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I've been seeing a lot of chatter on Twitter from Wizards Fans about how both guys should be in consideration for All NBA 3rd team this season due to the stats and turnaround. In my opinion, I don't think either should make it based on the competition, however I do believe that Beal's year has been far closer to Curry (Curry is better of course, but not MVP level to no consideration at all for All-NBA level difference) than the media would have you believe. Anyway, I digress.

The question that I pose to the group is, with the Wizards unexpectedly turning their season around and inching surprisingly towards .500, who is the season MVP? Beal or Westbrook?

Since Westbrook got fully healthy, he has been a bit more valuable than Beal, if nothing else, for his leadership in changing the culture. But we can't act like the first 20 games of the season didn't happen. Westbrook was so awful in the first 20 games that he probably personally cost us 10 wins.

With that in mind, I'd say Beal is the MVP of the Wizards. He has been steady from start to finish, always scoring 30 and with virtually no awful games. Even his bad games were merely slightly sub-par.

To put it in perspective, last season, Beal had 16 games with a TS% below .480 with 5 of them below .400. This season, he has had just 7 below .480, and only 2 of them were below .400. Remarkable consistency.

It's easy to be impressed by Westbrook's awesome games, but he had a ton of duds that were so horrifically detrimental that he virtually guaranteed a loss. You remember the awesome games and forget the bad games. I think it's harder to never have bad games, even if the awesome games aren't quite as mind-blowing.

Beal, but it’s definitely close.
I think as Westbrook came on, Beal’s play has been more flawed
particularly with TOs. Eyeball comment not based on stats.

Russ is like the great wild rollercoaster - what a rush as long as you don't remember the parts where you threw up and lost your wallet. Westbrook's done some historic things this season, and the best may be yet to come, but I tend to value consistency highly, so I go with Beal.

Beal. I think there is some recency bias with how Russ is viewed. He's had some epically bad stretches.

Beal. Westbrook may have outplayed Beal for the last few weeks, but Beal has been better throughout the season.

For the entirety of the season, it's Beal. He's been consistent.

If Westbrook played like this the entire season, you'd have to give it to him.

I’ve got Beal ahead of Westbrook as of right now, but it’s not definitive yet.
Depending on what happens. Westbrook for mine is the reason why wizards are a playoff chance.

I remember how bad Westbrook was to start the season and he probably was the cause of several losses. I still have to give it to him, though, for both his own play and for his impact on the other guys (preemptively saying that I have no evidence or proof of this!).

Beal is a great player and seems a great guy, but he's not the same type of leader as Westbrook - a no-doubt HOF player in his 30's that is still giving 110% of what he has every night. Through all the WTF moments, it's been great watching Russ in a Wiz uniform this year.

If you go with Best player it should be Beal.

This is the numbers from this season:
https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1=bealbr01&p1yrfrom=2021&player_id2=westbru01&p2yrfrom=2021#stats-per_minute

Advanced:
https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1=bealbr01&p1yrfrom=2021&player_id2=westbru01&p2yrfrom=2021#stats-advanced

While generally Best and Valuable are seen as the same thing for this award, I think there are some intangibles included in Valuable that could make it closer for Westbrook, since he seems to set an example of effort that is important to the team. Not to say that Beal doesn't also set a high standard, just it doesn't seem to influence the team as much.

i do like how 2021 WB has really taken a noticeable effort to get everyone involved (namely the big men trio). the offense without WB is [rightfully] beal-centric but during the last 20 game stretch where we've been really successful, it's due in no small part to looking for Rui and the C's as scorers, and not just garbagemen picking up the pieces. that in turn frees Beal up and makes him spend less energy.

that said, it's still Beal as MVP, if there can only be 1.

westbrook was injured,,,,,,and then he was healthy.

regardless, points is almost everything in basketball


it's beal as mvp,,,but i luv me some westy.

Not really Westbrook/Beal-related, but on the same night Beal goes for 50 (and comes up gimpy), Curry drops 49. Beal doing what he can for the scoring titel, but Curry is on a mission.

i'm waiting until we're in the championship to make my decision.

look at who’s coaching

Are we even in the playoff discussion without Westbrook? We’ve seen this team with Beal leading the way and it isn’t that great He’s a phenomenal scorer but MVP of the season? Nah.

Tyrone Messby wrote:Are we even in the playoff discussion without Westbrook? We’ve seen this team with Beal leading the way and it isn’t that great He’s a phenomenal scorer but MVP of the season? Nah.

All that means is that you need more than one star. Where would this team be this year with Russ but without Beal?

I think Russ' impact is more of a commentary on Wall than on Beal.

Let’s pretend we never made the Wall trade. I bet we are trying to figure out who we are going to get with a top 5 pick currently. Beal is phenomenal but he is worshipped on this board and I don’t understand it.

Tyrone Messby wrote:Let’s pretend we never made the Wall trade. I bet we are trying to figure out who we are going to get with a top 5 pick currently. Beal is phenomenal but he is worshipped on this board and I don’t understand it.

He is averaging 31.4 ppg with a TS of 60%. Not hard to understand really.

Take him off the team and Westbrook is leading the team to sub 25 wins.

Viewed from an objective perspective -- one in which points scored doesn't put everything else in the shade -- Westbrook has been the better of the two players overall this season, & that's even including his awful start. In any case, it's obvious that as good as Brad is, Russ is even better.

But is that the same as most valuable player? I'm not sure.

In fact, it seems to me you could make an argument for Daniel Gafford as our most valuable player! He arrived, & we won the first 2 games he played in. Then he was out for 4 games, & we lost them all. Then he returned, & we went on a streak. We are 17-4 in games he's played in -- & 3 of those 4 losses were by a total of 5 points!

Just sayin....