The World of Wadley NBA Playoff Guide

Finally, it's here. The NBA Playoffs are upon us. The Association, which has found a way to stay at the forefront of sports news around the calendar, put together another dramatic regular season with questions in Cleveland, injuries to Western Conference titans, more triple-doubles from Russ and so much more.

The league is thriving and it's now time to enter an enticing postseason with plenty of intriguing first round matchups. What should you expect? It's tough to say with the Warriors' injuries, Cleveland's rollercoaster regular season and the unproven past of so many contenders such as the Raptors and Rockets.

Before the games tip off, here's a few things to watch...

Will we see Warriors-Cavs Part IV?
No we will not. It wouldn't be wise to write off a LeBron James-led team, but Cleveland's road looks tougher than in past years. The Indiana Pacers won't be an easy first round matchup with Victor Oladipo's emergence as an All-Star caliber player. Lance Stephenson, though ultimately unsuccessful in his efforts, is just crazy enough to push LeBron's buttons and Bankers Life Fieldhouse can be a difficult place to play when it's filled with LeBron haters. Toronto would most likely await Cleveland in the second round and the 76ers look like a formidable opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals. Still, LeBron is LeBron and Cleveland will end up in the Finals.

The Warriors won't though. Injuries have plagued Golden State and they will be without Steph Curry for the first round against San Antonio. If Golden State were healthy, there is no team on the planet that could unseat them as the NBA's best, but they aren't healthy and that means James Harden and Houston will meet Cleveland in the Finals. For what it's worth, Houston will hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy.

What about the Raptors?
The Raps have turned in some disappointing playoff performances in past seasons and Brian Windhorst wrote a piece on their Game 1 woes, which they can potentially end Saturday against Washington. There's reason to believe Toronto will advance past the first round, but I struggle to believe they can beat a LeBron-led team four times. That means the No. 1 seed in the East will be out in the semifinals, adding another chapter to the franchise's disappointing playoff story.

Are the Sixers for real?
Winning 16 games in a row without one of your top two players means you are for real. Joel Embiid will return from injury and Ben Simmons looks like a superstar in the making. The Process has been a long one for Philly, but this young bunch looks primed to make a run. Some of that is due to their talent, while some of it is due to injuries to other teams. Boston doesn't pose nearly the same threat in the second round as we thought they would now that Kyrie Irving is out. Count on the Sixers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, which will give us a Ben Simmons vs. LeBron matchup that should provide great theatre.

What's an underrated first round matchup to watch?
The Portland Trail Blazers versus the New Orleans Pelicans is a series to watch. Houston and Golden State hog the national spotlight out West, but Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard will have national stage they deserve in this series. Davis is an MVP candidate with 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Lillard has put up 27 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. This one will be fun.

It's a long road to the title and it begins Saturday with Warriors-Spurs at 3 p.m. ET. See the entire playoff schedule here.

LeBron's Latest Title is More Special Than the Rest

LeBron James has been one of the most polarizing and publicly ridiculed athletes in the history of sports. No athlete in today's world endures more criticism or skepticism than James, even though he brought most of it on himself. You either love him or you hate him, there is no in between. But now, just hours after capturing his first title with the Cleveland Cavaliers, it's time for the hatred and disrespect of LeBron James to go by the wayside.

Ever since "The Decision", LeBron put a target on his back and became one of the biggest villains the sports world had ever seen. He was viewed as a sellout, someone who can't win on his own. He took the easy way out and became an ego that the world wanted to see fail, and fail miserably. Yet he won two championships and captured four MVPs. It was obvious that the road to the Finals went through LeBron and the Miami Heat. He truly was the King.

Redemption.

But a return home was in order. LeBron went back to Cleveland but was far from forgiven by those who weren't fans of his. He immediately created drama with the acquisition of Kevin Love, issues with not listening to former head coach David Blatt, and yet another Finals loss. It was LeBron in a nutshell. A figure that constantly has the media drooling simply because he's such a popular quote. People want to hear LeBron talk either because they adore him, or they want to use whatever he says against him when he fails.

This season was no different. Not only did the Cavs downplay the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship by saying they would have won if Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were healthy, but LeBron then came across as being incredibly bitter when he argued the definition of the MVP award after Steph Curry won his second-straight MVP. It was a bad look. LeBron started to look like the athlete whose best days were behind him, yet was unwilling to accept the fact that the NBA was on the verge of having a new face. The Warriors were taking the league by storm, breaking plenty of records along the way. It was obvious LeBron couldn't stand that.

Honestly, that's what made this championship so special not just for LeBron, but for those who have spent the last however many years hating him. We finally saw LeBron take something personally. We finally saw LeBron show emotion and a killer instinct. It was clear from the start that he took this series as a personal challenge unlike ever before. It was initially him versus Curry, but it quickly became him versus the Warriors with multiple people chipping in to spur the eventual Finals MVP.

I'll be honest, I was all set to type a blog about how LeBron was no longer King when the series was 3-1. I was ready to say that it was Steph Curry's league and that the Cavs were never going to be able to topple the Golden State giant. I've been one of the LeBron haters since that historic day in July of 2010, and I was ready to celebrate another failed trip to the Finals. Yet now, I have gained so much respect for LeBron James. The respect for his game was always there, how could you not respect what this guy can do for a team, for a city? The NBA has never seen a guy that can do the things LeBron can do. Yet it was the sense of entitlement, the ego, the flopping, the constant whining, the selfishness when dealing with personnel within the organization. It got old, it got old real quick.

LeBron repeatedly out-performed the unanimous MVP

However, LeBron was a different animal in this Finals. Trash-talking Steph Curry, stepping over Draymond Green, and literally willing his team to a victory. This was a LeBron we had rarely seen before, but one that people literally begged for all these years. The comparisons of LeBron to Michael Jordan always consisted of a statement somewhere along the lines of "Well Jordan had a killer instinct and was a better competitor." Before this Finals, there were only a handful of moments in LeBron's career where he possessed that killer mentality. Obviously last year he dragged the Cavs through the Finals by himself, but this year was different. He had flare. He had personality. He finally showed us that losing was not an option.

This is the LeBron that we have always wished he would be. An absolutely unstoppable force that wasn't going to settle for anything less than a ring. I feel sorry for the people that can't appreciate what he just accomplished. He fulfilled his promise and is now a hero in every sense of the word for the entire state of Ohio. He put on a performance for the ages that culminated in an iconic chase-down block like only LeBron James could do. Then to see the raw emotion, the tears of relief, of absolute joy, when that final buzzer sounded was special. The wait for a championship is finally over in Cleveland, and LeBron deserves all the respect in the world for delivering on his promise.

In Warriors-Cavs Spat, Nobody Is Right

In an NBA Finals that have become a string of blowout games with little storylines other than the
Warriors closing in on history and LeBron James losing again, the Game 4 scuffle between James and Draymond Green gave the media what they needed. Finally, there was a new talking point and the media beat the subject of the scuffle to death yesterday, offering opinions on Green's Game 5 suspension and James' role in the matter.

Let me offer one more opinion even though you probably don't need another.

There isn't a single guy in this whole mess who is right. They are all wrong and people's judgement of the matter in baffling. Let's start with the actual play. You've seen it: James and Green get tangled up on a Green screen for Steph Curry. James pushes Green to the floor, and while he did get pushed, Green sells it with a flop as well. James, with miles of real estate around Green, looks down at the Warriors' forward and chooses to step over him. Green took exception and flung his hand up and hit James in the groin before taking another swipe at him. The two then went for a rebound and were whistled for a double foul. Some jawing occurred after the whistle and Green reportedly called James a b*tch, which resulted in an upset LeBron James.

Here's the deal: James was wrong for stepping over Green and deserved to have it upgraded by the league. Green was also wrong for swinging at James and deserves to be suspended for Game 5. Let's not forget that this isn't the first time Green has done something like this in the playoffs. He had his moment with Steven Adams in the Western Conference Finals and has been caught unnecessarily flailing his legs on other plays. Green was suspended because of his body of work. He has no one to blame but himself for missing Game 5.

James then sat at the podium in the postgame press conference and violated an unwritten rule by bringing the trash talk off the court. Let's be clear: what Green reportedly said is not right, but it is said all the time in all sports. For James to overreact the way he did both in the game and afterwards at the press conference says plenty about James, but it's nothing we haven't seen before. Nobody loves flaunting who they are more than James with his constant reminders that he's the leader of the team, best player in the game and father of three. In this case, he used the father of three schtick to help lobby for Green's punishment in the postgame presser. While it's not illegal to do what James did, it certainly didn't win him any more fans.

After the suspension was announced yesterday more jawing ensued and this time it was Klay Thompson doing the talking. Thompson questioned why James' feelings were hurt and insinuated that he was being a baby. Again, nothing wrong with what Thompson said because he was basically articulating what many fans and players thought about James. Where Thompson is wrong is the fact that he spent more than enough time complaining about a Timofey Mozgov screen in Game 3, claiming it was a dirty play. For a guy whose career is primarily based on his ability to get shots off of moving screens, he came across as a baby complaining about a screen in a blowout loss. To then turn around and question another man's toughness was weak on his part.

James wasn't quite done, stepping to the podium later and laughing at Thompson's comments. He then insisted that he "took the high road" in the entire situation. If the high road is stepping over someone then whining about a swear word in the postgame press conference then, yes, James certainly took the high road. However, I'm not sure many people would see it the way James sees it. He once again, tries to remain the holier than thou, but it's easy see right through it.

Nobody was right in this situation and everybody got what they deserved. To not understand that is to not be paying attention or to see things through the lens of a Cavs or Warriors fan.

So where does this leave us? Pretty simple: Draymond Green isn't going to play in Game 5. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors from that. Tonight, it would be shocking if James didn't come out with an extra edge and drop 40 points on the Warriors. However, his willingness to do that seems non-existent as he prefers to set up his teammates and allow the losses to pile up in the process. A change of strategy should be in order.

For Golden State, they are without their engine and their most versatile player. That could cause some issues, but it could also give Steph Curry a chance to build on his legacy. A dominating performance in the absence of a key teammate with the Finals on the line would certainly be worth adulation.

Until tonight, it's all talk and speculation and the pettiness that has transpired since the scuffle will finally end once the ball is tipped. It can't come soon enough.

LeBron Forced to Shoulder Load Once More

Down 2-0 to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked like a JV squad so far against the defending champs. A series that was hyped up beforehand due to it being a rematch and the way Cleveland breezed through the Eastern Conference bracket has become a slaughter that has left fans and analysts wondering if it's already over.

As always, no one is more polarizing than James, the native son who is once again trying to bring home a championship to a city that desperately covets one. Lyndon B. Johnson was in office the last time Cleveland was crowned champions in any of the four major sports, but with a healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, it seemed this might be the year for the Cavs.

Yet here we are, once again, wondering where LeBron James' running mates are. It's become a theme of LeBron's career in the playoffs: he handpicks his teammates, his teams dominate the regular season and then his sidekicks play their worst basketball in the playoffs, while James takes the scrutiny for the losses.

The 2016 Finals are just the latest example. While James shot poorly and turned the ball over seven times in Game 2, he has still averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists through the first two games. He's shooting 42 percent from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. He leads his team in steals and blocks as well.

His Game 2 performance was a mixed bag as Golden State's defense has done a fantastic job frustrating him, and for James there is no room for error. His help has been virtually nonexistent leaving him with no choice but to take over, something he has not done yet. Irving missed all but one game of the Finals last season, and opened this year's Finals with a pair of poor-shooting performances. His 26 points led all scorers in Game 1, but he shot just 7-for-22 from the field and 1-for-4 from 3-point land. He followed it up with a 5-for-14 night, which was good for just 10 points. 

Love, whose status is uncertain for Game 3 due to a concussion, had no issues on the offensive end in Game 1. He scored 17 points and hauled in 13 rebounds, but struggled in Game 2 before exiting with the concussion. He scored five points on 2-for-7 shooting in 21 minutes of play. Where Love has struggled has been defensively as Draymond Green has carved the Cavs up, averaging a series-high 22 points.

Beyond Love and Irving, the rollercoaster ride that is J.R. Smith seems to be at a low point currently. Smith has taken only nine shots and scored only eight points in the two games so far, while Iman Shumpert has taken four shots and scored six points. What's this mean? The Cavs are relying far too heavily on 35-year-old Richard Jefferson and junkyard dog Matthew Dellavedova to score. 

James, who could fall to 2-5 all-time in the Finals with two more losses, has to see Golden State's style of play and wish he had that luxury. Golden State is up 2-0 in the series and Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have averaged 14.5 and 13 points, respectively. However, five players for the Warriors are averaging double figures and seven players are averaging nine points or more. Truly, Golden State's strength is in numbers.

Meanwhile, James will either need his supporting cast to step up or he will need to take over like he did in last season's Finals. If it's the latter, Golden State will no doubt be crowned champions. They are overwhelmingly a better team top to bottom and it will take more than just LeBron James to take them down. 

The first two games beg the question: has any superstar before been hung out to dry by his teammates as much as LeBron James? James' career will have him in the conversation of the all-time greats, but his teammates' shortcomings, and what it's cost him, in the playoffs will inevitably be his shortcoming in that conversation. 

Curry Can Cement Status With Finals Win

Steph Curry's meteoric rise to the top of the NBA is almost complete. The kid from Davidson who
captured the nation's attention during a 2008 NCAA Tournament run fought through a host of ankle injuries early in his NBA career and became just the tenth player in league history to win back-to-back MVP awards this season.

He led the Golden State Warriors to the 2015 NBA title, shattering shooting records in the process. For an encore, he's led the Warriors to the regular-season wins record at 73-9, while shattering those same shooting records again. Curry hit 286 3-pointers last season and then knocked down 402 this year. He elevated his scoring average by 6.3 points per game and averaged more rebounds and steals than a year ago. He shot more 3-pointers and two-point field goals than last season, but still shot a higher percentage this season. For all of that, he was voted the first ever unanimous MVP in NBA history.

Many think he's the league's best player and why not? The numbers paint a picture of somebody who will go down in history as one of the game's greatest, but there's still one other man vying for that title. As long as LeBron James is in the league, he will always be in the conversation. At 31 years old and in his 13th NBA season, James can put up 25/7/7 any given night. He's been widely considered the league's best player for years, but that title is slipping away with every late-game dagger from Curry.

Curry's Warriors defeated James' Cavaliers in six games during last year's Finals, but if Curry is to cement his status as the league's best then he will need to defeat James again this year. The Cavs limped through the Finals last season with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving sitting due to injuries. J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert were exceptionally bad, shooting 31 and 25 percent in the series, respectively.

Curry was his usual self, averaging 26/5/6, while James gave us a performance for the ages, putting the team on his back and averaging 36/13/9. This season it's the Cavs who look unstoppable, advancing the Finals with a 12-2 playoff record. With the exception of an 0-2 trip to Toronto in the conference finals, Cleveland has mowed down any and all opposition. Love and Irving are healthy and playing well, while Tyronn Lue has made this Cavs team his own.

Golden State has battled the championship-or-bust expectations, a Curry knee injury and the Oklahoma City Thunder on its way to the Finals. The Warriors have lost five games in the playoffs, which seems alarming after their rampage through the regular season (fun fact: if they lose the Finals to Cleveland, they will have as many playoff losses as regular season losses. Puts that regular season in perspective a bit).

Despite the long road to the Finals and the Cavs' dominance, Golden State has Curry, Klay Thompson and a host of role players who give them quality minutes. Any team that can shoot like Golden State can win any game. For Curry, a win would mean back-to-back titles to go along with back-to-back MVPs. The only other point guard to accomplish that feat? Magic Johnson.

By defeating James two years in a row, Curry would thoroughly announce to the world that he is the game's greatest, but he would also carve out a spot in the NBA history books with a win. It's the game within the game, and it's a game that will surely not disappoint.

With Warriors' Game 5 Win, Pressure on Thunder

Being down 3-1 in a seven-game series is never a good thing, in fact it's normally a death sentence to a team's season. Only nine NBA teams have ever come back from being down 3-1 in a series like the Golden State Warriors were to the Oklahoma City Thunder. After last night's crucial Game 5 win for the Dubs, it's 3-2 in favor of the Thunder as the series shifts back to OKC. The pressure is all on the defending champs to force a Game 7.

Or is it?

There is certainly pressure on the champs to come back and win this series. After all, they say 73-9 don't mean a thing without the ring. But heading into Game 6 Saturday night in Oklahoma City, the Thunder are under immense pressure to get the job done. A loss would send the series back to Golden State for a winner-take-all Game 7 and the prospects of winning that are slim to none. Oracle Arena is one of the toughest places to play in American sports and the Warriors have only lost three games there all season. 

Couple that with the fact that the Thunder are potentially seeing a championship window close in front of their eyes and it's now-or-maybe-never for OKC. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's free agencies loom in the offseason and, due to injuries is past postseasons, the playoffs have not gone the way many Thunder fans expected. After a 2012 trip to the Finals, OKC has not been back despite keeping the core of Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka intact. This is the closest the Thunder have come since that 2012 run and a win over the Warriors would mean OKC dispatched the defending champions and the San Antonio Spurs en route to this year's Finals. Not bad.

And while it won't be easy, the Thunder seem up to the task. Long gone are the accusations that the Thunder blow fourth-quarter leads and can't finish. Long gone are the gripes about Westbrook's game and superstar status. And on top of all that, the Thunder are far from scared by the Warriors. The big lineups employed by Billy Donovan have given the Warriors fits and Westbrook flat out laughed at a question in last night's press conference about Curry's defense. This is a team that believes they can and should win.

The Warriors won't have Oracle behind them Saturday night and the 8-0 runs won't be met with any enthusiasm. Instead, they will be heading into a hostile crowd that is also one of the best in the Association. The Thunder won Games 3 and 4 in OKC by 24 and 28 points, respectively. Despite that, Game 6 feels like a must-win and it probably should be viewed as that by everybody. 

Going into Oracle and stealing Game 7 would be the toughest challenge for any team. That's why the pressure is on Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder to win Saturday. If they don't then they can kiss this season goodbye.

Warriors are Great in Their Own Way

Ever since this season started and the Golden State Warriors have taken the league by storm, I have found myself rooting against them. Call me a bitter Bulls fan, but I don't think this team is as good as that '96 Bulls team that went 72-10. That team had three Hall of Famers and arguably the greatest coach of all time while the Warriors have one future Hall of Famer in Stephen Curry. Yet after having the pleasure of watching this Golden State team play in person last night, I'd like to put this Warriors team in their own category not because they're better or worse than the '96 Bulls, but because they have a style and personality that differs greatly from that Bulls team.

Thompson led all scorers with 39 points tonight against the Pacers

The game started out slow for the Warriors, with the Pacers jumping out to an 11-4 lead. The crowd in Bankers Life Fieldhouse was energized and the momentum was clearly with Indiana until all of the sudden the Warriors stormed back to take a 17-16 lead. It happened so fast and that's because this team doesn't use a lot of shot clock and they get out and run at every possible moment. It's all about transition and finding the open shooters whereas the '96 Bulls played under Phil Jackson's very structured and methodical triangle offense. With Golden State, they aren't bothered by opponents knocking down shots because they simply take the ball out as quickly as possible and catch the other team jogging back in transition. At one point early in the game, Paul George hit a three and before the PA announcer could even finish saying "Triiiiifecta! Paul George!", Klay Thompson had already knocked down a three to answer at the other end. It happened so quickly that the PA announcer actually stopped saying Paul George's name because he had to announce the Thompson basket so quickly. The offense this Warriors team runs is fast-paced and relentless and they don't care if you can't catch up.

While fast-pace offense has been implemented into a number of systems over the years, this Warriors offense, quite honestly, doesn't look good. Sure it's sexy to look at when Curry and Thompson are knocking down three after three, or when they're lobbing alley-oops to their big men off pick and rolls, but that's all it is. Their shot selection isn't great, it just works out that they have the two best shooters in the game with a bunch of physical forwards that fight for every rebound should Curry or Thompson miss. For example, Thompson once had the ball on the left wing and was pressured by Paul George. George knocked the ball out of Thompson's hands and the two fumbled with it for a good two, maybe three seconds before George over-committed on an attempt to knock it away and Thompson grabbed it with his back to the basket. Without a second thought, he turned and hoisted it without even looking to drive or see where the defense was. A horrible shot selection on what was a broken possession but the shot went in, so the Warriors look good for it. It's not necessarily the textbook definition of "good" basketball, but the shots fall and it has clearly worked for the Warriors in the recent years.

The '96 Bulls' record of 72 wins may be broken this season

Moving away from the more critical side of my opinion of the Warriors, I can honestly say I have never had more fun watching a basketball team play. It's constant excitement, it's more of a form of entertainment than it is basketball to be honest. They make it look easy and they make their opponents look stupid doing it. There were times where the Pacers fans around me weren't even mad after a made basket because they, along with myself, just had to sit there and literally laugh in disbelief. It's THAT impressive how easy it is for this team to score.

 Whether it was Andre Iguodala going behind his back and sending George Hill flying past him on a fast break or Steph Curry taking on both of Indiana's big men en route to a fancy reverse layup, the Warriors had their way with the Pacers. The most telling moment of the night, and the moment that proved this Warriors team is nearly impossible to rattle, came in the fourth quarter when the Pacers hit a three to cut the lead to ten after being down by thirty at one point, only to have the Warriors answer with a three on the very next possession. I have never heard a crowd go from being so loud to almost completely silent so quickly in my life. It was as bipolar a moment as I've ever witnessed, and it just cemented the thought in my head that if you're going to beat this team you have to play a perfect game because comebacks are not something the Warriors allow to happen.

After tonight's experience, it made me realize that the comparison between this Warriors team and the '96 Bulls just isn't necessary. I understand the similarity in records and the excitement over a historical season, but I wish the media could appreciate this Warriors team as they are, not for who they are compared to. This Warriors team does not have nearly the same makeup as that Bulls team and the playing styles are about as different as they can get. That Bulls team was special, as is this group from Golden State, and because of that we should notice the differences, take note of the history, and enjoy the fun. After all, it's apparent that teams this good only come around every twenty years. 

Westbrook's Season Deserving of MVP Honor

Westbrook has led OKC in Durant's absence

The argument at the beginning of the season consisted of LeBron James' quest for a fifth MVP while the talented Stephen Curry exploded into the race right off the bat. Rising star Anthony Davis entered the conversation for much of the first half of the season before injuries sidelined him for a handful of games. Now here we are at the end of the season, and the top three candidates for the league's most prestigious individual award are Curry, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. The majority of people, both analysts and fans, believe that Curry and Harden are the only true contenders, which shows that Westbrook's phenomenal season has been severely under-appreciated.

Let's get something straight before people get all bent out of shape: Stephen Curry and James Harden have put together astounding seasons. Curry has broken records and has lit up the highlight reels with his improved ball handling while Harden has put up insane numbers in his own right. Both of these players are in the race for a reason, and they deserve every bit of consideration. Yet if you look at Russell Westbrook's season and the team he has had to work with for the majority of this year, it's hard to say that he is not the most deserving for the MVP award.

Curry has led the Warriors to the one seed

Last night I was in Bankers Life Fieldhouse and witnessed Westbrook's 54 points (which was a career high might I add), 9 rebounds, and 8 assists against the Pacers. Yes, he took 43 shots, that's the common argument against Westbrook. "He shoots too much". "He doesn't shoot a high percentage". "He's selfish". Had those arguments been posed in previous years, I would have wholeheartedly agreed because he would have been hoisting ill-advised shots when Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka were on the floor. However, neither Durant or Ibaka are going to be any help for this season and have both missed countless games. This team has become Westbrook's to lead even after Durant and Ibaka return and he is dragging Oklahoma City to the playoffs. He no longer has an MVP to pass to. He no longer has Ibaka's 14 points per game to feed. It's Westbrook's show to run and if he's not leading the league in scoring and posting triple doubles on almost a nightly basis then OKC is not even sniffing the playoff race they are currently in.

Harden is currently second in the NBA in scoring

Does Westbrook shoot a lot? Yes. There's no way around it, he averages 22 field goal attempts a game. While Harden averages 18 shots per game and Curry averages 16, it's out of line to call Westbrook selfish when he's averaging 8.6 assists as opposed to Hardens 6.9 and Curry's 7.7. Throw that in with the fact that Rockets and Warriors both have exceptionally better supporting casts than the Thunder currently does and it's easy to see that Westbrook is doing more with less.

While the offensive numbers are gaudy and always get the most attention, Westbrook's influence on the defensive side of the ball contributes just as much as his influence on offense. He forces more turnovers (he averages over two steals a game) and grabs more defensive rebounds (5.3 per game compared to Hardens 4.7 and Curry's 3.6) than the other two candidates. For Curry, he has improved his on-ball defense greatly this season, but he's not the defensive force that Westbrook is. Harden, on the other hand, struggles to understand what playing defense means (See "James Harden defensive juggernaut" on YouTube).

The bottom line is that you can take Harden away from the Rockets and still watch Houston in the playoffs. You can take Curry away from the Warriors and still see a top four team in the West. But if you take Westbrook away from the Thunder with the shape they are currently in then they are dwelling near the bottom of the conference. Not only has Westbrook been impressive, he's been historic this year. He has posted numbers that only Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson have put up. Sure, Curry has broken a couple records of his own, but in terms of total domination of a game, Westbrook reigns supreme. Again, Harden and Curry have been fun to watch and they have played great basketball all year, but if you look at the value of each individual player in terms of where their team would be without them, Westbrook affects the Thunder's success more than Curry affects the Warriors or Harden affects the Rockets.