Tuesday Bolts – 3.31.15
Sam Amick of USA Today: “The MVP award almost always goes to the best player on one of the top teams – 54 of the 59 MVPs in league history led their team to a top four record, and 50 of those teams had a top two record. It may not make it right or just, but voters have a long track record of rewarding that success. Meanwhile, Westbrook’s Thunder – who lost 13 of their first 18 games when their dynamic duo was sidelined – currently have the 12th best record of the league’s 30 teams (42-32). Were Westbrook to somehow win the award this season, his Thunder – at their current pace – would have the fourth-worst winning percentage (.567) of the 59 teams that had the MVP (and the worst since the 1981-82 campaign).”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider says CP3 over Russ: “Other replacement-level stats tell a similar story. ESPN’s real plus-minus (RPM) gives Westbrook a small per-minute edge over Paul, who dominates in terms of RPM WAR, with 13.9 (third in the league) to Westbrook’s 11.0 (ninth). Even PER, which is more favorable to Westbrook because it gives more credit to players with high usage rates, has Paul slightly ahead of Westbrook (18.1 to 18.0) when replacement is factored into estimated wins added. Only one common all-in-one stat that incorporates replacement level has Westbrook ahead. He’s No. 1 in the league by a mile in box plus-minus, and third in the wins over replacement player stat calculated from it (6.6), ahead of Paul (5.7).”
Russell Westbrook ranked third best point guard by ESPN.com.
Marc Stein has OKC 10th: “Can’t remember many seasons stranger than OKC’s. Bad injury news typically leads to significant drops in our rankings, but how do you punish Russ & Co. harshly when they keep following up depressing news bulletins on Kevin Durant with historic comebacks like we saw in Phoenix?”
Darnell Mayberry on Steven Adams’ developing versatility: “The first few minutes were about as awful as can be. Morris, who has a history of lighting up the Thunder even when Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant have taken cracks at containing him, torched Adams from the start. He scored the Suns first 11 points and had 16 of Phoenix’s first 23. He made seven of eight shots in the opening period, scoring on isolations and off of inbounds plays, out of the pick and roll and in transition. It was Morris who helped the Suns shoot 62 percent in the quarter and jump to an 11-point lead. But the longer the game wore on, the more comfortable Adams grew and the better he began performing. Morris was held scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting in the third quarter and, thanks to an assist by Kyle Singler in a small lineup, the Thunder held Morris to four points on 1-for-3 shooting in the fourth.”
Berry Tramel: “The Thunder made just 21 of 32 foul shots in a five-point loss at Utah on Saturday night. That once was a rare occurrence for Oklahoma City. But not this season. The Thunder made just 11 of 18 foul shots in a 10-point loss at Atlanta. Just 12 of 21 in a five-point loss at Dallas. Just 16 of 24 and 19 of 27 in five-point losses to Golden State. The Thunder made just 12 of 19 foul shots in a two-point loss to Brooklyn. Just one of six in a seven-point loss to Detroit. Just three of 11 in a two-point loss to Memphis. Just 14 of 25 in a 12-point loss to Toronto. That kind of defeat used to never happen to the Thunder, which has set a remarkable standard for foul shooting.”
