Westbrook earned a league-high 11 triple-doubles this season in addition to winning the scoring title.
(Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Last week, we revealed the 2014-15 NBA All-Lottery Team, the two best backcourt players and three best frontcourt players on lottery-bound teams. The team included Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade.
Today, we crown our 2014-15 NBA Lottery MVP, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook.
Much like teammate and All-Star forward Kevin Durant benefited from carrying the load for OKC last season, Westbrook dominated opponents while playing without Durant, who missed a majority of the 2014-15 campaign due to recurring foot injuries. As the primary option, Westbrook averaged 28.1 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds in just under 35 minutes per game. While he averaged only 42.6 percent shooting from the field (and 29.9 percent from 3-point range), his 29.12 PER ranked second among all NBA players, according to ESPN’s John Hollinger.
Moreover, the Thunder’s offensive rating increased by 10.9 points when Westbrook was on the floor, according to Baskeball-Reference. He also totaled 11 triple-doubles during the 2014-15 season, seven more than any other NBA player (Houston Rockets guard and MVP runner-up James Harden had four). In February, he averaged 31.2 points, 10.3 assists and 9.1 rebounds per game, Oscar Robertson-like numbers. That trend continued into March, when he averaged 30.9 points, 10.2 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game, all while averaging under 38 minutes per game. Lastly, he scored 40 or more points 10 times including a season-high 54 points against the Indiana Pacers in April.
Compared to other Lottery MVP candidates, Westbrook was the cream of the crop. He had the highest PER of any lottery player and led all candidates in scoring. He ranked second among lottery players in assists and first among lottery guards in rebounding, steals and double-doubles. Most importantly, he helped the Thunder finish with the best record among all lottery-bound teams.
Congratulation to the members of our 2014-15 All-Lottery Team and to Russell Westbrook on winning our 2014-15 Lottery MVP!
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