Russell Westbrook doesn’t need the a trophy to validate his season.
And that’s a good thing.
Because Stephen Curry’s nameplate should already be glued onto the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, given annually to the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
Westbrook’s season resonates with or without hardware. With six games left in this regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star has already produced a transcendent season. He’s the league-leader in triple-doubles with 16, the most a player has piled up in 25 years.
He’s averaging 23.8 points, 10.4 assists and 7.7 rebounds, making us all wonder if he might be able to average a triple-double for an entire season, a la Oscar Robertson.
Westbrook’s a statistical marvel and yet some of his best work cannot be quantified.
“He’s a force of nature, an absolute Tasmanian devil on the floor at all times,” said an Eastern Conference executive who insists that Westbrook, and not LeBron James, is the best pound-for-pound physical specimen in the league today.
“For his size, playing the position he does, the way he does, I’ve never seen anything like him.”
Westbrook’s competitive fervor is off the charts. He plays with a controlled rage that often times spills over the edge, making it appear that he’s out of control when the truth is he’s staying true his character.
He believes in his power to impact the game at every turn, even if the rest of us don’t believe he can make the plays that seemingly only he can.
That trait was on display Thursday night in the final seconds of the Thunder’s win over a Los Angeles Clippers team that hung tight with OKC despite it not playing Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick, Paul Pierce (injured) and Blake Griffin (suspension).
With the Thunder clinging to a 119-117 lead and Austin Rivers driving to the basket for a potential game-tying layup that cleaned off the backboard, Westbrook soared above the crowd for the game-sealing rebound.
Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 31 points, his mind-boggling 60th straight game scoring 20 or more points. Steven Adams provided the final basket for the winning margin.
But it was Westbrook who made the play that sealed the Thunder’s 53rd win of the season on a night when he once again chased a triple-double, finishing with 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
“I just try to make the plays that help us win games, man,” Westbrook told reporters after the game. “I’m the type of guy that would try to make something happen. Sometimes I gamble, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m the guy that is going to put my body on the line for my team and try to find a way to help us win.”
That’s more than good enough for first-year Thunder coach Billy Donovan, who has compiled the best first-year record for a coach transitioning from college to the NBA in league history.
Having a player as versatile and relentless as Westbrook is, with and without the ball, is a game changer Donovan had to see in the flesh before he realized just how rare a talent he had at his disposal.
“I’ve seen a lot of guys play and he’s by far the best loose-ball guy I’ve ever seen,” Donovan said. “He has an incredible ability, and if you watch him he’s engaging when he shoots free throws. He notices right where it’s missing, where it’s going to go. He watches the flight. He sees shots go up and all of sudden he’s taking off before anybody else is moving. He’s got great speed and closing speed to come up with those plays.”
This week’s Top 10 in the Kia Race to the MVP:
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
After lighting up the league for 36.7 points a night on 55 percent shooting and 54 percent shooting on 3-pointers in February, Curry saw his scoring numbers take a significant dip in March. He managed just 27.6 points a night on 47 percent shooting and 40 percent on 3-pointers in 16 games. There are plenty of players in the league who would love to have Curry’s “slump” numbers, of course. And that’s an indication of just how far ahead of the field he’s been all season. Curry and the Warriors have more important things to worry about anyway, as they close in on a record 73-win season.
2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
If his last month of work is any indication, Durant is poised for a wicked finish to the regular season and start of the playoffs. He averaged 28.4 points (on 51 percent shooting), nine rebounds and 6.5 assists in March. He’s also riding a career-best 60-game streak of scoring 20 or more points. Durant’s been so good for so long that it’s easy to overlook the fact that he’s posting numbers better than his career averages across the board, and that’s in points (28 to 27.4), field goal percentage (50.7 to 48.3), 3-point percentage (38.5 to 37.9), rebounds (8.3 to 7.1), assists (5.0 to 3.7) and blocks (1.2 to 1.0).
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
As animated and entertaining as “Coach LeBron” was Tuesday night when the Cavaliers squandered a 20-point lead and loss to Houston, coach Tyronn Lue needs LeBron in uniform more than he needs another assistant. Resting LeBron makes some sense with the playoffs looming, but it’s clear the Cavaliers cannot afford to work without him if they want to stay sharp down the final stretch of this regular season. LeBron passed Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins for 12th on the all-time scoring list during his 24-point effort in Thursday’s payback win over the Brooklyn Nets (who upset the Cavaliers on March 24). Oscar Robertson is next.
4. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Westbrook was in another world in March, collecting seven triple-doubles in 16 games and averaging 21.7 points, 10.6 assists, 8.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals. The best part for the Thunder, of course, is that Westbrook’s work helped them finish the month with an 11-5 record. He’s trending in the right direction at the right time of the season for a team that still harbors championship ambitions, even in the face of the force that is the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. Westbrook has planted his flag in any discussion of the top players in the league, regardless of position, for now and the foreseeable future.
5. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Leonard returned from a three-game injury hiatus (quad) and checked all the boxes (16 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks) in Wednesday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans. But that doesn’t mean he won’t find his way onto coach Gregg Popovich’s list for the “maintenance program” between now and the start of the playoffs. The Spurs have those two games against the Golden State Warriors looming. And even though Tony Parker is convinced Pop will rest his starters in one or maybe even both of those matchups, Leonard’s presence on the court will certainly help the cause.
6. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Paul got a well-deserved rest during the Clippers’ Thursday night game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. No player in the league can boast of toting a heavier load since Christmas than Paul, who has had to work since then without Blake Griffin in the lineup (due to injury and suspension). Griffin will be back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Washington Wizards at Staples Center. Chemistry shouldn’t be a problem. But Paul and Griffin will need a few games to get their timing back. Paul’s offensive workload figures to lighten up, at least a little bit, with Griffin back in action.
7. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have led the the Raptors the first 50-win season in franchise history, the latest and greatest step in an upward climb in the Eastern Conference power structure. Now they have to make sure this momentum continues in the playoffs. Two straight first-round exits weigh heavily on the two faces of the franchise. But if Lowry can fight off an elbow issue and maintain his level of play (21.4 points, 7.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds in his last 10 games), that first round matchup, no matter the opponent, should be a mere speed bump on the road to bigger and better postseason challenges.
8. Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Win or lose, Thomas continues to bring his best to the floor every night for the Celtics, who have suffered back-to-back road losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Thomas has scored 20 or more points in 14 straight games. In March, Thomas averaged 25.9 points on 45 percent shooting and 42 percent from deep, to go along with 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds. The Celtics will get a boost from Jae Crowder’s return to the lineup, which should ease a bit of the leadership burden for Thomas. The Celtics need their core group at its healthy best for what should shape up to a bear of a first-round playoff series.
9. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Coach Stan Van Gundy has spent a large portion of this season challenging Drummond to be better than just good, to give more effort and energy on both ends of the floor at all times. His prodding has produced some fantastic results for Drummond and the Pistons, who are poised to end a six-season playoff drought in the Motor City. Drummond’s work down the stretch of this season (16.8 points on 58 percent shooting and 14.1 rebounds in his last 10 games) has cemented his status as an All-Star and arguably the league’s best “true” big man (sorry DeMarcus Cousins, but Drummond does it without all the antics).
10. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Lillard’s rough stretch (he hasn’t reached the 20-point mark in four straight games) continued in Thursday night’s game against Boston. He managed just 14 points on 3-for-16 shooting, 1-for-6 from beyond the 3-point line. But the Trail Blazers notched their 40th win of the season, thanks to a career-high 28-point performance from Al-Farouq Aminu. If Lillard is showing some signs of fatigue recently, it’s warranted. He’s had to carry this team, along with C.J. McCollum, for much of this surprising season. His 25.2 points and 6.9 assists lead the way for a crew that no one expected to make the playoffs in the Western Conference this season.
Others receiving consideration: Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets; Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat; Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors; Paul George, Indiana Pacers; Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Sekou Smith is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
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