Thunder Lakers Summary

Best Player: Russell Westbrook (Individual +51). Nevermind that, for two series in a row, the best player in a Lakers series was the opposing point guard (can't blame it on Fisher's defense, either). 2 years ago, it was such a big deal that Kobe Bryant decided to guard Russell, it must have single-handedly swung the series that year... a series that would've gone seven if Pau hadn't tipped in a Bryant airball at the end of Game 6. Fast forward two years, and Westbrook has evolved into the kind of offensive force that cannot be shut down, only contained if his shot is falling. The "if" part of that sentence probably decides the Western Conference finals.

Worst Player: Pau Gasol (Individual -49). Just one year ago, I was staunchly defending the Spaniard, whose plus/minus numbers held up surprisingly well in the 4-0 loss to the Mavericks. That wasn't the case here. With Bynum and Bryant demanding virtually all low post touches, and with Ibaka waiting to send every gentle layup into the upper deck, Gasol had very little chance of positively impacting the series. Although, he did surprisingly little with the 2nd unit as its primary scorer. However, I think there's plenty left in the tank, and some other win-now contenders could easily fit him into their plans (Atlanta, trading Josh Smith or Miami, trading Chris Bosh).

Most Valuable Player: Andrew Bynum (Net +24). The heir apparent of the Lakers handled himself quite well, and aside from motoring down on occasion (and, honestly, what dominant center of the last 20 years didn't have his motor questioned at times), seems to be a very strong future as a franchise player ahead of him. Hard to argue that a roster centered around his talents won't do well for the next 5 years.

Least Valuable Player: Derek Fisher (Net -21). Other than looking a lot fresher in his spot duty relative to his starter days as a Laker, there's just not a lot to say here.

Jerome James Award: Jordan Hill. It's hard to believe that three years ago, the draft world thought more of Jordan Hill than Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday, and Ty Lawson. Now, while the other three have had the better careers to this point, has Jordan Hill had the opportunity to show his stuff? Not really. Hopefully, the 2012 playoffs showed GM's enough to give him a shot next year and beyond. But, let's be honest... playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum doesn't give us the best gauge of his game. Hopefully, his market value reflects that.