The Truth About Russell Westbrook And His Gameplay

The Truth About Russell Westbrook And His Gameplay

Another day, another Russell Westbrook stinker; he seems to have a lot of those recently. If there was ever a game that epitomized who Westbrook is, it was game two of the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Lakers. It once again proved that Russell Westbrook flat out sucks, and there’s no room for interpretation. For some reason, I’m the only person on the planet willing to acknowledge the truth.

Look, every person is going to have varying opinions when it comes to players. Some people don’t like James Harden. He dribbles the ball too much and likes to dabble in the strip club from time to time. Harden doesn’t necessarily bother me, but I can see the viewpoint of others that aren’t fond of him.

Let’s go to another example. I’m not an Anthony Davis fan. He’s too Charmin ultra soft for me. Anybody who’s that big who refuses to play center, I don’t want on my team. I see why others love him, as Davis is a 6-foot-10 gazelle with a beautiful jump shot and insanely talented.

When it comes to Russell Westbrook, there is no wiggle room. Some opinions are wrong. You can love fantasy snake drafts, as long as you acknowledge you’re a five-year-old. You can love Westbrook, as long as you recognize math doesn’t agree with you. I’m going to side with math.

The fact that Westbrook has an MVP award is a disgrace to the entire sport of basketball and every single person who has dedicated themselves to a career in math. Let’s just take a holistic approach when it comes to Westbrook. During Westbrook’s MVP season, he shot .425 percent from the floor. EVERY SINGLE TEAM IN THE LEAGUE HAD A HIGHER SHOOTING PERCENTAGE.

That means if Westbrook were the only player on a team (his usage rate that season 41.7% suggests it’s possible), he would have been the worst team in the league. For some reason, the rest of the world has decided that two + two does not = four. It’s a total abomination.

Let’s get back on track here. Game two was a CLASSIC Westbrook game. PJ Tucker went 7-10 from the floor and played his tail off. Ditto for Robert Covington, who went 5-10. The small ball frontcourt did their part. James Harden cashed in an efficient 27 points and drilled his free throws like always. Eric Gordon was a beast again, scoring 24 points while shooting 50% from the floor and beyond the arc. Houston lost by nine. HOW!?!

Westbrook went 4-15 (1-7 from three) and seven turnovers. Reckless Westbrick was on full display. Yet we will all wake up this morning, and not a single person will just acknowledge the truth. The man is not good at basketball, and that’s being generous. You can disagree with me, but math and common sense are on my side.

Here are some undeniable stats from this postseason that further illustrate the problem with Westbrook:

• 12/42 on jumpers (28.6%)
• 3/18 on 3-pointers (16.7%)
• 7/15 on free throws (46.7%)

I continue to be the only reasonable one when it comes to Westbrook. There are MAJOR issues with the guy. Set the inefficiencies aside. Westbrook can not shoot and continues to shoot anyway. It’s a lack of self-awareness and continues to hurt his team. Not only that, but opposing teams also don’t respect him.

One picture and one video that says 1,000 words; When Westbrook is on the floor, teams can double James Harden and or provide help defense all over the floor. Teams continue to sag off Westbrook like he doesn’t exist. The opposition continues to disrespect Westbrook and dare him to shoot. Don’t worry, Westbrick has such little self-awareness that he will keep taking and missing that shot.

If teams are going to double James Harden and the so-called “second option” can’t make teams pay, what good is he? Houston is better when Westbrook sits, and they can put five shooters on the floor. For some reason, the Rockets have given Westbrook exceptions for no reason.

Westbrook’s quote after game two sums it up perfectly:

“Right now, I’m just running around,” Westbrook said after the Rockets’ 117-109 loss that evened the series. “I’ve got to look at film and figure out how to be effective.”

That’s who Westbrook has been for ten years. Running around like a chicken with his head cut off. He is playing recklessly, throwing the ball all over the place, and chucking up the worst air balls of all-time.

I do not have a ton of faith in humanity. However, I have a glimmer of hope. Not too long ago, Amin Elhassan said the following on “The Jump” on ESPN. It came after the Rockets disastrous Game six loss to OKC, which was again 100% on the worst player in basketball. The link provides the full video via ESPN.

We did it guys, 2020 is finally starting to turn the corner. For the first time, it seems like 1% of society is beginning to get it. Let’s be honest about this; if you redrafted the entire NBA, Grayson Allen goes at least 20 picks ahead of Westbrook. What exactly does Westbrook do better than Allen?

Allen way shoots better and makes way better decisions with the basketball. Westbrook isn’t more athletic, either. Allen has a 40 inch vertical. Westbrook grabs a few extra rebounds. Congrats! Westbrook also makes over $41 million next year while Allen makes $2.5 million. Not a hard decision who you would draft to start a franchise.

There is no room for interpretation. Russell Westbrook is a terrible basketball player. For some reason, I’m the only person willing to acknowledge it. The water is warm. It’s okay to join the side of common sense.