I know a couple of seasons ago, we had an OKC Thunder thread and there were a number of guys on the board who were definitely not big fans of Russell Westbrook. There was a lot of talk about his turnovers, his seeming out-of-control play and poor shot selection, especially late in tight games - and to be fair, those were some valid concerns.
But with the departure of Durant, the Thunder have obviously had to lean almost 100% on Russ. This season, he has flourished, for sure. He still has his off games, still has times when he has streaky efficiency, etc.
But damn... you just can't argue what he's done. Let's face it, without Russell this year, OKC would probably be in the same league with the Pelicans or the Nets. He's one triple-double away from tying Wilt the Stilt for 2nd-most ever in an NBA season, and is on a pace to make a legitimate run for Oscar Robertson's record of 41 triple-doubles in a single season. He's averaging a triple-double, which is insane. Also, a feat only accomplished by The Big O.
He's had more triple-double streaks of 4 games in a row than all other players COMBINED in the previous 40 years. Michael and Magic each did it once. He and James Harden each have 5 40-point triple-doubles this year - another stat only accomplished by Oscar Robertson.
Leading the league in scoring - almost two full points ahead of the next contender, Isaiah Thomas.
12th in the league in rebounding - the only guard behind all power forwards and centers until you get to Harden at 23rd. And everyone ahead of him is 6'8" or taller, I believe.
3rd in the NBA in assists (Harden leads by an average of 1 per game over Russ)
I think he's a legitimate contender for MVP. Not only is he leading the league, I think he is truly more valuable and more indispensable to his team than any other player. Without him, we'd be dead in the water.
I know this is all common knowledge stuff, I'm just amazed at what he does, and the energy he plays with is staggering. Love him or hate him, the guy isn't the Energizer Bunny, he's the damn Tasmanian Devil - with all the good and bad that can go with that.
So my specific question isn't for the guys who've always believed in him, but really for the guys who DON'T like him, or DIDN'T like him. What do you think now? Has your opinion changed with his success, or do you think there are any number of players in the NBA who could have flourished this way if they were placed in the same position - i.e., losing someone like Durant and having a team essentially built around you and you alone?
Share your feelings! Vent! Rant! Complain! Or whatever you want to do... I love NBA basketball, and having a team in OKC to get behind has been great for me. I spend too much time at work, my schedule is too chaotic, so I like having something like this I can look forward to on my occasional days off - sitting back with a nice whisky and watching and rooting for the Thunder.
What do you guys think?
But with the departure of Durant, the Thunder have obviously had to lean almost 100% on Russ. This season, he has flourished, for sure. He still has his off games, still has times when he has streaky efficiency, etc.
But damn... you just can't argue what he's done. Let's face it, without Russell this year, OKC would probably be in the same league with the Pelicans or the Nets. He's one triple-double away from tying Wilt the Stilt for 2nd-most ever in an NBA season, and is on a pace to make a legitimate run for Oscar Robertson's record of 41 triple-doubles in a single season. He's averaging a triple-double, which is insane. Also, a feat only accomplished by The Big O.
He's had more triple-double streaks of 4 games in a row than all other players COMBINED in the previous 40 years. Michael and Magic each did it once. He and James Harden each have 5 40-point triple-doubles this year - another stat only accomplished by Oscar Robertson.
Leading the league in scoring - almost two full points ahead of the next contender, Isaiah Thomas.
12th in the league in rebounding - the only guard behind all power forwards and centers until you get to Harden at 23rd. And everyone ahead of him is 6'8" or taller, I believe.
3rd in the NBA in assists (Harden leads by an average of 1 per game over Russ)
I think he's a legitimate contender for MVP. Not only is he leading the league, I think he is truly more valuable and more indispensable to his team than any other player. Without him, we'd be dead in the water.
I know this is all common knowledge stuff, I'm just amazed at what he does, and the energy he plays with is staggering. Love him or hate him, the guy isn't the Energizer Bunny, he's the damn Tasmanian Devil - with all the good and bad that can go with that.
So my specific question isn't for the guys who've always believed in him, but really for the guys who DON'T like him, or DIDN'T like him. What do you think now? Has your opinion changed with his success, or do you think there are any number of players in the NBA who could have flourished this way if they were placed in the same position - i.e., losing someone like Durant and having a team essentially built around you and you alone?
Share your feelings! Vent! Rant! Complain! Or whatever you want to do... I love NBA basketball, and having a team in OKC to get behind has been great for me. I spend too much time at work, my schedule is too chaotic, so I like having something like this I can look forward to on my occasional days off - sitting back with a nice whisky and watching and rooting for the Thunder.
What do you guys think?
