Although, Russell Westbrook did play shooting guard at UCLA and was projected to be a NBA defensive minded shooting guard; he has the length and size at 6’3 200lbs, to play either back-court position and he’s also strong enough. Westbrook has been a game changer at the point guard position, paving the way for all shoot first point guards.
While averaging 15.7 points per game during his two NBA seasons, he hasn’t averaged below 21 points per game in any season since, while even attempting more than 20 shots in two separate seasons. With Kevin Durant departing OKC, Westbrook is being asked to carry an entire offense while getting others involved. He’s not a traditional point, Magic Johnson even went as far as to call him the worst point guard in an NBA Finals after a terrible performance in 2012.
Westbrook is a great ball distributor, it’s proven from the 10+ assists he averaged during two different seasons. Also, his career assists per game are at 7.9, so when it’s all said and done he will be amongts the league leaders in points and assists; but in the 4th quarter is where he tends to zone his team out and take a majority of their shots. In a game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets, Westbrook went 4-18 from the field in the 4th quarter alone. The last player to attempt that many shots in a single quarter was Kobe Bryant in 2007. Most players don’t even shoot that much for an entire game.
Westbrook is arguably the greatest pure athlete in NBA history, especially at the point guard position, and he’s as explosive as they come. If any criticism has been aimed at Westbrook it has been his career 43% shooting from the field, 31% from three, he’s turnover prone, and tendencies to attempt contested shots. Many believe that’s the reason Kevin Durant is no longer on the roster. Fair or not, Westbrook is a once in a generation player. He’s became only the 2nd player in NBA history to average a triple for a whole season, he’s part of the Jordan brand, and legends Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Michael Jordan all call him their favorite player. He shares the same competitiveness they shared on the court, but that competitive play has been detrimental to his team over the years. There’s no reason why a team with Westbrook, Durant, Harden, and Serge Ibaka shouldn’t have been a dynasty.
Westbrook has shown he can take on defensive assignments from the top shooting guards in the NBA, and his scoring is unquestionable.
At this rate, Westbrook is shortening his career and limiting his chances to win a championship. Taking so many hard fouls at the rim, as well as having to score 30 plus points every night just to give his team a chance to win.
Imagine if Chris Paul, Jeff Teague, or another top ball-dominant point guard in this league was playing alongside Westbrook, giving him opportunities to rest on defense and in the game. His main job will be to do what he is best at doing, which is scoring the basketball. Turnovers will be down, and he would probably shoot a high field goal percentage because he won’t have the ball in his hands as much.
