Russell Westbrook refuses to make MVP pick
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will probably fall short of winning back-to-back MVP awards, and he’s not weighing in on who his successor should be.
Westbrook’s former teammate James Harden is perceived as the favorite, but the Houston Rockets guard wasn’t getting a firm endorsement from Westbrook himself.
“I’m not sure,” Westbrook said, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Obviously he’s having a good year, a great year. Their team has the best record in the NBA. I’m not sure.
“Nah, I don’t have a pick. There’s a lot of guys doing a lot of great things in the league. Honestly, I don’t know kind of what you go off of, because MVP’s kind of been picked differently every year. So it depends what criteria, what it is that you guys vote for. But obviously he’s leading the charge at the moment.”
Westbrook averaged a triple-double when he won last year, and he’s nearly doing it again this season. However, the Thunder are having what is being seen as a disappointing season, which is hurting his cause. Given how Westbrook reacts to perceptions of disrespect, it’s entirely possible he’s mostly annoyed at not being considered himself.