Around the NBA - March 2018

When you're 2 assist away from breaking the Big O's record... ↓

 

50% 3FG% cracks me up. He's attempted exactly 4 three point 3FGs in those 4 games. He was:

0-0
0-1
2-3
0-0

Steph Curry he is not.

In the 15 games before that he was:

1-6
1-4
2-5
1-7
0-4
2-5
0-3
0-4
1-6
1-5
0-1
0-5
2-4
1-5
0-4
Total: 12-68 = .174 3FG%

That's the Westbrick we know and love!

BNM

 

So much hate. What if one of our players was putting up those same numbers? People would be freaking out because ESPN didn't mention it or show highlights of him. Was just sharing that his team can succeed and he can put up amazing numbers at the same time. There are 450 players NOT putting up numbers like that this week is all.

 

Not true. Not from over here.

Dame got criticized for not assisting enough.

And yeah, I don't hate him, but he is a lame duck when it comes to winning a ring.

I don't consider what they are doing as succeeding considering the talent there. He did better last year with less.

 

I would be pissed because Russ puts his stats ahead of team success.

Mr. Triple Double has accomplished what exactly? They missed the playoffs entirely when Durant was out in 2014-2015.

Last season, while Russ was dropping all those trip dubs, they finished 6th in the west. Huge accomplishment. Oladipo became significantly better since he left Russ. What kind of point guard has players improve when they go somewhere else?

Durant wanted nothing to do with Russ.

I imagine PG won't want to stay with him either. Conversely, a guy like Chris Paul or LeBron seem to attract top tier talent. They make those around them better. Russ is an empty jersey. He's all hollow stats. He doesn't make the team better.

 

I not one that dogs on Westbrick much (other then the name) as he is a very good player but this is pretty blatant @HCP

 

Damn. That is just way too funny.

 

Losing the game and putting his personal stats ahead of team.

Empty. Jersey.

 

C'mon.... Did you even watch that video? They were down 15 with over 9 to go. He wouldn't even consider shooting the ball. All he wanted was that Triple double. Lets the lowly suns push their lead over 20 without taking a shot.

 

They missed the playoffs because of a lack of talent on that team, and They finished 6th in the west last season BECAUSE he got all those triple doubles. Had he not put that effort out there every night, they don't make the playoffs. Oladipo is having a better year because he is now in the east on a less talented roster and is the FIRST option on offense. You realize you are using CP3 and LeBron, two of the best to ever play as comparison to Russ right? Why use two of the best players? Sure I think PG13 leaves, but I think it is more about the location and the fact that he would probably want to be the #1 guy.

 

I agree with you that Westbrook is a really good player but I personally believe he doesn’t make players around him better.

 

Thats fair and I can accept that. But his teams are not worse and don't make the playoffs BECAUSE of him is all I'm trying to get across. They lose 20 more games last season if he didn't put up the historic numbers he did! SINGLE handedly won multiple games for the team. I've said before, there are 450 players NOT putting up numbers like that. Most don't have to I understand. I would say 8 out of 10 players I've asked said he is the toughest matchup in the game straight up. Or the player they get up the most to play against. And he still puts numbers up.

 

Dame never would have allowed our team to miss the playoffs.

Go look at that 2014-2015 team and tell me that they were less talented than the team that Dame got into the playoffs the year after LMA left.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/OKC/2015.html

Harden got better after he left OKC.

Oladipo got better after he left OKC.

Hell, even Durant has become a better overall shooter after he left OKC. His TS% is at career highs the past two seasons.

Westbrook doesn't make the players around him better. He puts up hollow stats that don't translate to wins. I would take prime Jason Kidd over Westbrook. I would take Chris Paul over Westbrook. I would take Gary Payton over Westbrook. Yes, I am using CP3 and LeBron, two of the best to ever play as comparison, because Russ averaged a triple double for a season. That's a remarkable achievement, which gets him into the conversation, but unlike Russ, LeBron can carry a team to the Finals. Russ might put up LeBron numbers, but he does not impact his team the way that LeBron does. Not even remotely. He's the superstar version of Ricky Davis trying to throw the ball off his own backboard to get the final rebound for a triple double.

 

I totally get what you’re saying, however I would disagree with saying they’d lose 20 games more if he didn’t do what he did last season. I honestly think if Westbrook would’ve let Oladipo take a larger load offensively the Thunder would’ve been a superior team. He forces himself a lot more than he should and it results in him being exhausted near the end of the game. How many times have we seen Russ put up ridiculous lines against us but choke hard in the 4th quarter?

 

That's also the softest stretch of schedule in NBA history... Take out Indiana and New Orleans, and the other 7 teams are all vying for the top pick in the draft.

 

But see some believe if he shared the ball more, they would have done better. We have seen it before. You have seen it before.

We have said it about Dame before. We would rather have him average 24/8 than 28/4, right?

And that is the key.

 

Damian Lillard feels ya

Oh wait, no he doesn't

 

The problem is he also single handedly loses games for them - especially when he's surrounded by more efficient scorers. Durant's last year in OKC, they lost 15 games they led during the 4th quarter - the worst in the league. How is that even possible when you have a super efficient scoring, mismatch nightmare like Kevin Durant on your team. Easy. Westbrook constantly froze out KD and called his own number in the 4th quarter of close games, which led to consistently forcing up bad shots. I absolutely don't blame Durant for leaving OKC. He was never going to win a ring with Russ as a teammate. It would totally suck for someone as talented as Durant to be held back from reaching his potential by a selfish teammate like Russ.

For all his talents, shooting is not one of them. He always had a much lower TS% and 3FG% than Durant and Harden when they were there, and the same thing is happening this year. Russ' 3FG% this year (.285) would embarrass Andre Miller and Evan Turner. Yet, he just keeps jacking them up with the game on the line. Why???? Paul George is shooting .410 from 3-point range. How about letting him take some of those 4th quarter shots? Russ is once again leading the league in missed shots. He's missed almost 800 shots this year, on a team with two other stars. No one else has even missed 700. Last year he missed 1117 shots. Second most in the league was 861. He absolutely dominates this category and it hurts his team's chances of winning. It also drives away players like Durant and PG13.

So, if Russ is so great why is OKC behind POR in the standings. Aren't you the one who said that team will figure it out, they have way too much talent to not be a dominant team. So, what's holding them back? Why haven't they figured it out?

There are 12 games left in their season, and they're MUCH closer to the 10th seed in the West than they are to challenging GSW and HOU atop the standings. What happened? Russ is still racking up triple doubles and he added Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Please explain to us how a team with "so much talent" hasn't been able to "figure it out".

BNM