Russell Westbrook as a member of the National Basketball Association's Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2008-09 NBA season. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)OK, so Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook does not literally steal the ball from superstar teammate Kevin Durant, as this hilarious piece of Internet humor would suggest.It only seems that way to a vocal legion of critics that recently added ESPN analyst Magic Johnson. The patron saint of point guards said Westbrook’s performance in Game 2 against Miami, in which he missed his first seven shots as the Thunder fell behind by as many as 17, was the worst display of floor generalship he’s ever seen in the Finals.
Criticism is definitely warranted. Westbrook has taken eight more shots than Durant through two games (50 to 42) despite shooting 17 percentage points worse (40 to 57).
But some fascinating research by ESPN shows that the Thunder are actually more successful, not less, when Westbrook has a bigger role in the offense than Durant. That might seem counter-intuitive in light of Durant’s status as the league’s three-time scoring champion. But one of the best features of Durant’s game is his efficiency, and efficiency almost always drops as usage (plays that complete a possession) increases. So letting Durant pick his spots while encouraging Westbrook’s aggressiveness, instead of outright deferring, is actually the best strategy for OKC.
Especially considering Westbrook does know when to throttle back. Durant has taken almost five times as many shots in the final minute of close games this season.
The key for Westbrook, as with so many other young players, is to strike the right balance. While the Thunder thrive when he’s asserting himself, they’re also just 12-12 during his career when he takes at least 24 shots, as he’s done in both Finals games.
Westbrook has three things going for him as his development unfolds:
* He’s really, really good. You’d be hard-pressed to find five more athletic point guards in recent NBA history. Not even Tony Parker, as speedy and quick as they come, can match his raw explosiveness. And far from being a raw athlete, Westbrook also proven to be exceptionally hard-working. In addition to adding a deadly mid-range pull-up to his arsenal, he’s cut his turnovers almost in half during the playoffs. (Another sign of maturity: He hasn’t posted on Twitter in months.)
* His coach, Scott Brooks, believes in him. Much like Gregg Popovich has done with Manu Ginobili, Brooks realizes that Westbrook needs a healthy dose of leeway. If you want the game-changing plays –like this – you’re going to have to tolerate regular flights of fancy. ”We need Russell to score,” Brooks said on Saturday. “I know some of you don’t like that, but Russell is a very, very gifted, talented player, and we would not be in this position without Russell.”
* Durant’s lack of ego. The two don’t always get along. Witness their alleged altercation during a game against Memphis earlier this year in which Westbrook shot 0 for 13 from the floor. But for the most part they’ve meshed exceptionally well, on and off the court. That’s in large part because Durant, despite being no worse than the second-best player in the world, simply doesn’t care about petty trivialities like sharing the spotlight.
Indeed, he readily shares it, refusing to participate in postgame press conferences without Westbrook at his side.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/06/17/the-russell-westbrook-project/
