It’s no secret that Russell Westbrook is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. During the Kevin Durant era in Oklahoma City, Westbrook took the brunt of the criticism for the team. The media called Russell Westbrook overrated. He played with too high an opinion of himself and held KD back. Then, after Durant’s departure, everyone stopped and admired Westbrook’s inhuman season, as he went on to average a triple-double for the first time since Oscar Robertson. He went on to win the regular season MVP on a talent-starved Thunder team.
However, the Houston Rockets blasted the Thunder out of the first round, four games to one. After Paul George and Carmelo Anthony were brought aboard, it was expected the Thunder would go farther. They lost 4-2 in the first round to the Utah Jazz. This year, the Thunder faced off against a Portland Trail Blazers team they swept in the regular season. OKC faced another first-round exit, losing 4-1.
The one constant through all of these years has been franchise PG Russell Westbrook. Correction, there’s a second constant – Russell Westbrook facing intense scrutiny and criticism after each playoff exit. Does he deserve all of this? Are we missing something in his gameplay?
Is Russell Westbrook Overrated?
Russell Westbrook is not just overrated, he hurts the Thunder. He’s not the best player on the Thunder but refuses to defer to Paul George. His jump shot is unreliable, at best, but it doesn’t stop him from firing away all over the floor, and it costs the team victories. He takes 21.8 shots per game in losses. He only takes 19.8 shots per game in victories. A historically bad shooter, Westbrook launches 6.9 treys in losses (only 4.8 threes per game in victories). His usage is 30.1%. Paul George’s is only 28.4%, despite being far more efficient and a better scorer in general. Westbrook’s defining characteristic – an out of control dash to the rim – doesn’t generate as many points as it used to. He got to the charity stripe only 6.2 times per game (only 16th in the league) and converted at a paltry 65.6%.
Westbrook’s trigger-happiness is on full display in elimination games, the games you want your stars to dominate and save your team. Westbrook doesn’t do that – although he does think that he’s the only player that can save the Thunder. In Game 6 against the Jazz in 2018, Westbrook chucked up 43 shots (converting 18) of which 19 were threes (he only made seven), en route to an early elimination. In Game 5 against the Blazers this year, Russ fired away 31 times. He converted on 11 of those.
This wasn’t an outlier – Blazers guard Damian Lillard outplayed Westbrook all series. It gets worse. Paul George was having himself a night against Portland – 14/20 overall and 3/8 from deep. The Thunder only lost by three. Give the hot-handed George a few more shots, and this series might’ve had a different narrative.
The Eye Test Says So Too
There’s more! Watching him play is incredibly frustrating as a Thunder fan. During a game, I’ve found myself muttering “don’t shoot it” before watching Westbrook pull up for three early in the shot clock. Invariably, the ball clanks off the rim, and the other team comes down the court to score.
As he’s gotten older, Westbrook is noticeably slower. There aren’t as many explosive dunks. There are more times where he drives and gets caught in the air, turning the ball over before complaining to a ref about a “missed” call. The Thunder then have to play 4-on-5 while Westbrook gets his word in. Or he commits a “frustration” foul before using the stoppage to jaw at the refs some more. Or he gets T’d up. His basketball IQ appears to have a similar number to that of room temperature.
Even after the games, Westbrook remains frustrating. This past season especially, Westbrook “next question-ed” his way out of so many postgame press conferences. Does he refuse to take responsibility for his play? Is he a sore loser?
Russell Westbrook is overrated – even a recent player survey via the Athletic cited him as the most overrated player in the league as voted on by his PEERS. Not to mention that Westbrook has never been the player that could be the first option on a championship team. As he’s gotten older, that’s been more obvious, especially as Paul George just turned in an MVP-caliber season. The only person that doesn’t seem to realize this is Westbrook himself, and it’s hurting the Thunder.
There Are Two Sides To Every Argument…
Russell Westbrook Is The Most Important Thunder Player
Many will say that Paul George is the Thunder’s MVP. Maybe to the voters for the MVP award, Paul George is more “worthy,” but Russell Westbrook is the true MVP of the Thunder. There’s no one on the Thunder (or maybe even the entire league) that can do what he does on a nightly basis. He grabs rebounds and sparks the team in transition. Westbrook led the league in assists with a respectable AST/TO ratio (2.41). He collapses defenses with his drives before passing to his teammates on the perimeter for an open look. He contributed nearly 23 PPG this past season. The man is an athletic marvel, contributing so much to a team that expects a lot from its stars.
Westbrook doesn’t shoot the Thunder out of as many games as you’d think. Remember Game 6 from last year’s playoffs? Remember Paul George’s stat line? It was 2/16. George shot two free throws the entire game. He scored five points in total. Of course, Westbrook was going to take matters into his own hands and try to keep the Thunder in the game – and he succeeded, mostly. The Thunder had the opportunity to tie the game in the last minute but missed multiple threes. As the team’s star, it was Westbrook’s job to try and keep his team in the game.
The Numbers Back This Up!
The numbers don’t support the “shooting the Thunder out of games” narrative. Let’s look at his numbers in losses. Take the first quarter of losses. Per 36 minutes, Westbrook takes 19.2 shots. That’s less than his 20.2 shots per 36 overall regardless of the outcome. How about the second quarter of losses? He shoots a little more here, at 20.7 shots per 36. That’s more than his 20.2 overall, but he converts at a 43.3% clip, as opposed to 42.8%. Not to mention his +/- is -0.6 per 36. The Thunder are keeping it close. While we’re on the topic of first halves, let’s check on Paul George. He’s shooting 40.8%/31.7%, clearly not a hot hand.
How about the second half? Surely, the Brodie is dragging the Thunder down, giving them no chance to win the game. He’s taking 22.9 shots per 36 in the third quarter of losses. But, he’s converting at a nice 47.0%. For reference, Paul George is shooting 40.3% here. Westbrook is again not horrendous in the fourth quarter either, shooting his usual 42.8%. In fact, the Thunder are a net positive when he’s on the floor in the fourth quarter of losses. Westbrook sees that the Thunder need a spark and kicks it into high gear. They still might lose the game, but Russ is doing everything he can to keep the Thunder close. It’s entirely inaccurate to believe that Westbrook is remotely overrated.
Clearly, Both Sides Are Wrong
It’s unfair to pin a team’s struggles on one player. The Thunder look to generate threes through drives. Westbrook does the latter part astonishingly well. But, with the way the Thunder have been assembled, there aren’t many players capable of making that open three. This doesn’t mean that Westbrook should take the three himself. The Thunder might not be lights-out from deep, but they do have a lot of players that are statistically better shooters than Westbrook, so the amount of threes that he takes is inexcusable.
Westbrook’s emotions get the better of him sometimes too. The frustration fouls and league-leading techs are inexcusable as well. He must play in control. Any possession could start a run, and Westbrook’s pettiness occasionally ends that chance. But, his passion for the game is infectious. He celebrates with his teammates, gets the crowd excited, and is still very much a team player.
Russell Westbrook is a generational talent. Some may say he stat-pads to get triple-doubles. But, if it were that easy, wouldn’t other players be able to do it? However, if triple-doubles were followed by success throughout the regular and post-seasons, wouldn’t the Thunder be the best team in the league? Westbrook is mercurial. He’s frustrating to watch with his disappointing shot selection and occasional bad decision-making. The Brodie is also electrifying with his out-of-this-world athleticism. He’s a deeply-flawed player but also an incredible source of skill.
The Verdict On Westbrook:
As much as it hurts to say, Westbrook is probably in his decline. He must take a step back (not just when he feels like it) to allow the Thunder to take a step forward as a team. Russ can no longer treat every play like he can make it. He must realize his limitations and work to improve them.
The Brodie can’t shoot five threes a game while being one of the least efficient shooters in the history of the NBA. He can’t barrel down the lane as frequently now that age slows him down a little (he’s still faster than most of the league, don’t get me wrong). He’ll have to change his skill-set if he wants to live up to his contract. Russell Westbrook is not as overrated as everyone believes and is still a top player in the league. Claiming otherwise is foolish.