[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

This is a great site, but there’s one annoying thing about it that I can’t stand… The users are so quick to jump on a player when he isn’t playing well, but then give him no praise when he is. Too much flip flopping and going back and forth.

During the first handfull of games, I read Westbrook was overrated, regressing, a poor teammate, blah, blah, blah. That he’s not a top five point guard. That he needed to be traded… That OKC shouldn’t extend him. I think some people forget that he just started playing point guard his rookie season.

However, he’s really turned it on. During the last five games, he’s putting up 25.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.2 asssists… 52.1 FG%, 42.9 3PT% and 82.8 FT%. He’s played great the entire month of Jan… His points, FG%, FT attempts and assists have all gone UP and his turnovers have gone DOWN. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists. 49.3 FG% and only 2.6 turnovers per game for the month. He’s showing improved decision making and shot selection. He’s figuring out when to attack and when to defer.

The Thunder have the second best record in basketball and Westbrook is playing a HUGE role in that. Let’s give him some credit. As of right now, there are only two point guards I’d take ahead of him *going forward* and they are Chris Paul and Derrick Rose.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

 The biggest concern has to be his attitude, but the talent is undeniable. I don’t think he’s far behind Chris Paul as the #2 PG in the league, especially if you factor in the health concerns.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

And I don’t think his attitude is a character concern or anything like that. I think it’s more about just being in the heat of the moment and wanting to win.

All I’ve ever read and heard was that he was a great teammate on and off of the court.

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

Probably the most annoying topic: “Is Westbrook an elite PG?”

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

There’s always a concern when you have two "alpha dogs" that neither one is ever going to learn to defer for the benefit of the team. For whatever reason, it sure seems like people worry far more about Westbrook than they do about Durant.

I think you also are starting to see an All Star-caliber scorer coming off the bench for the Thunder in Harden, which could make the situation even more interesting.

[river09Participant]

Westbrook is without a doubt a elite PG in the league. That said I have never been a fan of scoring PG’s, it’s just personal preference, which is why I might go with a player like Rondo instead… Incidentally is Harden a tradeable player for OKC, they do already have two pretty solid (understatement) ball dependent players? they would be able to get great value for him.. 

[fastdanParticipant]

Harden plays a lot of his minutes with only one or neither of WB or KD on the floor, and it allows him to dominate the ball. He’s an excellent, unselfish teamate, and I don’t think his touches or minutes will ever be an issue. People give Scott Brooks a lot of crap for not starting Harden, but bringing him off the beach keeps his two superstars happy with all the touches they need, and still gives Harden plenty of time to shine when those guys are resting up.

[PurpleMonkeyDishwasherParticipant]

The ESPN/ESPNet generation receives their info from either sports center or their web site failing to develope an oppinion based on watching how a player actually plays.  A guy has to make the "top 10 play" or they aren’t any good.  If a player speaks their mind or is shown on the news that they care enough about winning to disagree with another team member or coach they take it to mean that the player is the next "Marbury" and needs/wants to be traded to the Knicks. 

Every player needs to be able to speak their own mind in a team environment or growth is stunted and there is a limit to how good that team can be.

[Knicksboy42Participant]

 I agree, I always support Westbrook. People forget, he played 10 GAMES as a point guard in college. He’s still learning on the fly in a sense. I think he can finish this season with 20-5-8 this season, and be one of the top defensive PG’s in the league. 

 

As for the moving forward part? I’d argue Jrue Holiday too. He’s up there for me.

[Knicksboy42Participant]

 I agree, I always support Westbrook. People forget, he played 10 GAMES as a point guard in college. He’s still learning on the fly in a sense. I think he can finish this season with 20-5-8 this season, and be one of the top defensive PG’s in the league. 

 

As for the moving forward part? I’d argue Jrue Holiday too. He’s up there for me.

[Michael.S.Participant]

He is not the number 2 pg on this planet. He’s an all-star but he is very innefficient, and thinks he’s the number one guy. which he is not. Those shooting percentages are not going to hold up.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

Very inefficient? As supported by his high Player Efficiency Rating? 

[Michael.S.Participant]

Inefficient as in monstrous turnover numbers, 5-22 shoooting games, large shooting slupms in which he shoots 10 shots in a row to try and get out of. Lets see what his PER is at seasons end.

[Maniac MaciejParticipant]

We’ll wait and see at the end of the season…but last season he was 8th in the league in PER, if that counts for anything. 

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

I still think if Deron Williams had a healthy Brook Lopez, he would not be as quickly forgotten as he has. He’s playing basically with Less talent when he was with Jazz, I still have Deron Williams as 2nd best PG (behind CP3).

[Michael.S.Participant]

He would be a better player if he stopped trying to be a better player than Durant.

[bloodshyParticipant]

Rose, DWill, CP3, Nash, Westbrook are my top five in that order.  Yes, Nash is wicked old.  But he’s still playing w/the best of them–an amazing player even now.  I think Westbrook has Rose-like potential if he were not playing next to one of the top four players on the planet.  He’s in a position where he has to defer when his instincts and skill set make him more of a lead dog.  I definitely think Durant/Westbrook can be successful together long-term, but it might never be the ideal scenario for either player.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@JamminLemon

 

You’d be surprised who leads the Thunder in turnovers… It’s actually not Russell Westbrook. It’s Kevin Durant.

 

Another great game by Westbrook last night versus the Warriors. The Thunder as a team got sloppy at times, but Westbrook did it at both ends. He almost had a quadruple double. 

 

Defensively, he was a monster. He took turns shutting down Ellis and Curry.

 

 

[aamir543Participant]

For the last frickin time, Westbrook does NOT have a toxic attitude or selfish deneamor. He is simply a guy who wants to take and make shots, and that may come off to some as being a ball hog, but how do you just assume that guys don’t like to play with him, and that he is a cancer and all that stuff.

You guys just need to play close attention, and you’ll swee that at worst he is poor decision maker, and maybe wants to be the hero  more often than not, but the fact of the matter is that he will be a top 3 PG in the league for a very long time, and his tandem with KD will produce many wins and hopefully championships.

Those of you that said "Westbrook needs to be traded ASAP" are now acting like you were supporting him the whole time.

My question is, why would you EVER trade a 22 year old PG coming off a 22, 8 and 5 season, and expecially if he gets along with your star player. Durant and Westbrook complement each other perfectly, and about the subject of Westbrook’s decision making, he should be taking some shots in crunch time, he should try to defer to Durant a bit more, but in all of those late game situations, you see Westbrook making his move and getting to his midrange shot for a decent jumper. Most of the time it falls, and it is a pretty good shot considering that teams probably gameplan to stop Westbrook, but we tear him for taking them when he misses them.

Shot selection is not his problem, when he shoots he takes good high percentage shots, or get open jumpers, the problem is when to shoot and when not to, and as Indiana Basketball stated, he is starting to pick those clues up, and the Thunder look to be headed for another season ending in late-May or June.

 

 

[GrandmamaParticipant]

100% agree with you Indiana.  One or two bad games and there are some people on here who drastically overreact.  There was one post not too long ago saying Wall was one of the worst players in the league b/c he started out slow.

[Future_Scout]

 it really depends on what team but rondo is top 5

[Game760Participant]

However, he’s really turned it on. During the last five games, he’s putting up 25.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.2 asssists… 52.1 FG%, 42.9 3PT% and 82.8 FT%. He’s played great the entire month of Jan… His points, FG%, FT attempts and assists have all gone UP and his turnovers have gone DOWN. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists. 49.3 FG% and only 2.6 turnovers per game for the month. He’s showing improved decision making and shot selection. He’s figuring out when to attack and when to defer.

What…… those are some nice SG numbers ….funny how people seriously think he’s in CP3/Rose category …They pass the ball and get Dimes..Westbrooks numbers look like what Kobe/Wades numbers would look like if yet were having bad years,and their not labeled PGs
He needs to be take the next step like DRose and know when it’s time to score and when it’s time to pass

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@Game760

I don’t think anybody has tried to put Russell Westbrook in Chris Paul’s category as a pure point guard. Derrick Rose really isn’t in Paul’s category as a pure point guard either.

Westbrook did average 8 assists during his second season and 8.2 assists during his third season though. Those are both higher than the career high of 7.9 Rose is averaging now.

During the last five games, Westbrook is averaging 7 assists per game. I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of the season, he’s averaging in between 7-8 assists. Both Harden and Durant are handling the ball more this year though.

[joecheck88Participant]

 He is a great player on a great team. Ranking top 5 Pgs isn’t doing any good in this topic. His assist number aren’t going to be great because Durant and harden handle the ball a lot. Westbrook looks to score more often than most Pgs because the thunder need his scoring. They have 3 scorers. He finds teammates enough of the time. Again he is a vital part of this teams success and if there was a problem with his game the coaches and Durant would let him know.

[Author]

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