He's like Kobe..great talent, lousy teammate. Guy went for a scoring title in the allstar game for no apparent reason. We'll see how many seasons he can keep this up.
Westbrook is weird. I think he's amazing when he's on but when he's off he is a negative on the court. It's great to see a boxscore that says 20, or 30+ points...but not on like 10/35 shooting lol (bad math) so no I think babyfaced Curry is the MVP with Kerr COY. Story is just great.
I've got to give COY to Budenholzer (sp) in Atlanta...he did it with no superstars on the roster at all after Ferry was fired. To me the Hawks story is the most impressive considering where they came from and how they did it
Bud is a good story as well. Treadmill team took the next step under his wing. He is also a a product of Pop that pussy-of-vich. Would make sense giving him the COY.
Where did I hate on his skills? I said he has the ability to make his teammates better, but, more often than not, chooses not to. I also said that OKC is scary good when Westbrook reigns in his ego and uses his unique physical talents to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. I also consider decision making a skill - a VERY important one, especially with the game on the line. In those situations, knowing what to do is every bit as important as having great physical skills. That's where Westbrook comes up far short of being a legitimate MVP candidate. He has GREAT physical tools, but is a HORRIBLE decision maker. The whole LVP thing was a bit tongue in cheek, however, there is a very distinct correlation between how much Westbrook tries to take over the game vs. his team's chances of winning (1-5 won:loss record when he attempts 30+ FG and 1-6 when he scores 38+ points). The closer the game, the bigger the stage, the more likely Westbrook is to resort to hero ball and cost his team the win. That's not hating on him, it's an easily verifiable fact. BNM
Is there a site where I can figure this out without going through the game logs one by one? Of course I know that OKC won this last game without both Westbrook and Durant. Talking more of games earlier this year.
But is it really hate if it's true? I notice you didn't bother to even attempt to refute one single point I made. Oh well, facts are facts. Here's another fact for you... Russel Westbrook currently has a USG% of 38.00 - the third highest USG% in the history of the league. Here's the top 3 all-time single season leaders in USG% Kobe Bryant, 2005-06: USG% = 38.74 PPG = 35.4 Michael Jordan, 1986-87: USG% = 38.29 PPG = 37.1 Russell Westbrook, 2014-15 USG% = 38.00 PPG = 26.5 That's a HUGE drop off in scoring for a guy who is using up possessions at the third highest rate in league history. If Westbrook keeps up his high USG%, it will be the first time in league history that a player has used 38% of his team's possessions and failed to average at least 35 PPG - and he's not even close. It's almost mind boggling that someone's USG% can be that high, but their scoring average can be that low, until you look at the factors used to calculate USG% (FGA, FTA and TOV). Westbrook has a very high number of FGA, which he makes at a low percentage, and a lot of TOVs. A USG% of 38 with a scoring average of 26.5 PPG is a very inefficient use of your teams possessions. And, if you go back and look at those Bulls and Lakers rosters, it will become very, very clear why MJ and Kobe were using up so many possessions. Kobe's highest scoring teammates that year were: Lamar Odom - 14.8 PPG Smush Parker - 11.5 PPG Chris Mihm - 10.2 PPG No one else on that team averaged more than 8 PPG and those were career highs for Parker and Mihm. Parker and Mihm actually had career years playing next to high USG% Kobe. In MJ's case, his highest scoring teammates were: Charles Oakley - 14.5 PPG John Paxson - 11.3 PPG Gene Banks - 9.7 PPG No one else on that team averaged more than 9 PPG. That was a career high scoring average for Paxson, and nearly so for Oakley (career high 14.6 PPG). Compare that to Westbrook's current teammates: Kevin Durant - 25.4 PPG Enes Kanter - 15.8 PPG Serge Ibaka - 14.2 PPG Dion Waiters - 11.1 PPG D.J. Augustin - 10.0 PPG Anthony Morrow - 9.4 PPG Even if you exclude 4-time NBA scoring champion and reigning MVP Kevin Durant, it's clear Westbrook is surrounded by teammates who are more capable scorers than Kobe and MJ were in their record setting USG% seasons. The fact remains the same, Russell Westbrook's selfish hero ball style of play steals shots from his more efficient scoring teammates and hurts his teams chances of winning - especially when Durant is playing. It's true Durant has missed over half of OKC's games (but has played in 27 of Westbrook's 45 games this season, exactly 60% of Westbrook's games). And again, this is not an isolated occurrence. Westbrook's USG% is also ridiculously high during the playoffs, even though Durant has never missed a playoff game Westbrook has played in. Last year, Kevin Durant was the regular season MVP and led the league in scoring, for the 4th time, at 32.0 PPG. Here's Durant's and Westbrook's stats for the 2013-14 season: Kevin Durant: 32.0 PPG .503 FG% .391 3FG% .873 FT% Russell Westbrook: 21.8 PPG .437 FG% .318 3FG% .826 FT% Durant is CLEARLY a much more capable, more efficient scorer than Westbrook, yet here are their post season USG% stats: Kevin Durant: USG% = 31.6 Russell Westbrook: USG% = 34.3 So why, is your PG using up more of your team's possessions than the league's MVP and leading scorer? Simple: hero ball. Again, FGA, FTA and TOV are the three components used to calculate USG%. Westbrook takes, and misses, way to many FGs and turns the ball over excessively. Once again, OKC would be a far more dangerous team if Westbrook would reign in his own ego for the good of the team and share the ball with Durant (and his other teammates) more. But, that will never happen. Again, this is not an isolated incident. It's part of an ongoing pattern that goes all the way back to Westbrook's second post season - the 2011 playoffs (Westbrook USG% = 34.4, league leading scorer Durant's USG% = 29.0). Yes, Westbrook is a very talented player who always plays hard. The problem is, he also plays stupid and it hurts his team. The bigger the stage, the higher the stakes, the closer the game, the more likely Westbrook goes into hero ball mode and costs is team the win. In Westbrook's case, I don't think it should be called hero ball, it should be called zero ball, as his field goal attempts increase, his team's chances of winning approach zero. BNM
They mentioned it during the OKC-LAL game broadcast, OKC was 4-10 (now 5-10) in games both Durant and Westbrook missed. BNM
BTW, I have a theory that Westbrook's FGA and USG% go up considerably when the game is on national TV. The bigger the audience the more overwhelming his desire to play the hero. Both of his last two games (vs. PHO and POR) were on national TV and Westbrook jacked up 38 and 32 shots in those two losses. His USG% has also always gone up considerably in the playoffs - which are nationally televised. I don't have the patience, nor the desire, to go back through all his games and calculate his FGA and USG% for nationally televised games versus those shown only on the local Cow Town stations after the evening farm report, but I'd be really surprised if both his FGA and USG% weren't considerably higher for games televised nationally than those carried locally. BNM
I've used these EXACT same arguments about LaMarcus Aldridge, and find it ironic that some people here who have been pissed off by that are agreeing with this.
No, you haven't used the EXACT same arguments about LaMarcus Aldridge, not even close. So, please stop polluting this thread with your lies. The fact that you actually believe the EXACT same arguments are true about Aldridge just further illustrates how blinded you are by your hatred of our best player. Just a FEW of the EXACT arguments I presented against Westbrook: He has taken 30+ shots six times this season and the Thunder are 1-5 in those 6 games. LaMarcus Aldridge has taken 30+ shots three times in his entire nine year NBA career. The Blazers are 2-1 in those 3 games (3-1 if you count Game 1 of the Rockets series when Aldridge scored 46 points on 17-31 shooting). When Westbrook takes 30+ shots, his team loses. When Aldridge takes 30+ shots, his team wins. Westbrook missed 26 shots in the PHO. Aldridge has never missed 20 shots is a game in his entire career. Westbrook consistently freezes out the 4-time NBA scoring champ and reigning MVP in the 4th quarter of close games, especially in the playoffs. Where to begin. First, Aldridge doesn't have a 4-time scoring champ and former MVP as a teammate. Second, Aldridge doesn't initiate the offense, so he can't possibly freeze out his teammates the way Westbrook does. Westbrook is on pace to have the 3rd highest USG% in the history of the league. Aldridge is on pace to tie for the 183rd highest USG% in league history. Westbrook scores 26.5 PPG on USG% = 38.0. No other player who has had a USG% => 38.0 has averaged less than 35 PPG. Aldridge scores 23.3 PPG on USG% = 30.0. The history of the league is FULL of players that have had USG% > 30.0 and PPG less than Aldridge's 23.3. In fact, there are many, many instances of USG% >30 and PPG <20. Westbrook's USG% is historically high and his USG%/PPG is historically low. Aldridge's are nothing of the sort. His USG%, the highest of his career, and his USG%/PPG are both very typical for a team's leading scorer. I could go on and on (things like OKC is 10-12 when Westbrook has 20+ FGA and the Blazers are 19-9 when Aldridge has 20+ FGA - when Westbrook takes 20+ shots, his team loses, when Aldridge takes 20+ shots, his team wins.), etc., but why bother. You won't listen. You're mind is made up. BNM
Your pants are down. Your whole argument centers around points per shot. LA's points per shot this year = 1.16 Russell Westbrooks points per shot = 1.27 Buh-bye.
No, it doesn't. I never mentioned points per shot once. Do you not understand the meaning of the word EXACT??? My most persuasive argument against Westbrook is that as his FGA increases, his team's chances of winning decreases dramatically. The opposite it true for Aldridge. BNM
Westbrook uses 8 more possessions to score 3 more PPG. That's not a very efficient use of 8 possessions. BNM
Silly boy! You're taking the meaning of the word EXACT literally. This is the internet where, evidently, EXACT means kinda, sorta, maybe something a little bit similar, but in fact different. BNM
Let me preface this post with - Fuck Westbrook But Why are you using a points per game and usage? Westbrook plays 3.1mpg fewer than Aldridge, and the Thunder play at a different pace than the Blazers, using a per game stat and a per 100 stat in comparison is just strikes me as wrong. Your ratio looks like: W: 37.9/26.5 - 1.430 A: 30.0/23.3 - 1.288 (lower ratio is actually better here) Or about a 10% difference. But actually pace and minute adjusted it looks something like: W: 37.9/40.6 - 0.933 A: 30.0/32.9 - 0.912 (again lower = better) Or a difference of only ~2.5% Compared to someone like Durant (0.776) or Curry (0.826) neither guy really stacks up with your ratio.
