The Oklahoma City Thunder are the first team since the 1993-1994 Bulls to make the playoffs after losing a former MVP and scoring champion in the off-season.
Kevin Durant leaving for Golden State made many believe that the Thunder would not make the playoffs.
They made the playoffs and were one of the better teams in the Western Conference this season.
The Jordan-less Bulls(55–27) made the Eastern Conference Finals before a meltdown against the Knicks. For 23 years, teams struggled after losing an MVP player.
The Thunder accomplished what the Orlando Magic (w/Penny Hardaway), Los Angeles Lakers (w/Kobe Bryant), and Cleveland Cavaliers (w/Kyrie Irving) could not; consistently win after losing a franchise player.
The Spurs defeated a team on the road in an elimination game without their franchise player. Fellow MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard sprained his ankle in game 5 and sat for the Spurs rout of the Rockets in Game 6.
Harden and Westbrook playing on less talented teams than Leonard does not change how great both were this season.
Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double (31.4/10.5/10.4). Westbrook is the first player to do so in 56 years.
Harden was not far behind averaging close to a triple-double (29.3/8.0/11.4).
The Rockets getting crushed by the Spurs with James Harden scoring just 10 points cemented Russell Westbrook as league MVP.
