Mark Cuban Doesn't Consider Russell Westbrook to Be NBA MVP Candidate
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double for the season, but that apparently isn't enough to merit MVP consideration from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
On Sunday, Cuban said, "He's not," when discussing whether Westbrook is in the MVP battle, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com.
Rather, he said the MVP race is between Cleveland's LeBron James and Houston's James Harden, calling it a "toss-up." He also said San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard was worthy of mention.
Cuban's Mavericks played Westbrook and the Thunder on Sunday and came away with a 104-89 victory. Westbrook tallied 29 points, six rebounds and five assists but didn't exactly bolster his MVP candidacy with an 8-of-24 shooting performance from the field.
Entering Sunday's game, Westbrook was averaging 31.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.1 assists while shooting a career-best 34.1 percent from three-point range. He is carrying the Thunder on his back in MVP-like fashion following Kevin Durant's offseason departure to the Golden State Warriors, and he has them at 35-28 and the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
MacMahon stressed that Cuban understands Westbrook is primed to join Oscar Robertson as the only other player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, and he also noted that Cuban called Westbrook "an amazing athlete" with the "best motor." However, there is a history in place between the owner and Thunder guard.
Cuban said Westbrook is "an All-Star but not a superstar" before Dallas squared off with the Thunder in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series last year, per MacMahon.
While Westbrook fittingly scored 36 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out nine assists while helping the Thunder eliminate Dallas after those comments, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News noted Sunday, "Cuban says requirements haven't changed for Westbrook superstardom. Fifty wins and win a playoff series."
With 28 losses already, Oklahoma City reaching 50 wins this season seems to be out of the picture. Winning a playoff series against one of the best teams in the West such as Golden State, San Antonio or Houston will be a tall task, but at least Westbrook will get an opportunity to prove his worth as an MVP-caliber superstar in the postseason.
The 26-36 Mavericks won't join him in the playoffs if they don't quickly make up ground in the standings. Heading into Monday, they're two games behind the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets.
