You're thinking too much

We already overthink things in sports.

Sports bars and television networks thrive and exist on our overthinking.

Who is the best player of all time? What is the best way to play the game? Is offense or defense more important?

There’s a new debate circling the sports world, one that we have every year: Who is the NBA MVP?

Normally, that’s a very good question. How do you assign value? Does that mean the player that does the most to help his team win? Or, does it mean the player that has had the best individual season?

Sometimes that’s the same thing. LeBron James has had many of those seasons in his decade-long run as the best player in the world. Last year, Stephen Curry had an unreal statistical season while leading his team to the best regular season record in history.

Most years, it’s a debate between one or two players that are often equally valuable and worthy of the award.

It’s a debate so ingrained that sometimes we look to have the debate even when the answer is very, very obvious.

Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double this season.

He leads the league in scoring, is third in assists and just outside the top 10 in rebounds. It’s a feat that was though impossible in the modern age, with more height, more athleticism and more sophisticated defenses in the league.

Without prospective those statistics are impressive. They’re even more impressive when you look into the numbers.

Westbrook is 6-foot-3. He’d be the first player of his height or shorter to average 10 rebounds a game.

He’s entering Wednesday averaging 31.6 points with five games to play. He’s the first player at his height to average that many points since Allen Iverson 11 years ago.

And he’s averaging 10.4 assists per game, which as a point guard, is something that’s more expected.

All of those things in the same season, the first to average a triple-double for the entire year since Oscar Robertson did so for the Cincinnati Royals in 1962.

And there’s still people looking for reasons not to give Westbrook the MVP.

There are other players having good seasons. Houston’s James Harden has led the league in 40-point triple-doubles this season and his team has a better record in the Western Conference.

But, he’s not averaging a triple-double.

James is still the best player in the world and is having one of his best statistical seasons in years.

But, he’s not averaging a triple-double.

San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard is one of the best defenders in the league and is averaging career highs in points. Boston’s Isaiah Thomas is transcending his height to lead the Celtics to the top of the East.

Neither is averaging a triple-double.

There’s a rhythm to these things. People want to argue.

It’s usually good.

In this case it’s a waste of time.