National Basketball Association

Colin Cowherd: Why Russell Westbrook should be disqualified from the MVP race

Published Mar. 21, 2017 3:37 p.m. ET

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Nick Schwartz

Basketball fans and analysts have been arguing all season that Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook would be a deserving MVP should he finish the season averaging a triple-double - but after another ugly loss to the Golden State Warriors Monday night, Colin Cowherd argued that Westbrook's performances against playoff contenders should disqualify him from the race.

“He leads the NBA in shots, and his shooting percentage has gone down. There are six players on the Thunder that have a better shooting percentage. He won’t pass to them.

And what’s remarkable is last night’s another example. He’s not good on TV. He’s not good on the television games, because to get television you have to play good teams in the NBA.

So when he plays the Warriors - when he had Kevin Durant and they played the Warriors, they were fierce battles. Russell Westbrook against the Warriors this year is 0-4 with four blowout losses. And now this year he should be MVP? Now KD leaving is good for Westbrook? What are people watching?!

He’s on a non-title contender. Just tied for the 10th-best record. His lowest shooting percentage in years. They’re awful on the road. Won’t have a first-round home court advantage. This is good for him?

… He’s a delusional ballhog, and he’s bad on television games. He’s been on television 20 times this year, they’re four games under .500. And against .500-or-better teams, and those are the games that get on TV, he shoots 39 percent. Not on threes! He shoots 39 percent. LeBron’s close to 55 percent.

.... Shouldn’t his performances last night on television, he’s just not good, not be qualifying him but disqualifying him? It’s the story that’s not talked about. He seems to get more popular with every bad television performance."

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