one lane we have Golden State Warriors current
All-Star and 3-point champion Stephen Curry. Curry and his team have been a pleasant
surprise this year, not because of their winning record but due to their complete dominance in the western division. It is not a kept secret that over the past
couple of season the western conference have hosted the more superior teams
than their eastern counterparts. Thereby making The Warriors’ record (currently
60-10 while clinching the top seed in the conference) even more impressive.
Not
far behind the Warriors lies the 3rd seed Houston Rockets led by
another MVP candidate in shooting guard James Harden. Harden is an elite scorer
who is equipped with nearly every single offensive tool that one would want in
a player. Similar to Curry he is a high percentage shooter (a current field goal percentage of 43.9) and pertains the
handle and strength to drive into the paint against some of the best defensive big
man in the league. With Houston holding a 50-23 while playing most of the
season without their All-Star center in Dwight Howard (who’s recently returned
to the lineup after dealing with an knee injury), Harden has more than proved
his worth as a possible MVP winner by carrying the team whilst being 2nd in
PPG (27.2).
Yet, with this race as tight as it is, it will be the player with
the attitude, confidence, and grit that will pull ahead. It’s the player that
is willing to do whatever it takes to win, whether that be tripping, shoving or
hitting the opposition. I see those characteristics lying within the blood of
one player: Oklahoma City Thunders Russell Westbrook. The All-Star shooting guard
has currently shown himself to be one of the must-watch athletes in the game today. When most people thought about the Thunder, they picture All-Star and
2013-14 MVP Kevin Durant as the face of the franchise (and rightfully so).
Kevin Durant has become one of the major faces of the NBA over the years,
nearly matching the popularity of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo
Anthony.
Unfortunately this year Durant has been hindered with the injury bug
and is now forced to sit out for the rest of the season with a foot injury. This dilemma
has forced OKC to put the brunt of their playoff hopes on the shoulders of
Westbrook, who has dealt with his fair share of injuries this season. With a
current record of 42-32 the Thunder are trying to hang on to the 8th
seed in the west and keep their playoff hopes alive. It’s because of these
hardships for OKC this season that Westbrook has my vote of confidence
as this years MVP. The stigma that followed Russell Westbrook as a player was
that he was a “selfish”, “out of control”, “score first” ball-hog who was
always looking out for himself while holding Durant and the Thunder back
from a potential championship.
With the way he's balling all-out this season,
the critics could have never been more wrong. This guy is sacrificing his body
(literally) every game so that his team could have a chance at a post-season
berth. Yes, I did say that this was "his team" because he has earned the right to
officially make that claim this season. Don’t get me wrong when Durant returns
he will still be the face of the squad and will be the one who gives the
orders, but when it comes to leading the charge against opposing teams it will
be Westbrook leading the players on the front line. For my analytic constituents
out there, don’t worry there are quite a few stats that further prove my point:
·
Westbrook is currently ranked 1st in
PPG with 27.6
·
Westbrook is currently ranked 4th in
assist with 8.6
·
Westbrook is currently ranked 2nd in
steals with 2.15
·
Westbrook is currently averaging 7.2 rebounds per game (most among PG/SG)
The race is coming to an amazing finish
and while Curry and Harden have been amazing from start to finish, I have to
give the edge to Mr. Triple-Double Westbrook. His unwillingness to slow down, even for a
second, regardless of his health, while maintaining his outstanding statistics
shows just how much he loves this game. Some critics state that Westbrook as a
player that is more concerned with winning MVP's than championships, but that is
an inaccurate critique. This is a man who has shown that he is not concerned
with winning MVPs or any trophies for that matter; this is a man that is loyal to one thing
only: the game of basketball.
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