According to Mark Cuban, and Mark Cuban alone, Russell Westbrook is not a leading MVP candidate this season.
Cuban continues to push his bizarre theory that Russ is somehow not an NBA superstar.
Mark Cuban says MVP is a toss-up between James Harden and LeBron James. Where is Russell Westbrook in that mix? "He's not."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 6, 2017
It’s a “toss-up” between James Harden, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard for the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, says Cubes.
Per ESPN:
“He’s not,” Cuban said while going through his pregame exercise routine ahead of Dallas’ 104-89 win over OKC.
Cuban is well-aware that Westbrook is on pace to join Oscar Robertson, who is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. Westbrook leads the NBA in scoring (31.7 points per game), ranks third in assists (10.1) and 12th in rebounding (10.7). Cuban acknowledges that Westbrook is “an amazing athlete” who is the “most explosive” player in the league and has the “best motor.”
However, the Thunder (35-27) are on pace to fall short of 50 wins, which Cuban considers the benchmark for a player to be considered a superstar, much less an MVP candidate. […] “The criteria hasn’t changed,” Cuban said. With a wry smile, he added: “And if I changed my mind, it would ruin all the fun for you guys.”
