The real MVP

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook is averaging an amazing triple double (31.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 10.4 assists) and at this pace, he will be only the second NBA player in history to average a triple-double for the entire season. NBA legend Oscar Robertson achieved this back in the 1961-62 season when he posted 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists. This feat is so difficult to achieve that it took 55 years for another player to come close to repeating it. Westbrook still has 11 regular season games to go to make it official. For the season, he has 35 triple-double games, 6 short of Robertson’s record of 41 in a season. For this individual achievement alone, Westbrook is definitely in contention for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Another superstar in the MVP discussion is the Houston Rockets’ James Harden. Like Westbrook, Harden’s numbers are unreal (29.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 11.2 assists). As of today, he has produced 56 double-doubles and 19 triple-doubles. Last New Year’s Eve, he became the only player in NBA history to score at least 50 points, grab 15 rebounds and dish out 15 assists. Harden is currently the second leading scorer in the league (behind Westbrook) and leads in assists. Under Coach Mike D’Antoni’s system, Harden has become the primary offense creator and the Rockets depend on him for most everything.