Can Russell Westbrook Sustain these Numbers all Season?
After Monday night’s game against the Knicks, Russell Westbrook officially is averaging a triple-double. This hasn’t been done since Oscar Robertson (and he completed the task).
Russell Westbrook is fascinating. As a Thunder fan since the first season, I can attest to that fact. But so could a casual fan watching him play for the first time.
Since Russ made it official, all the talk in the NBA-sphere has been whether or not he can sustain these ridiculous numbers. So I figured I’d jump into the conversation.
The short answer is this: yes he will.
I should preface this by saying I’m not the biggest Russell Westbrook fan in the world. Kevin Durant was my guy since his college days, and I honestly couldn’t stand Russ at some points. He still irks me to this day (but at a significantly less rate).
Nov 20, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) is fouled by Indiana Pacers center Al Jefferson (7) while purused by Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Westbrook’s greatest attribute is his motor. The man doesn’t quit. And he never shows weakness. Take last night for example. Russ sat down to talk with Leslie McCaslin after the game. He was DRENCHED in sweat, having just put up a monstrous statline…and he wasn’t even breathing heavy.
Notions that Russ doesn’t have the energy to continue this is ridiculous. This is the same guy who never missed a high school, college or professional game until Patrick Beverley took matters into his own hands. This is the same guy who has said he plays every game like it’s his last. So the idea that he’s going to slow down is crazy.
The other major concern is that the Thunder bring in another player to help take the load off his back. However, I think a Rudy Gay-type would only help Westbrook in the long-run. Bringing in another scorer would create more spacing for Russ to work; his assist numbers (which aren’t the concern) would even rise.
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More importantly, adding another scoring threat would take loads off of Westbrook’s shoulders. He is the Oklahoma City offense right now. His 40% usage rating is the highest in the NBA. Out of the other 60% of possessions, Westbrook assists on approximately 55% of plays. That means Russ has a direct impact on over 70% of Thunder possessions when he’s on the court.
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By adding another piece, Westbrook would be able to put more energy into the defensive end and rebounding. Westbrook’s defensive rebounding rate is so high because Thunder bigs allow him to grab a few boards in able to get out in transition.
And finally, the main reason why Russ will end this season with a triple-double. There’s a reason why nobody has done this since the last guy to average a trip-dub. This doesn’t happen.
I didn’t think that Russ was actually capable of this going into the season. But we’re almost a quarter of the way into the season as I write this. And Russ is only getting stronger. He’s had five triple-doubles in the last seven games.
Okay I lied. I have one more reason why Russell Westbrook will average a triple-double this season.
Russell Westbrook is not from this planet.
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