[McGrady and Pippen]"Maybe the Greatest Single Season Performance.."

What do you expect from two players who couldn't lead any team to a title? They are going to place less importance on wins.

 

Lot of bitter folks here. Westbrook is breaking a record that's been set for half a century. That's MVP worthy. Giving Westbrook the MVP is not an insult to Harden. Harden is having a great season himself, Westbrook is having a great season and breaking a significant all time record.

 

Agreed, it's an insult to the award itself.

 

Isn't Harden producing the most ppg in NBA history? Is that not a record? That hasn't been broken in like half a century either. Is Harden's statline not basically identical to Westbrook's? Does Harden's team not have 8 more wins and counting?

 

Harden is also breaking an all time record. Harden matches the criteria for MVP that has been established every single season. Westbrook does not. The last guy to average a triple double got 3rd in MVP votes. Yeah it's kind of an insult to completely change the way an MVP is determined to accommodate a player who, although great, is producing only at an individual level.

 

The MVP award has usually come down to two things, stats and team success. Westbrook and Harden are both having historic seasons this year so you have to use team success as the tiebreaker. That's the way the MVP has always worked. It worked against Hakeem when David Robinson's team had a better year than his did in 95, it worked against Harden two seasons ago when Curry's team had a better year than his did. Even when Oscar averaged a triple double he didn't win the MVP because his team wasn't as good as Russell's was.

If the media gives it to Westbrook then this will represent a shift in modern voting that we haven't ever seen before. AND, if Harden gets voted in by the players once again then I think the NBA needs to reconsider who decides on the award to begin with.

 

Harden is creating a record, Westbrook is tying one. MVP's break different kinds of records all the time, if you are having an MVP season you are going to break records and win more than your team's talent suggests.

The only difference with the record Westbrook is tying is that it's a phrase we like to say. It's an arbitrary set of numbers that we've given a name to. Your argument is that because we decided to give a name to 10-10-10 and that that name doesn't apply to 10-10-9.99, reaching 10-10-10 is significant.

It's not. Harden is creating more points than anyone ever, that is a bigger feat than averaging a triple double. Yes, averaging a triple double is incredible, but it is not more incredible than what Harden is averaging, AND Harden is winning MORE with LESSER talent.

I give 0 f*cks about who gets an award voted on by the media, but I'm not ok with the idea that it's acceptable for Harden not to be crowned the best player in the NBA this season. It's not an acceptable position, it is absolutely insulting. This is not about bitterness. Westbrook is having an incredible season and he is one of my favorite players. I consider him one of the highest character players in the NBA after signing that extension and proceeding to put up the greatest season of his career. The only difference here is that if Westbrook averaged 1 less assist, I wouldn't consider that he didn't have an incredible season. I would still consider his performance the same, while most Westbrook voters would disappear. And that shows it's not a well thought out argument. It's arbitrary. It's not a benchmark that is a good metric for who is the best player this season.

Harden has just had a better season. He has individually created more for his team, and his team has won more games directly because of it. You can't even question 55 wins and 3rd best record. Westbrook can't win 55 and secure 3rd seed if he were a Rocket. Do you really think Harden couldn't get 2 more rebounds if he didn't mind dropping 4-5 W's and cutting out 1-2 assists? Come on.