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What Russell Westbrook is doing is ridiculously under appreciated...

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Comments

  • dawgitimafandawgitimafan Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Agreed, and for the record Westbrook with all those stats is still the worst player of the big three the thunder had, harden better, Durant is better.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited March 2019

    dawgtimafan. No way chuckitup Harden is a better player than Westbrook. It's not close in my book.

    I keep reading how RW is selfish and that he doesn't run the team well. Let's is how The Thunder compares to The Rockets..

    Rebounds per game - Thunder 2nd in The NBA Rockets 28th.

    Assist per game - Thunder 22nd, Rockets 28th

    Steals per game - Thunder 1st, Rockets 5th

    Blocks per game - Thunder 12th, Rockets 17th

    FG percentage - Thunder 5th, Rockets 26th.

    These stats support what I see. Westbrook breaks down defenses, often by driving and dishing, which lowers his personal FG% while giving teammates easy baskets.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    ugaX. I think RW's exponentially singular run of 113 games with triple doubles in under 3 seasons is a valid comparison to Ruth's early HR rates where he had more than most entire teams.

  • 3rdshift3rdshift Posts: 546 ✭✭✭✭ Senior

    dude can ball but its a different game....very different.

  • donmdonm Posts: 10,241 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I think it is a VERY different game from the Big O's game as well as Bird/Magic's game.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited March 2019

    donm, yet NOBODY accomplished a triple double once in 55 years, now a lone player is on the verge of doing it a 3rd straight season.

    It's not the times, it's the player. Magic played in a very up-tempo offense with a superior cast around him and never did it. Big O did it once 58 years ago, that season was the highest scoring season in NBA history. Robertson had plenty of chances, he also played more minutes over fewer games than Westbrook does in a season. The 1980s when Johnson played was a higher scoring era than today, except for this season which is inline with the 80s.

  • orlandoorlando Posts: 2,322 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Yes WB is a bad azz on the court, he’s the guy you hate until he’s on your team. Fantastic numbers but he needs a ring or two before folks put him among the best.

  • UgaXforPresidentUgaXforPresident Posts: 275 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I agree that in both instances, one player is standing out dramatically when compared to league history. I think that there is a false premise here though. Triple doubles are mathematical fabrication that don't inherently add value to a team outside of the value of each stat individually.

    Home runs are the most efficient way for a player to add value to his team (runs being value). Comparing triple doubles is like saying someone is a great baseball player because they hit more 500 ft home runs.

    I found this website that somewhat illustrates the point. It's a list of everyone in NBA history who averaged at least 7.5-7.5-7.5 for a season. Some all-time greats on the list. Also some all-time less than greats. https://www.landofbasketball.com/records/triple_double_seasons.htm

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited March 2019

    ugaX. When a single player at a single position on the court can add great value to all 3 primary measures of production, that is huge added value. To dismiss the completeness of his contributions would be like dismissing Jordan's defensive abilities because Pippen and Rodman could also play defense.

    That said, of course double digits is just a bench mark, but how many players in history could consistently give you between 23 and 30 ppg a season along with 10 or more assists and 10 or more rebounds ? Talk about false premises, 7.5 ppg ? ..please.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited March 2019

    Also, don't get me wrong, Ruth was the Thor of American sports, it was more than stats, he made baseball the American pass time.

    Still, he was only in a league of his own for a few years.

    From 1919 thru 1921 he had more HRs than most teams had. After that here is a comparison of Ruth and the top hr hitter not named Ruth in any year.

    1922 thru 1934

    Ruth - 496 HRs

    Best total each year by other players - 561 HRs.

  • dawgitimafandawgitimafan Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    It's not close!? How about instead of team stats you put harden and Westbrook stats up side by side. Your right it's not close. I certainly appreciate how Russ plays the game, he's just not an efficient scorer. Doesn't help that the thunder don't get legit three point threats.

  • dawgitimafandawgitimafan Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Left side is harden, right is Westbrook, this season.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited March 2019

    dawgitmafan. There was a claim Westbrook is selfish. As a PG it's about how you run the offense as much as personal stats. Both players have about the same level of talent around them, though Houston might have slightly more. RW just breaks down defenses better than Harden with his amazing ability to drive and dish. No PG in history had Westbrook's combination of explosive athletic power and skills.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I'm late on following up on this.

    Last week RW had a 20-20-20 game. It was the first time in 51 years that has been done. The only other player to do it was 7'2'' 280lb Wilt Chamberlin, if that ain't special I'll kiss your arse.

  • JeffSentellJeffSentell Posts: 8,553 admin


    Ridiculously + Underappreciated. Those are truly the right words here, sir.

    That 20-20-20 game the other day. Jiminy Christmas.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Jeff. Just the energy and stamina it must take to have triple doubles so frequently over 3 straight sesons of 82 game schedules is hard to fathom. I'm betting Westbrook could have been great at quite a few sports.

  • MeR3htidMeR3htid Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Yeah too bad KD bailed on him or he'd probably have a ring by now. As currently constructed though, I don't think the Thunder have quite enough to topple the Warriors in a 7 game series or either the Bucks, Raptors or Rockets for that matter but mainly because of his incredible exploits but it'll b tons of fun watching him and PG13 try.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    MeR- Imagine if both Harden and Durant had stayed in Oklahoma City. A core of Westbrook, Harden and Durant would match any team talent wise. How Harden and Westbrook would coexist is an open question though.

  • MeR3htidMeR3htid Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I think Harden and Westbrook would've figured it out over time. They're both L.A. guys if I'm not mistaking, around the same age, (Westbrook is roughly a year older) and they both care about winning championships I believe. But of course the elephant in the room would be the fact that they r both so ball dominant so sharing the same backcourt would've been complicated but I think they would've figured it out and been awesome together along with KD.

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