Who is the Thunder's best player in WB's absence? Oladipo? Taj Gibson?
The Thunder are a poorly constructed team.
Answer: Steven Adams
Are they "poorly constructed"? Or are they actually quite well constructed?
I would argue they are built pretty much in an ideal fashion to play the way they've played this year, which is to let Westbrook do whatever he wants while the players around him defend their butts off and rebound all the misses.
Steven Adams - by point of reference, averages 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. He is about as good as Greg Monroe. And neither Adams nor Monroe are leading anyone to the playoffs.
I think you can make the argument that they were constructed for his benefit - but were they? Seems like they are lacking a small forward (KNOW WHAT I MEAN?). After Durant left, they signed Enes Kanter. Not exactly a comparable replacement. Did the Taj Gibson trade really put them over the top [?].
I think WB has done his best with the flotsam that was left after Durant's departure.
That said - accepting your premise as true. ...isn't it also true that no player is more valuable to his team than WB is to the Thunder? I don't give an F about the triple double season. I just think he is irreplaceable, as far as what he brings to their team. K. Leonard is awesome, no doubt. ...but he's playing with Danny Green, Aldridge, Gasol, Parker, Ginobli - a core of professionals who make his life easier.
While there is no doubt that Nazr Mohammed is a professional - I don't think he has the same skill set he had, oh, I don't know 2005/2006 when he was playing for the Spurs. Mohammed came into the league in 1998.
I think the only other real contender for MVP is Harden - so answer me this: who would be worse without their respective MVP Candidate: the Rockets? or the Thunder? I think if your answer is the Thunder, WB is the MVP. (Anderson and Trevor Ariza are, 11th and 14th on the present 3Pfg% chart for all players). Eric Gordon, his other teammate - is 4th, tied with IT.