James Harden and Russell Westbrook (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The season has yet to start which means it's time for predictions. The NBA rumor mill is rife with it and one of them pits Kevin Durant's two wingmen in Oklahoma dominating the league.
The trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden was one of the most prolific ever assembled. Just to prove that statement, the three of them are now in different franchises, but there's a twist. While KD was the alpha dog with the Thunder, the roles are reversed now. Westbrook and Harden are now the leaders of their respective teams while Durant has joined the scoring mob of the Golden State Warriors.
Who's the best among that great Big Three? It has always been conceded that it's Durant with his MVP award, but now we get a chance to see the full capacity of the other two. Both of them have legitimate chips on their shoulders.
Since KD left, the narrative for the entire league is about Westbrook and how he'll go berserk. He has been pictured as the scorned victim now left to carry a team (and a city) by himself. He's also projected as a beast unleashed-the unquestionable alpha dog who has already been a triple-double machine in the times when Durant was injured.
"It's true -- Westbrook is a triple-double waiting to happen just about every time he steps on the floor," Joe Kaiser of ESPN declared. Yet, the fantasy basketball expert believes that Harden will have a better season, at least statistically, than Westbrook.
Kaiser admits that he was on the "Westbrook bandwagon" but his stance changed now that Harden has been given the full reins of his team. Kaiser quoted Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni.
"He's more or less responsible giving rhythm to the team, that's what a point guard does," D'Antoni said. "He's going to be on the ball, and he's going to be distributing the ball, and it will take some adjusting. He's got a lot more responsibilities as a point guard. A playcaller, a good basketball mind, he's already telling guys we can do this, we can do that."
Now that Harden is the point guard, his assist numbers will inflate-allowing him to narrow the gap with his former teammate. Westbrook will still have an advantage in rebounds but the Rockets were built to run and score and Harden will be involved in nearly every conversion with points or assists.
However, the dynamics of fantasy basketball and the MVP are much different. Evaluating their superstar's chances of winning the top individual award in the sport, the Houston Chronicle quotes Harden as very confident.
"Very, very, very confident, and I'm confident because I work hard," Harden said. "As long as I continue to do the right things and lead this team to higher standards and winning, all that will come. I'm just excited to go on the journey with these guys for an entire season with the mindset that we have right now and the work ethic we have and the coaching staff."
The big question is the media and peer votes. Harden is not a very popular guy after it was rumored that he ran Dwight Howard out of town. Also, it's a big question of whether his stats will help his team win. Team success is a big factor in determining the MVP.
Those questions also apply for Westbrook as well, but it's safe to say that both Westbrook and Harden have legitimate arguments this early.
