NBA All-Star 2015 Reserves: Analyzing Top MVP Candidates from Benches
It is almost unheard of in a normal basketball game for the best player to be someone who comes off the bench, but the All-Star Game is not a normal contest.
After all, how many games feature players like Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook as reserves? That threesome could win an NBA title if they played together on the same team during the season, and they are all coming off the bench Sunday for the Western Conference.
With so many quality players starting the game on the sidelines, there are bound to be some who compete for All-Star Game MVP honors. Here is a look at a few who have an excellent chance to earn that distinction.
Russell Westbrook, Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder
The up-tempo style of play fans see every year at the All-Star Game is tailor-made to fit Russell Westbrook’s attack.
He brings speed and athleticism to the open floor, drives to the rim with ease and can drain the pull-up three in transition. What’s more, he will rack up plenty of assists by throwing alley-oops to his teammates and hitting them on the run as he sprints from one end of the floor to the other.
He is a constant source of energy, and there is little to no defense played for the majority of the All-Star Game. You do the math.
If there was any doubt about Westbrook’s mindset coming into All-Star Weekend, look at this quote, via Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman:
You think Westbrook is going to try to put on a show Sunday?
He is a statistical machine with 25.8 points (third in the league), 7.6 assists (sixth in the league), 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game (second in the league), and stuffing the stat sheet is the surest way to an All-Star Game MVP award. Few players in the entire NBA are better suited for doing just that than Westbrook.
The only thing that may work against Westbrook’s MVP chances is the pure number of impressive guards on the Western Conference roster. Chris Paul, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard will all be on the floor at some point, and there is only so much playing time to go around.
That could cut into Westbrook’s final numbers.
Kyle Korver, Guard, Atlanta Hawks
Admittedly, Kyle Korver is an unconventional MVP pick, but the All-Star Game is all about fan entertainment.
It is not that much of a stretch to envision Korver getting hot from behind the three-point line and his teammates feeding him for an extended period of time. If he was to hit three in a row, the crowd would almost demand that he gets the ball every trip down the floor until he finally cooled off.
Who wouldn’t want to watch Korver drill three-pointers from all over the court during Sunday’s exhibition?
Stephen Curry may have won the three-point contest Saturday, but Korver is the one turning in a historically unprecedented shooting season. He is on pace to become the first player to ever shoot better than 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line and makes shooting from distance look like a layup.
Nobody in the league has hit more threes than his 161 this year, and he is connecting on those long-range shots at an NBA-best 52.3 percent clip.
Just look at this ridiculously unfair shot chart from Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland:
Korver may be a dark-horse candidate, but if he gets hot from three-point range, the Western Conference is in trouble. So are any other MVP candidates.
Kyrie Irving, Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving already has one All-Star Game MVP on his resume, so he understands what it takes to win one.
Everything that was mentioned in the Westbrook section can be applied here as well. Irving is an ideal point guard for the up-tempo style of play in the All-Star Game, and he loves to launch the three and attack the basket off the dribble. He will also look to hit his teammates in transition and will likely lob up a few alley-oop attempts to his Cleveland Cavaliers’ teammate, LeBron James.
Irving is averaging 21.7 points and 5.3 assists per game and dropped 55 points against the Portland Trail Blazers back in January. Winning the MVP would be the next step in a fantastic season.
The difference for Irving as compared to Westbrook is there aren’t as many guards to take away the ball-handling duties (and the assists and transition opportunities that come with them) on the Eastern Conference roster.
Dwyane Wade is not playing, Jimmy Butler will likely be limited by a shoulder injury, and Korver is more of a spot-up shooter than someone who will have the ball in his hands in transition. That leaves only leaves John Wall, Kyle Lowry and Jeff Teague outside of Irving.
Irving will have plenty of opportunities to put up big numbers Sunday. All he has to do is deliver.
Follow me on Twitter: @ScottPolacek
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