Monday, May 9, 2011

Russell Westbrook


In watching Saturday's Thunder/Memphis game I was shocked not by the fact that the Grizz won, they have been playing some of the best basketball in the NBA since the all-star break.  What really got me was the play of Mr. Westbrook and Durant's reaction to the whole thing.

Three things are very clear to even the most casual NBA fan.  (1) Westbrook is a very good NBA player.  (2)  Kevin Durant is a transcendent NBA player (arguably the best at scoring the basketball on the planet). (3)  There is NO reason why with 4 minutes left in the fourth, and Memphis making a run, Westbrook should be trying to carry the OKC offense.


Now if every fan can see these three clear truths, why can't Westbrook?  The Mind of an NBA Point Guard has a a few answers to that questions. 


Unfortunately, he doesn’t know who he is, and that’s a problem. But the bigger problem is that he doesn’t realize who he is playing with.
He is playing with the greatest scorer on earth. All Westbrook needs to do is put pressure on the other team by providing the THREAT of scoring. In a perfect world, the ball runs through Kevin Durant, and as soon as the defense over-commits to him, the ball swings to Westbrook who makes them pay.

No comments:

Post a Comment