The other day James Harden was asked how he felt about all the talk of Russell Westbrook being the new front runner for the MVP. It seemed like a fine question. Westbrook was/has been on a tear lately, putting up monster numbers and single handily winning games for the Thunder. I said on Facebook, and to anyone that would listen, after he put up his third 50 point triple double of the year, breaking Oscar Robertson's record of triple doubles in a season and beating, and eliminating, Denver from the playoffs on a last second three the other night that he wrapped up the MVP, in my opinion. Harden's team won that night too, and he put up a triple double as well, I think his 12th of the season, I'm not sure, and when asked the question Harden said, "I thought the MVP was all about winning games".

That is a very fine, and maybe even true statement in past seasons. I don't think anyone would argue that Steph deserved his 2 straight MVP's the last 2 seasons after leading the best team in basketball, but this year is different. First off, Harden was kind of miffed at the question. It was a fine question, and reasonable, as I have already stated. It is not like the reporter said that Harden wasn't deserving, he just asked what he thought of Westbrook possibly taking the lead. Then, Harden's answer, while plausible, does not justify why he should win the MVP. I've gone on record twice on this site now that if I had a vote, it would easily go to Westbrook, with Harden being a distant second. The Thunder lost KD and they are still a playoff team. They will not get to 50 wins, but they have 46 right now, and I did not think that they'd win more than 42 or 43 games. They are the 6th seed in the West. Westbrook is the Thunder's only option as well.

I think it's hilarious that reporters like Bill Simmons, who has done nothing but trash the Thunder since they traded Harden, try to justify that the Thunder's roster is just as good, if not better than the Rockets. Well, it is not. Westbrook has guys like Doug McDermott, Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson and Taj Gibson as crucial guys. Harden has Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Lou Williams. Clint Capela, Sam Dekker and Nene on their roster, and they got rid of Dwight Howard. Harden has so many better shooters around him than Westbrook does. And while Gibson and Adams are tough, Capela is more athletic than Adams and Nene is tougher than Gibson. The Rockets roster is much, much better than the Thunder. So Bill Simmons, stop with the whole, the Thunder aren't as bad as some think. You thought they were going to stink, and Westbrook is proving you wrong. Stop bashing the Thunder.

Also, Simmons is the main guy that says this as well, that he thinks averaging a triple double is not that impressive. I could not believe him when he said this. If Westbrook were a Celtic doing this, he would only say glowing things about his play and demand that he was the MVP, even if the Celtics had the same record as the Thunder. Averaging a triple double is wildly impressive, especially in the modern NBA. Bill Simmons needs to get off ripping on the Thunder because it has become tired and hackey, just like his now cancelled TV show. 

Lets get back to Harden's comments from the other night. He said the MVP is all about wins. Okay, than by his logic, he should finish, at best, third in the overall MVP vote behind anyone of the 5 starters on the Warriors and Kawhi Leonard on the Spurs. Both those teams have more wins, 7 more for the Spurs and 12 more for the Warriors, than the Rockets do. So, if we go by that logic, the voting in Harden's theory would be something like Curry/Klay/Draymond/KD number one, Kawhi 2, then himself. So, even his own theory blew up in his face. Also, teams like the Celtics only have 2 less wins, the Cavs are sitting players left and right, and they only have 4 less wins, as do the Clippers and Jazz. All these teams are 50 plus win teams. So, if he wants to do the math, the best he can finish is third. I mean, I have him second behind Westbrook, but if he wants to talk about wins being all that matters, than my vote would be KD 1, and he has only played in 60 games, Kawhi 2, then Harden. Harden's "logic" makes no sense. Also, both KD and Kawhi are one million times the defender that Harden could ever dream of being. I mean if we are going off wins for the MVP, it should be my preseason pick, Kawhi, by a landslide. He is the best defender, hands down, in the league and he has upped his scoring a lot. He is the best Spur since Tim Duncan, and I think he has a real shot at being better overall.

Anyway, I just do not see a just world where Westbrook is not the MVP this year. What he has done is anything beyond what anyone imagined, Westbrook included, in their wildest dreams. The Thunder are not a bad team, but no one else on that team is any real threat, yet they have still managed to get in the playoffs and be a well above .500 team after losing the third best player in the NBA. When the Cavs lost LeBron the first time, the next season they won 19 games. Look at how bad the Lakers have been since Kobe got hurt, then retired. The Celtics were dreadful after they traded away Paul Pierce and KG and Ray Allen left. The Suns have been horrendous since Isiah Thomas and Goran Dragic got traded. It took the Jazz forever to rebound when they let Deron Williams leave in free agency. The Nuggets haven't been good since Carmelo was traded. So, the fact that the Thunder are this good the year that KD left them high and dry is more than enough for me to give Westbrook the vote. The triple doubles, playing in every game, winning in the high 40's and going out and giving his all every night is just icing on the cake.

I'm sorry James Harden, but just like 2 years ago, when Curry beat you out for the MVP, the same should happen again this season, and Westbrook should win the MVP over you. No matter how many more wins the Rockets may have than the Thunder. A side note, I cannot wait for the Rockets-Thunder first round matchup coming in the next week. It should be epic.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once averaged a triple double for a rec league season. Double digit turnovers, shots that were blocked, and somehow ten or more fouls a game. 

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