[druneave3Participant]

 Shot 6-21 and 6 turnovers first game. I have never been a fan of Westbrook and the Thunder will not win a championship with him as their second best player. #1, he is not a point guard. He does not make others around him better, makes terrible decisions, always forcing action, out of control, takes a lot of difficult shots, and doesn’t create for others. Chris Webber said it best when he said "he should focus on being the best point guard on the team, not the best player on the team." When you have KD on your team, having a shoot-first point guard who struggles shooting and can’t pass doesn’t make sense. Incredible athlete, good defender, but I just don’t think he has a good feel for the game of basketball. I also don’t like his mental approach as he is too negative, too emotional, and doesn’t take on the philosophy of "Next Play." 

When there were rumors of Boston wanting to move Rondo I said Thunder would be better off with Rondo than Westbrook, and should swap players. 

Perhaps Presti will make another bold move. 

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Only first game man, let’s see if your saying the same thing at the end of December.

[A Lil EnglishParticipant]

" #1, he is not a point guard."

"having a shoot-first point guard"

Other than the obvious contradiction you said a lot of stuff that’s been said before – damn near everytime he has a poor shooting night. Regardless he has still been succesful, hence him getting a big contract extension making all star teams and all nba teams etc.

Why will Presti suddenly make a bold move? Because he had another bad shooting night? Because people like you think the Thunder will never win a chip with him??

[druneave3Participant]

 Let me clarify if you’re going to be dumb and petty about it. "he is not a point guard." = He shouldn’t be playing the point guard position because I think he lacks the necessary decision making skills, a feel for the game to be a point guard, run an offense, and lead a team. "having a shoot-first point guard" makes him "not a point guard." 

Hey I’ll take Westbrook on my team but just not handling the ball a majority of the team, leading an offense, or being my point guard. You could get away with him being your off guard (besides his shooting), he’s got decent size, good strength, and incredible athletcism/leaping ability. I think he would make a great 6th man bringing energy and havoc off the bench, the reason I was shocked he went 4th overall, not having a true position. But I think he would be better for a team as a 2 guard rather than point. 

So it is not "just one game" to everybody that responded that. I have always thought that. 

[phila9012Participant]

 I think they are fine with him. They used eric maynor as a true point gaurd in the playoffs 2 years ago. Then westbrook can play some SG and they have a playmaker on the floor, just to mix it up. They need westbrook he is a great scorer and can make plays if he chooses, but not many players can score on their team so he is forced to do that. I love the agressiveness he plays with, it is ok to have one guy like that on  team.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Suit yourself, but remember that OKC does not get a lot of offense from people not named Durant or Westbrook. Russ had a very bad first game, I will say that, just am not one of those people who believes Rondo will solve all of the Thunder’s problems. As far as him looking off Kevin Durant, he does, I will say that it happens. Just know that Kevin Durant sometimes needs to show a tad more urgency in trying to move and get open. You play him physical and front him, he has a bit of trouble dealing with that. I can’t blame Russ on that last play where Leonard stole the ball.

Looking at it, actually, Perkins set a super weak 2nd screen, that really screwed Durant over. Nonetheless, Russell has his moments, but I feel he has been instrumental in the Thunder’s success. If you want to take about his attitude or his not being a pass first player, I am not sure Rondo has a much better attitude as a pass first player. Will he really thrive without having the weapons he has in Boston? He would have KD and Kevin Martin, but no post option to really speak of offensively. Yep, Kendrick Perkins has played with him, but I think KG helped him get his looks just as much as Rondo did.

Guess I am just kind of wondering the true effect Rondo would have as opposed to what Russell brings as a legitimate 2nd option. For as much $hit as people give Russ, he went for 27 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 6.6 apg in the Finals, he only had 2.2 turnovers per game. Rajon went for 20.9, 6.9 and 11.3 in the Boston-Miami 7 game series, though he did turn the ball over 3.9 times per game. To be fair, Rondo did shoot a higher percentage from the field, though he was of course Rondo from the line in about every game other than the amazing 44 point performance (which was a L, just like Russ’ 43 point game). They both kept their teams in the series, though, against a Miami team that was on a mission.

In the end, I just do not see a Rondo/Westbrook trade happening, nor am I sure that Rajon Rondo would make the Thunder a better team. Russell is turning 24 in a little over a week and I feel the Thunder were ahead of the curve if anything. Tony Parker is a tough match-up and it was one game. If Presti wanted to make a bold move, he would have traded Russ and kept James Harden. That way you at the very least have a second scorer who can also at times create for others. Getting rid of both Westbrook and Harden would be something that may lead to Kevin Durant questioning a re-up with OKC in a few years. I really am not so sure Rondo would make KD’s life easier. He would be averaging over 30 ppg, but that is not necessarily something that has been a constant for NBA teams. Abdul-Jabbar did it once, Michael Jordan did it 4 times, that is it. Think that OKC may want to look at certain other spots before flat out giving up on Westbrook entering season #5.

[druneave3Participant]

 I was so mad at KD for catching that ball so lackadaisical. And yea Perkins didn’t even set that screen, or the one before that for Westbrook. 

Yes Westbrook has been instrumental in the Thunder’s success because he is a great talent and amazing athlete, but because of the decision making and everything else I have stated I think KD and company would be even better with a real point and/or Westbrook in another role. 

[scoutguruParticipant]

Damn, he just had a bad game man. He’ll still be an all-star and contend for first team all nba. Yes, he could be better in certain areas of being a point guard, we all know that, but honestly its just something I don’t see changing in regards to his mentality at that position. And the way their team is constructed they need him to be aggressive and go out and score the way he does, even more so now without Harden and with K-Mart still adjusting and coming off the bench for the first time in like 7 years.

And I feel like KD is not suffering from a lack of shots, he’s the 3 time reigning scoring champion, I bet if Durant was taking those extra FGAs and launching those long 3s he settles for at times, people would complain how he’s taking bad shots and stuff; its like with some guys you just can’t win and make everyone happy no matter what.

[RObin PadillaParticipant]

Everyone are always blaming everything on westbrook when things go wrong. but when his team is dominating he doesn’t get enough credit. Listen his style of play is what got him this far in his career. I mean an All star and an olympian. His aggressive style of play is what makes him unique. I don’t think he will change that.

[SiggyParticipant]

 How about that Westbrook defense though?  His awareness is laughable.  He consistently makes off the ball mistakes, ball watches and makes crappy rotations. I never want to see him being mentioned as an elite PG defender ever again.

[druneave3Participant]

 I should have said he is a great on-ball defender with quick feet and active hands. The rest of it you are right on. 

[RObin PadillaParticipant]

I always been a fan or Russ and as well as my little brother 9 years old. Last year when they were doing these exhibition games (irvine at the time) drew vs goodman.. Russ wasnt playing me, dad, and my bro was sitting courtside next to russell westbrook he was literally 2 seats away from us. They gave us free Nike posters so we came up to Russ to get an autograph and maybe a picture. He literally blew us off. He was like "later man im watching the game." It was half time. Then about 2 minutes later a bunch of groupies (dime girls) and wanted a pic. Of course they got the pic with him and even exchange #. lol.. Ever since I was never a fan. My little brother loved that a guy. He was so excited, but was turned down.. smh…

but at the end my brother atleast had something to be excited about got an auto by KD, Ariza, Jennings, Williams..

[Anton123Participant]

It’s not really that he had a bad game, is it?

I’ve been waiting for 4 years now for this guy to grow a brain

I’m sorry, but the guy can be very good defenisvely, he is a magnificent athlete, terrific rebounder, very good midrange shooter, can pass well and steals the ball.

But the way he plays basketball is painful to watch, he dribbles for 20 seconds while his teammates run by him waiting for a pass, then he chucks up a three. It’s like he’s some slow kid who’s decided to do something half a minute ago and just wants to do it now.

I blame 50% of this on Brooks. First of all, I hate his offensive schemes, they are sh-it. Then he should’ve told Westbrook to pass the ball and seat him down when he didn’t.

[iguapops420Participant]

 Westrbook is the teams best player IMO. KD may be the guy you give to score from begining to end, but Russell is the best "player". If he has a bad game, they usually lose, if KD has a bad game, they can still usually win thanks to Russ’s take over ability. Hate him or love him, he is  who he is, and if you don’t want an MVP caliber player as your #2 who is actually cool being 2nd best because he and your top player are BFF’s, then you’re just spoiled as a basketball fan and looking to find the negative in what Russ brings.

[druneave3Participant]

 You didn’t just say that did you? Russell Westbrook is better than KEVIN DURANT? 

[lalailaParticipant]

yes he had a bad game but that last play has to be on Durant for sure, even Barkley said that..Durant was just standing and waiting for ball to come 

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Guys, he is a career 43% shooter. Everyone has a bad game now and then and guys who don’t shoot that well and take a lot of shots, when they have a bad game, it is a really really bad game. But really this is nothing we haven’t seen time and time again. Westbrook lays an egg like this almost once a week, certainly once every two weeks. Maybe the 6 turnovers is a particularly bad, but shooting 6 for 21 isn’t anything special for him. He normaly shoots 19 times a game, so nothing strange about 21 shots. And he normally hits about 43%, so you might expect him to go about 9 for 21 on a normal day. So he had a couple of extra misses from normal. He hit the boards hard (8) and got his normal mediocre assists (5). Nothing particularly special. 

Westbrook will have better games. Just like Harden isn’t going to drop 30+ and 10+ assists every night. It will normal out. 

But at the end of this season some people might change their mind about who is better Harden or Westbrook. I’m not saying this is going one way or another, but we shall be better able to compare them once they aren’t playing together. 

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

 hes tries to do to much at times… tony parker is like his kryponite 

[3–6 mafia]

just cus i know now people is high on harden right now, and low on westbrook… all because of one game…..

Who’s better? 

[RObin PadillaParticipant]

In the words of Charles Barkley "You can’t just stand there like your going to prom"

[3–6 mafia]

 charles barkley was ‘spot on’ on westbrook last night. 

 

[NickWayne87Participant]

 westbrook ending the game taking more shots than durant is something that SHOULD NOT HAPPEN EVER! and it happens almost every game.

[3–6 mafia]

i don’t have much problem with that given the situation. they will both be taking about 20-22 attempts this year.

the problem wasn’t the amount of shots, he wasn’t trying to search for good looks like he usually does and was literally "missing open shooters" like barkley said

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

I hope you aren’t just realizing that now. He takes about the same number of shots as Durrant, but he hits about 10% less of them. But he is a max contract player and Harden gets shown the door. Smooth move Presti. 

[joecheck88Participant]

 I don’t mind the bad game by Westbrook nor am I concerned with it. That being said, he was a horrible teammate last night. He had possibly the worst body language I have ever seen. Wouldn’t high five his teammates, wouldn’t let them help him up and was just plain awful as a member of the team. OKC need Westbrook to produce but more so they need him to lead and he was a sever disappointment last night.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Russell Westbrook:

32pts

6ast

5boards

1TO

Singing the same tune tonight? Nah, didn’t think so.

[Author]

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