Russell Westbrook will be on a mission this season to make Kevin Durant feel like he made a mistake by leaving OKC. Early on, the MVP odds are in his favor.
Russell Westbrook would have been a fire ball ready to set the league on fire next season if he had Kevin Durant on his team. After he left for the rival Golden State Warriors?
Westbrook just became a meteorite that might leave a giant crater in the center of the NBA.
With a new extended contract, Westbrook will be doing that in Oklahoma City.
Durant’s departure may have hurt OKC, but it now gives Westbrook the opportunity to unleash his full potential–with no other superstar needing the ball.
Bovada believes in Westbrook just as much as Westbrook does, giving him the nod as the early MVP favorite.
The thinking here is probably that Westbrook will have nobody get in his way OKC. Stephen Curry and Durant, however, have to share the ball with each other–as well as Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
Green also made the list with his odds set at 50/1.
This has to make the fans behind the anti-Warriors approach happy. It seems unlikely now that the Thunder will be able to win enough games for Westbrook to be considered for the MVP…BUT HOW DARE I DOUBT RUSSELL WESTBROOK.
Some other interesting names made the cut, including sophomore Karl-Anthony Towns with the ninth best odds at 50/1. Some other surprises are Isaiah Thomas (66/1), Derrick Rose, DeMar Derozan and Hassan Whiteside (100/1), Kevin Love (175/1). Rookie Brandon Ingram, too, at 300/1.
Philly has to be steaming to see Ingram on the list and not Ben Simmons.
Last but not least, the odds end at 300/1 with Dirk Nowitzki and Kristaps Porzingis. If either of those guys win it, the league may burn hotter than whatever Westbrook will do to it.
These early odds largely mean nothing, but they do give interesting narratives before the season begins. Will Westbrook vs. the Warriors be as competitive in the MVP race as it will be on the court? Could a young gun, like Anthony Davis or Damian Lillard sneak in and shock everybody?
Would Porzingis or Rose be named the mayor of New York City if either of them win it?
The world may never know.