The Oklahoma City Thunder had no right to make such a dramatic push for the 2015 NBA Playoffs, especially with franchise superstar Kevin Durant sidelined with injury. They didn't quite make it in the end, but their freakishly unlikely effort can be attributed to the willpower of a similarly freakish player - Russell Westbrook. The point guard took Durant's absence as a challenge, and averaged more points than any other player in 2014/15. No other guard in the league drives to the rim quite as powerfully as Russ, and few play with the same level of consistent intensity. He's also one of the best rebounding guards in the league, averaging a career high of 7.3 last season. Westbrook's dominance can be summed up by his fourth place finish in the MVP race, an impressive feat considering the fact that every other player in the top five was a member of a playoff-reaching team.
