First and foremost, valuable players win games. If you can't win a game, you're just ... not valuable. Valuable players make those around them better. Valuable players make smart plays. Westbrook is a no for all three. While I don't believe Harden is a slam dunk case for MVP, he actually does all three of those. An MVP candidate should automatically be disqualified if they can't make it out of the first round of playoffs.
this bias is our 6th man! if statbrook continues to get confirmation and assurances that he's doing nothing wrong he'll keep doing it and we'll keep winning!
This is from a person understanding where you're coming from... I would completely understand if/why Russell would win the MVP the only problem (a majority of us here have) is that the media is completely disregarding what Harden has done for this team and what new records he has made along with what Westbrook has already broken. We get it he's the new wonder boy and we've heard it from ESPN especially at nauseum, but you can't use what he's done to take away from what Harden has done which is what we've been arguing this entire time. Give the guy his just do, no one expected us to be the 3 seed in a stacked West. Hell they barely had us making the playoffs. Everyone thought that Westbrook would be a huge numbers guy which he has been. Yet they're at the position they thought we would be in at the start of the playoffs. The guy is a monster when it comes to raw stats.... but again those stats don't always translate to Wins. Which is exactly what we've done. AND it seems like no one (besides us) even cares.
Guys, anyone able to post that gif/instagram about Westbrook defense on Pat 3pt shot in the last two minutes? (Not the youtube video if possible) I remember seeing it after the game but i can't remember where and i can't find it
In the 2014-2015 Finals, Lebron James put up 35.8 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 8.8 apg AND played solid defense. 1.3 spg and 0.5 bpg. Maybe one of the best all round classic stat lines you'll ever find... HOWEVER, if you look closer he did it on 41% usage, with a 48% TS%. Meanwhile, Iguodala averaged 16, 6 and 4. The Warriors won in 6 against a team that was Lebron + scrubs (as Kyrie and Love were injured). The MVP of the Finals was Iguodala. He won by a 7-4 vote. Hmmm... I wonder why? Is it because voters actually valued winning as being more valuable than inefficient classic stats? Meanwhile, this year as we know Russ averaged 31, 11, 10 .. but of course on 42% usage and 55% TS%. Harden meanwhile is almost as statistically dominant (he's better than Iggy in this comparison), in the classic sense, much more efficient, and led a team to a better system and better record and current 2-0 lead on the Thunder. Nothing above is new, but I think it's another arrow in the quiver of why Russ shouldn't be the MVP and Harden should. If you're having an argument with anyone about it, you can just easily point to the 14/15 Finals... And to be clear, absolutely nobody is upset with Lebron, or his style of play or not saying he wasn't freaking amazingly good in that Finals... just as no one would say that about Westbrook if he came in 2nd for MVP this year. It's just there's a reason historically MVPs come from top seeds. Cause winning is super valuable.
I would love for a h-town media member (I know ya'll lurking) to ask any of his talented teammates how they feel about being portrayed and discussed as "no help" or "scrubs." please someone with credentials, ask oladipo, ask Gibson, ask any of their vets, how do you feel being described as no help or scrubs? how does it feel being blamed for OKC's problems?
Thing that is annoying to me is there is actually no talk about the game ... no analysis...no discussion of adjustments Donovan made and nothing about what to expect in game three...nothing about why Kanter didn't play Just damn MVP talk still. It's like they don't care about basketball and the playoffs,,,just their vote.
It seems to me like there's a defensive tone that's creeping in as the media all voted for Westbrook and now he's making them look bad, but of course no one today ever acknowledges that they made a mistake so it's all about how to contort the facts to continue serving the "Westbrook is super-awesome" story.
I need to read a Players Tribune from Statbrooks teammates. It would read like this, "If we win, it's only Statbrook carrying us losers. If we lose, it's us the terrible trash losers bringing Statbrook down....." Oh how I would love to know what those guys feel and think right now. I guess we have a tiny glimpse through KD but I want more. Please..., I need that Players Tribune!!!
Yeah, and when I say no talk of the game, I mean the first recap articles didn't even describe any of the 4th possessions, which are always done in game recaps. For those who didn't see the game, you really have no idea what happened from reading about the game.
No doubt about it, but I can tolerate it if our Houston Rockets knock the OKC Thunder out of the playoffs.
