Why Kristaps has a Westbrook like MVP Case

Written by Daniel Yurchenko

We all remember last year’s MVP narrative. Whether it was loyalty or history or clutch time performances and maybe most of all how he single handedly carried the Thunder last year. Well through eleven games Kristaps has close to single handedly carried the Knicks to a positive record. Much like last year when Westbrook averaged a career high in points and rebounds and matched his career high in assists, Kristaps is too.

You can attribute part of Kristap’s rise to Carmelo Anthony’s departure. Kristaps usage has jumped from 24.3 in 2016-17 to 35.7 this season. His PPG has risen to 30 from 18.1 last season. His rebounds have risen to 7.5 per game, and blocks per game to 2.3. But you can’t attribute all of his improvements to having the ball more. His FG% has improved drastically to 51% from 45% even though he’s experiencing tighter coverage than ever. His 3 point % is improved from 36% to 38%. Kristaps is ranked #5 in the last edition of the Kia MVP ladder and if he continues this superb season and the Knicks are still playing in late April, #1 isn’t that far away.