Russell Westbrook snubbed as he’s named to the All-NBA 2nd Team

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns
Russell Westbrook snubbed as he’s named to the All-NBA 2nd Team

Shams Charania

@ShamsCharania

All-NBA teams:

First: LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant.

Second: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, Joel Embiid, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan.

Third: Stephen Curry, Victor Oladipo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler, Paul George.

Despite becoming the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double in two consecutive seasons, the panel of broadcasters and journalists who vote for the All-NBA Teams decided that the reigning MVP is not All-NBA First Team material this season.

Damian Lillard is a talented and often overlooked point guard, but the numbers speak for themselves. The Trailblazers leader averaged 26.9 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game this season, while Westbrook averaged 25.4 points, 10.3 assists and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Both the Thunder and Trailblazers underperformed in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round. Oklahoma City lost a highly contested series to Utah, while Portland failed to win a game against New Orleans. Therefore, when it comes to their postseason play, there is nothing to tip the scale either way.

Personally, I find it unfathomable that someone who averaged a triple-double this season did not make the All-NBA First Team. Lillard scored more points per game than Westbrook, but statistically, Westbrook had the better year. As the voters take to social media to defend their decisions over the next couple days, it will be interesting to hear why the majority of them went with Lillard over Westbrook.

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