Isaiah Thomas Says He Would Have Been NBA MVP In 2017 If Russell Westbrook Didn't Average A Triple Double

• Isaiah Thomas had an incredible season in 2016-17, averaging 28.9 points per game for the Boston Celtics

• Russell Westbrook won MVP that season after he averaged a triple-double for the whole year

• Isaiah Thomas thinks he would have been named MVP if not for the narrative around Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double

Russell Westbrook was the MVP during the 2016-17 season after Kevin Durant left OKC to join the Golden State Warriors. He averaged a triple-double, making history in the process, and became a deserving winner. 

There was another player whose amazing season that year gets forgotten at times. Isaiah Thomas, who had an incredible 2016-17 sometimes gets left out in these conversations, and he thinks he could have won MVP. 

“In that season like, all respect to Westbrook too. If he didn’t average a triple-double, I probably would have gotten MVP,” Thomas said. 

"He was the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson. My team was No. 2 in the league, I averaged 29 at 5’9. 

"Like, that ranks, to me, no other small dude does it. Except AI. You know what it was? I just figured it out. I knew next year I was going to average 34. Like, I knew if I didn’t get injured, I was gonna do it. I knew.”

View the original article to see embedded media.

Isaiah Thomas' amazing season in 2016-17 also brought team success. The Boston Celtics were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and had the 4th best record in the entire NBA. He has a point when he says he could have been named MVP. 

---

MVP Voting Numbers From The 2016-17 Season Tell A Different Story

Isaiah Thomas averaged 28.9 points per game that season to go along with 2.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. He had every case to be considered for the MVP award especially considering that he was doing this despite only being 5'9. 

However, the voting stats from the 2016-17 season tell an entirely different story. Russell Westbrook won MVP with 888 total points, and while Isaiah Thomas was in the Top 5, he came in 5th. 

James Harden and Kawhi Leonard were No. 2 and No. 3 that season respectively in the MVP voting numbers, and LeBron James was right behind them in No. 4. In fact, Isaiah amassed a total of just 81 points, 252 points behind LeBron James in 4th place. 

Looking at these numbers, it's easy to understand why Isaiah Thomas may feel a little overlooked. That season was his peak, a hip injury that he never properly recovered from followed and he never averaged more than 15 points per game again. 

He should have received more love for the MVP award that season than he ended up getting. 

---

Isaiah Thomas Is Still Trying To Make An NBA Comeback

Isaiah Thomas has one of the saddest stories in the modern NBA. His injury wasn't quite understood to be as serious as it was and he played through the pain, which made it worse. 

After that, he never recovered and didn't get the contract his play deserved. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and played for six further NBA teams for brief stints before eventually going out of the league. 

Isaiah Thomas is still keen on making an NBA comeback, but at the age of 34, that seems unlikelier than ever. One of the unluckiest players in history, he will always be the MVP of the 2016-17 season for Boston Celtics fans, if no one else. 

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.