Did Stephen Curry hurt Russell Westbrook’s MVP chances?
The Golden State Warriors walloped the Oklahoma City Thunder. Did Stephen Curry’s great performance hurt Russell Westbrook’s MVP chances?
After two consecutive MVP seasons, Stephen Curry is not in the running for this year’s award. He’s been good, but he hasn’t consistently played at the level that other guys in the league have. He’s a top player in the league still, but his production doesn’t warrant an award.
Russell Westbrook, on the other hand, is. He’s having a truly special season averaging a triple-double. His energy and intensity have captivated everyone as he leaves no question about who the most athletic point guard in league history is.
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The two point guards matched up in a Kevin Durant-less showdown in Oklahoma City. They clashed in the aftermath of Westbrook’s comments about “who’s he?” in reference to Curry. The game didn’t disappoint for supporters of the Warriors’ superstar.
Curry completely outplayed Westbrook on his home floor. He embarrassed him over and over again. Curry effortlessly got to his spots and controlled the game while Westbrook seemed to be pressing and played recklessly.
Westbrook took a shot at Curry in the media. And while the league’s first ever unanimous MVP didn’t engage, he had extra motivation. So did he, in his dominance, hurt Westbrook’s MVP chances?
The quick answer is no. It was just one game out of 82. Westbrook has been spectacular nearly every time he’s stepped onto a court this year so this poor performance against a top team shouldn’t change much. Players have bad games and great teams can neutralize individuals, especially when they see that individual a lot.
But Westbrook’s MVP chances probably did go down and that’s his own fault. He had a bad performance on national television against a rival. The MVP discussion has a lot of grey area.
Westbrook might have hurt his own chances. First of all, he decided to talk. Which is fine except for the fact that he didn’t back it up. If your’e going to challenge the guy who’s won the last two MVPs and outplayed you in the playoffs while you’re on the verge of being swept, you need to back it up.
Instead, Westbrook faltered. He flailed shooting ill-advised three-pointers. He tried to attack the rim when there wasn’t an opening.
Westbrook looked bad at the worst time. Everyone knows about his triple-doubles and how impressive it is that he grabs a lot of rebounds as a point guard. There’s also a belief that he’s a solid defender.
Both of those takes were challenged. There was a play that went viral in which Curry ran around the entire court. About halfway through the route, Westbrook just stopped chasing.
Instead, he walked around and then dove to the paint, presumably to grab a rebound. The problem is he left the greatest shooter of all-time, who was in a rhythm, wide open. When that happens, there most likely isn’t going to be a rebound to be had.
His MVP candidacy largely relies on two things: his triple-doubles and poor teammates. The narrative suggests that he just wants it more. When he makes angry faces, it means that he’s more competitive than everyone else.
Westbrook is very good. But he also has lapses where he’s really bad. Having one of those on national TV in a big game against a rival that you publicly disrespected is less than ideal for his MVP candidacy.
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That defensive breakdown and the incessant need to talk and chase his stats rubbed some people the wrong way. Meanwhile, James Harden made the game-saving defensive stop and scored a go-ahead layup. It was a tough stretch for the Thunder star.
Westbrook is still in the MVP conversation. He didn’t lose it in one game, but it does raise some questions about his overall worthiness. He still has a strong case, but he didn’t help himself against Curry.
He played with fire and got burned by the Human Torch.