The Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry is a better and more valuable player than Russell Westbrook, who is great in his own right. The GM’s were correct.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook is incredible. He just had one of the most amazing seasons we’ve ever seen. That doesn’t mean he’s better than the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry.
In the annual General Managers’ poll, 62 percent of the league’s GM’s voted that Curry was the best point guard in the league. Just 28 percent voted for Westbrook as the best. Unlike the MVP voting, we don’t know about second or third place votes.
NBA Twitter loves to debate this. It seems like there’s an even split between smart fans and those that pick Westbrook. All jokes aside, this isn’t that close.
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There’s a lot to love about OKC’s MVP. He’s the most athletic point guard we’ve ever seen. His combination of speed and strength at his size is jaw-dropping.
Westbrook never seems to get tired, running and jumping at full speed all the time. He’s an explosive finisher with a midrange pull-up that might actually be the most difficult to defend in the league. We all saw what he can do passing and rebounding the ball as he averaged a triple-double for an entire year.
Curry is just…better. If you want to win a championship, pick Curry. If you want to watch a defense crumble at your feet, pick Curry.
The two-time MVP is an alien. We’ve never seen anyone shoot the ball like him and we may never see it again. He stretches defenses to halfcourt and breaks them with his elite vision, superior handle, and unparalleled marksmanship.
Curry has a better feel for the game. Westbrook, for as talented as he is, can be extremely reckless. Now, that’s not to say Curry isn’t without fault–because he’s not–but he just does it far less.
There’s a reason why Curry was able to lure Kevin Durant and win a championship in his first year with the forward. There’s a reason why that was Curry’s second championship. There’s a reason why he has individual and team accomplishments that Westbrook doesn’t and probably will never have.
Russell Westbrook is one of the most special players we’ve seen. The box scores after his games are awe-inspiring. Still, he’s no Curry.
When a team that made it to the NBA Finals chooses to give Durant a wide-open dunk because they would rather double team you at the three-point line, you are great. Curry has completely shifted the culture in Golden State, turning it into one of the best organizations in all of sports. That means something.
Curry makes everyone around him better. The game comes easier to them because of his gravity and willingness to share the spotlight. Though his game is plenty flashy, he’s all business.
Fans can argue about this all they want. The facts speak for themselves. Two MVPs, one unanimous selection, is worth more than one MVP. Two championships definitely beat zero titles.
And when the people who get paid to evaluate the best talent in the world at the highest level choose one guy over the other in overwhelming fashion, that’s telling.