How can we describe what happened last night? Let’s try to
use the storylines that people always use to describe Russell Westbrook’s performance.
Viewpoint A:
“Sure, we can agree that he’s a star but his performance
was lacking. During winning time, the last 4 minutes of the game, he cost his
team the game. With 4 minutes left he
fouls. 2:58 left he misses a 14 foot jumper. Then on the next possession he
takes an ill-advised jumper. He gets a make with 49 seconds left but then has a
bad pass with 13 seconds left. Then he fouls on a three pointer 7 seconds later
and completes the collapse with a turnover at the end of the game. His
defenders say that he’s best point guard
in the league. He wasn’t last night.”
Viewpoint B:
“When you’re having a bad game, you have to pass the ball
more. Sure his free throw shooting was elite, but he shot a dismal 6-22.
Shooting 1 for 5 in the 2nd and 1 for 8 in the 3rd isn’t
going to get the job done. His shooting almost cost the Thunder last night's game It’s as if he isn’t aware that he has a team. Meanwhile his teammate is shooting 2 for 3
and 5 for 7 in those quarters. You have to allow your successful teammates to do
what they do. ”
The Westbrook storyline is a tired one. Throughout the
Thunder’s short playoff history, he’s put together elite performances at the
most important times. A triple-overtime classic against the Grizzlies here. 43 points against the Miami Heat in the 2012 finals. (Since LeBron has gotten there, no one has scored more against the Heat
in the playoffs except Rajon Rondo's 44. But that came in an OT game that Rondo played every minute of). Last night, Russell Westbook had a triple double against one of the better defensive point guards in the league. Since last year's playoff's began, Russ has had 3 knee surgeries, including one mid season, and the focus continues to be on whether you can win with him? Sounds like a great teammate to me.
As everyone who watched the game knows, Viewpoint A describes Chris Paul’s
performance. Viewpoint B describes Kevin Durant’s performance. Chris Paul is
the best point guard in the game. Kevin Durant is the MVP. If Russell Westbrook
sat down and turned away while Kevin Durant was taking game tying free throws
the internet would have exploded. BAD TEAMMATE!!! SELFISH!!! If Russell
Westbrook ended a game with 2 turnovers and an ill-advised foul on a three
point shooter, Skip Bayless may have combusted.
Instead, we have Russell Westbrook just continuing to sauté the
Clippers. Do you know how many triple doubles Westbrook has? He has 3 in 12
playoff games. Do you know how many the field has? The other 199 players who’ve
played this post season have had ZERO combined. In the 2014 playoffs, Westbrook has averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds
and 8 assists, quietly. He’s also been an 86% free throw shooter. He’s even been a respectable 43.5% from the
field. (Bizarrely, he continues to lead
the team in offensive rebounding, less a mark on Russ and more of a reflection of the other 6'10+ people on the roster and their inability to consistently rebound.)
#WarMachine
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