Russell Westbrook EPIC 42nd Triple-Double vs Nuggets (2017.04.09) - 50 Pts, 16 Reb, 10 Ast, DAGGER!
Marcus Thompson is a columnist for the Bay Area News Group, which provides him with plenty of insight into the Golden State Warriors. He wrote a book, released Tuesday, titled"Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry."
Curry exploded onto the scene in recent years, winning back-to-back MVP awards, including the first ever unanimous decision. He"s been mostly adored by the media, and this has upset many big players in the NBA, according to Thompson.
"I think if you ask them and they"re being honest, they don"t like all the hype he gets, and they have to direct it that way. I think, out of all of them, if somebody doesn"tlikeSteph Curry, I think it"s probably Westbrook. He just shows no sign of ... this ain"t really about Steph, it"s bigger. His seems to be, "I don"t like that dude." But LeBron and them, I think they will say, "Man, I like Steph. We can have a conversation." But there"s something thatburnsthem about the fact that Steph is the one that isexalted and because of that they want to go at him and demean his hype. They want to take him down."
Thompson brought up a key moment in last year"s NBA Finals when James blocked Curry"s shot in Game 6. After blocking it, James turned back and trash-talked Curry. Thompson noted you "never see him do that against anybody else." He says part of what feeds into that is players want to "go the extra mile to disprove [Curry"s] hype."
Thompson also brought up the history Curry and James have, dating back to the guard"s college days at Davidson. He discussed how James would show up to Curry"s games and would essentionally act as a "mentor" towards the younger player.
But as the two players" NBA careers reached their prime, Thompson says they quit being buddy-buddy, and a rivalry evolved.
"He was a big fan of Curry, he would go to Curry"s games at Davidson, and even when theygot to the NBA, they had moments where LeBron was looking at him like, wow and then Steph kind of like challenged LeBrons status. The part thats odd for Steph why does that mean there has to be some beef between us? He loves LeBron, he respects LeBron, and hes like, because the outside world is pitting us together, why do you and I have to now have this disdain between us, I thought we were cool? Thats the question thats in Currys mind and Currys camp: Why do you not like me when all I did was basically respect everything you did, and kind of follow the model you carried out? So there"s an interesting dynamic there, and its not just with LeBron, Steph wants to be accepted by all these guys. This is what he worked for. For youto say, you"reone of us. Itseems like they dont want to give that to him. Not yet anyway."
Thompson goes more in depth, but explains that Curry"s sudden rise was a big factor into other players not liking him, and that the guard is genuinely upset by it. In addition to James and Westbrook, Thompson says Chris Paul is another player upset by Curry"s rise. He also says Hall-of-Famers have taken notice by his sudden stardom and can"t believe how much respect he"s earned.
f"d around and got blown out by the suns (Russell Westbrook Lowlights)
With eight assists against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, Russell Westbrook clinched the holy trinity of NBA stats: averaging a triple-double for a season. It"s been done only once before in NBA history, and that was before it even had a name -- 55 years ago by Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 season. Since then, a few players gave reason to believe it was doable again -- Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, LeBron James -- but the 6-foot-3 Westbrook is the one who broke through.
Here"s a look at how Westbrook"s season stacks up in the NBA"s historical context.
RUSS & OSCAR: THE EXCLUSIVE CLUB
When the Thunder"s season started, the front office, coaching staff, trainers and medical team all got together and developed a plan that coach Billy Donovan would rigidly follow throughout the season. Knowing Westbrook -- and knowing the responsibility he would eagerly shoulder -- they were going to monitor his workload and diligently manage his minutes. He played more than 40 minutes in a game only five times -- all in overtime contests -- and his season-high was 45 minutes. In putting up his 30-10-10 averages, he did it in nearly 10 fewer minutes per game and 25 fewer possessions per game than Robertson. Increase Westbrook"s workload to the 44.3 minutes per game Robertson played in 1961-62, and Westbrook would be at 39.9 points, 14.6 rebounds and 13.3 assists per game.
TWO AT THE TOP: MOST TRIPLE-DOUBLES IN A SEASON
Averaging a triple-double or catching Robertson"s single-season mark: Which is a more impressive feat? Each seemed untouchable before the season started, but as the stats kept piling up, it became clear that Westbrook was on an unstoppable path to both marks. Now, Russ and the Big O share the spotlight.
WESTBROOK CLIMBS THE LADDER
Early in the season, westbrook caught lebron James on the career list at 44 triple-doubles, and he did it in 395 fewer career games. Westbrook now has 24 more triple-doubles than James. Most wondered at the time whether Westbrook could realistically catch Larry Bird at 59. Russ passed Bird in January. It was downright nonsensical to think he could get to Wilt Chamberlain at 78, fourth all-time. But Westbrook recorded his 78th career triple-double Tuesday night, his 41st of this season.
Here"s a look at where Westbrook checks in on the all-time list, and how his triple-double frequency measures up to the greats. Hint: Both are impressive.
A TRIPLE-DOUBLE REVOLUTION
There has been a remarkable triple-double boom -- the previous NBA record of 78 leaguewide in a single season has been shattered -- and there doesn"t seem to be a great explanation as to why. Some point to better offenses, more spacing or friendlier rules. But in reality, maybe the easiest way to understand it is that one transcendent player is doing transcendent things: Of the NBA"s 111 this season, roughly 37 percent have come from Westbrook.
Most triple-doubles in a single season, NBA historyTOTALSEASONLEADERPCT. OF TOTAL1112016-17Russell Westbrook (41) 36.9% 781988-89Magic Johnson (17)21.8%752015-16Russell Westbrook (18)24%651961-62Oscar Robertson (41)63.1%621986-87Fat Lever (16)25.8%TRIPLE-DOUBLES = WINS FOR OKC
Westbrook has been asked a number of times why he thinks the Thunder typically win when he hits the triple-double bar. The truth might be in the assists -- when Westbrook records 10 dimes, the Thunder are 36-12. When he shoots 25 or more times, they"re 17-18. The Thunder are often at their best when Westbrook lets his distribution lead and his scoring follow.
(ALMOST) NO TEAM WAS SAFE
It"s unknown whether Westbrook had a list on his refrigerator at home and crossed off victims as he went, but few teams were safe this season. The two teams Westbrook didn"t get -- the Blazers and Bulls -- were spared by only a handful of rebounds and assists. Westbrook hasn"t posted a triple-double against only two teams in his career: the Bulls and, of course, the Thunder, who hope he never does. The numbers in the chart are for this season:
Most opponents faced in one season, while recording triple-doubleSEASONPLAYEROPPONENTS2016-17Russell Westbrook272016-17James Harden162015-16Russell Westbrook141986-87Fat Lever131990-91Magic Johnson121988-89Michael Jordan121981-82Magic Johnson12THE EXPANSION OF THE TRIPLE-DOUBLE!PLAYERTRIPLE-DOUBLESRussell Westbrook41James Harden20LeBron James12Nikola Jokic6Draymond Green5Elfrid Payton5Julius Randle3G. Antetokounmpo2Jimmy Butler2DeMarcus Cousins2Marc Gasol211 Players1
Westbrook, Harden and James have combined for 73 triple-doubles. The rest of the NBA: 38. But even with the lopsided distribution, the NBA saw an overall revolution -- and a diversity in where they were coming from and how they were achieved.
Overall, 22 players have recorded triple-doubles this season. Nikola Jokic has had six, showcasing his flashy passing ability as a 6-foot-11 big man. Draymond Green had the first triple-double without 10 points, substituting 10 steals instead. Giannis Antetokounmpo used his length, athleticism and versatility to pick up two. Harden and Westbrook each had two 50-point triple-doubles, something that hadn"t been done since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1970s. Not all triple-doubles, or triple-doublers, are created equal, and this season showcased the variety.
All stats through April 7. Stats courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information and Elias Sports Bureau.
Russell Westbrook Forces OT with CLUTCH 3-Pointer! l March 29, 2017
Russell Westbrook has been putting up a triple-double almost every night this season, but his performanceWednesday night against the Magic was probably his best one yet.
The explosive point guard finished with 57 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in an overtime victory. His play helped his team overcome what was at one moment in the game a 21-point deficit. The win also clinched Oklahoma City a playoff berth.
But in terms of history, this triple-double was pretty impressive, so let"s break it down by the numbers.
57 points - Most in NBA history
This stat has been highly publicized, but it"s pretty remarkable. westbrook scored 57 points in his triple-double, which is the highest number of points scored in a triple-double in NBA history. The previous record was 53 set byJames Harden and Hall-of-FamerWilt Chamberlain.
In fact, only Westbrook, Harden, Chamberlainand Elgin Baylor have multiple 50-point triple-doubles in a career (two apiece).
Westbrook"s 4th quarter led Thunder over Magic
The Thunder rallied from being down 21 points in the third quarter, and it wouldn"t have been possible without Westbrook. Yes he scored 57 total points, but he scored 19 of those with7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.
He could not be stopped as he drove to the basket and what seemed like every possession, and scored more often than not.
Closing in on most triple-doubles in a season
Oscar Robertson has the NBA record of 41 triple-doubles in a season. Westbrook recorded his 38th such performance last night, meaning he"s three away from tying and four away from breaking the record.
The Thunder have eight games left in the regular season, meaning he has to get a triple-double in half of the games left for the record. Achieving this will be difficult, but not impossible.
Westbrook"s minutes
This stat is perhaps more reflective of his season than Wednesday"s game, but it"s important to point out. ESPN"s Royce Young noted the point guard played over 40 minutes (42) for just the fifth time this season. Every 40-minute game has come in overtime.
Considering the season he"s having, it"s impressive he hasn"t had any more games of 40-minutes. For reference, MVP candidate James Harden has15 40-minute games while LeBron James has20.
Passed Kevin Durant"s Thunder franchise record
What better record than to pass your friend-turned-enemy? Westbrook passed Durant for most 40-point games in a single season in Thunder history. Durant had 14 40-point games in 2013-14 and Westbrook now has 15 with eight games left.
Westbrook"s highest combined triple-double output
This isn"ttoosurprising considering he scored 57, but Wednesday"s output was his highest overall out of any triple-double this season. What does this mean? It means if you combine his points + rebounds + assists it equals 81 total numbers.
What"s interesting is the only time he came close to that mark was his first triple-double of the season when he had a combined 74 (51 pts, 13 rebounds, 10 assists).
Turnovers
An underlooked stat from Wednesday"s game is the fact Westbrook had seven turnovers in the game, but they all came in the first quarter. He had no turnovers for the rest of the game while he was compiling one of the best triple-doubles in NBA history.
Stephen Curry vs Russell Westbrook PG Duel Highlights (2017.03.20) Thunder vs Warriors - SICK!
AP Published 5:34 p.m. ET March 18, 2017 | Updated 7:14 p.m. ET March 18, 2017
USA TODAY Sports" Sam Amick breaks down what has become a thrilling MVP race in the NBA. USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) posts up against Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena.(Photo: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Russell Westbrook had 28 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists to help the Oklahoma City Thunder roll past the Sacramento Kings 110-94 on Saturday.
The Thunder won their fifth straight the longest current streak in the NBA and moved into a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference, pending the result of the Los Angeles Clippers" game against Cleveland later Saturday.
Westbrook had a triple-double in each of the first four games of the streak to raise his season total to 34. He needs seven more in Oklahoma City"s final 13 games to tie Oscar Robertson for the NBA single-season record, set in the 1961-62 season.
Latest NBA news:
Georgios Papagiannis had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Sacramento, which had a two-game winning streak snapped.
A 7-0 run, capped by a basket by Buddy Hield, gave Sacramento its only lead at 10-9 less than six minutes into the game. Steven Adams" dunk started an 11-0 spurt by the Thunder and the Kings came no closer than eight points the rest of the game.
The Thunder pushed its lead to 22 points in the second quarter and led 63-41 at halftime after last-minute 3-pointers by Victor Oladipo and Westbrook.
Sacramento came no closer than 14 points in the second half, on a put-back dunk by Skal Labissiere that made it 87-73 with 9:18 left. westbrook re-entered the game, converted a three-point play, then assisted on a basket by Oladipo and a 3-pointer by Doug McDermott, pushing the Thunder"s lead to 95-75.
TIP-INS:
Kings: Tyreke Evans didn"t suit up due to what the team called a sore left ankle and Aaron Afflalo and Ben McLemore also skipped the game for personal reasons, leaving the Kings with only 11 players. ... Labissiere celebrated his 21st birthday by picking up three fouls in his first four minutes and scoring 13 points. His 32-point, 11-rebound outing on Wednesday in a win at Phoenix made him the first Kings rookie with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game since Lionel Simmons on April 9, 1991, against Dallas. ... Hield, who led Oklahoma to last year"s Final Four, received a loud ovation during pregame introductions.
Thunder: Westbrook has 71 career triple-doubles and needs seven more to tie Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the NBA all-time list. ... The Thunder are the sixth Western Conference team to win 40 games this season. ... Adams recorded his 13th double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds. ... McDermott went 8 for 9 from the field, including 4 for 5 from 3-point range, and scored 21 points
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Kings: Finish a difficult road back-to-back at San Antonio on Sunday.
Thunder: Host Golden State missing the injured Kevin Durant on Monday.
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Inside The NBA - Russell Westbrook, & James Harden Interview | Kevin Durant Interview
Brenda Hawkins" family and friends have joked that if Russell Westbrook ever goes missing, they"ll tell police to start the search with her.
There"s no bigger Russ fanatic.
She has replicas of every jersey the Thunder superstar has worn. She has copies of dozens of magazine covers he"s graced, including one from, of all things, a rural electric cooperative. She has bobbleheads and fatheads, paintings and posters.
Standing in The Russell Room in her Mesta Park home, she admits her love is extreme.
But she claims accomplices.
They buy me stuff, she says of those close to her, but then they turn around and go, You"re 60 years old. That room looks like a teenager"s room."
She laughs.
These days, she is hardly alone in her rah-rah for Russ. All-Star Weekend has been something of a celebration of Westbrook. The triple-doubles. The outrageous plays. The success sans Kevin Durant. Even though Westbrook won"t be starting the All-Star Game, it wouldn"t surprise anyone if he won his third consecutive All-Star MVP anyway.
Whatever happens Sunday and beyond won"t change how Brenda Hawkins feels about Russell Westbrook. That"s because he did more than capture her heart.
He saved her.
*
Brenda Hawkins and her husband, Terry, always loved basketball. For years, they had season tickets at Oklahoma State, their alma mater, but Eddie Sutton"s departure also led to theirs.
When the Hornets arrived in Oklahoma City, Brenda and Terry bought season tickets immediately. They loved the games, the entertainment, the excitement, and they were sad to be without basketball when the team returned to New Orleans in the spring of 2007.
Then a few months later, on Nov. 23, 2007, they suffered a personal loss.
Their son, Andrew, died.
He was only a few months out of college. Like his mom and dad, he"d graduated from OSU. He was working at Bank of Oklahoma and making plans to start law school. He was engaged to be married. Even though he had epilepsy, he had managed it and never let it slow him down.
The seizure that killed him was as unexpected as it was devastating.
Brenda and Terry grieved. So did their daughter Haley. Eventually, they had to resume daily duties, so Terry, a lawyer, went back to work at Phillips Murrah and Haley, a registered nurse, returned to her shifts at Integris. But Brenda who was retired after 22 years as a special education teacher and several more years as a court-appointed special advocate for children found the adjustment more difficult.
They went to work, she said, but I just kind of reverted.
The family owns a ranch near Mountain View in southwest Oklahoma, and Brenda spent many days there. That"s where Andrew is buried, and she would go to his grave and sit alone for hours.
I knew I was getting depressed, she said. I couldn"t help it. It was almost like somebody is pulling you somewhere. You just lose who you are.
She had been by her dad"s side as he battled depression late in his life, and she knew she didn"t want to take medicine for her depression. She worried she might have to take antidepressants for the rest of her life. Andrew wasn"t coming back, after all.
Eventually, she asked for help.
In 2008, she started seeing a grief counselor. The sessions helped, and yet, as summer turned to fall, Brenda still felt like she was in a fog. When she and Terry started going to Thunder games of course they"d bought season tickets when the team came to town she sat there in The Peake but wasn"t really there.
It"s like an out-of-body experience, she said. You"re trying to be involved.
And yet, she didn"t really see or feel or care.
Then, she began to notice Westbrook. He was just a rookie coming off the bench at first, but even when he was still Earl Watson"s backup, there was something about his energy and passion that caught Brenda"s attention.
Watching him play made her happy.
Admittedly, being happy made her feel guilty. How could she feel good when Andrew was gone? How could she be joyful when her kid wasn"t here anymore?
With the help of her counselor, Brenda realized that having a passion, a hobby, a diversion was good. Having something she could look forward to was even better.
Going to Thunder games and watching Russell Westbrook were a life saver.
I could start to feel, Brenda said.
She latched on and has never let go.
*
Brenda Hawkins" Russell Westbrook collection started with jerseys. Even though she wears the same blue one to games No. 0 and WESTBROOK on it of course she wanted every jersey he"s worn. The alternate ones. The Christmas game ones. The All-Star ones.
Then she went after trading cards.
Collecting baseball cards had been one of the things she and Andrew did together. They made special trips to add to their collection. They stood in long lines to get autographs.
So when Westbrook held his first basketball camp for kids, Brenda not only took a bunch of kids from the southwest part of the state she got to know them when she was a teacher or a court advocate for children but she also took several framed cards for Westbrook. She got to know his parents, his brother, and yes, Westbrook himself.
He was so thankful to her.
When he started popping up on magazine covers, she thought it would be nice to frame them, too. She did some for herself, but she figured he might also want them.
Brenda knows that he has the means to do all this for himself, but when she was teaching, she was forever helping someone with something. After she retired, she"d turned that attention fully to Andrew and Haley. For example, she made sure to have all of Andrew"s certificates and honors framed.
So when he got an office ... she said, her voice trailing off and her eyes misting up.
Andrew"s death left Brenda with a need to do for someone else. She gives lots of time and energy and resources to kids in the southwest corner of the state, not only taking some to basketball camp every summer but also providing a ski trip each winter, but she still has time for Westbrook.
It"s not for my Andrew, she said, but it"s for somebody that appreciates it.
*
Brenda Hawkins took to Russell Westbrook because of the way he played basketball, but the more she"s learned about how he lives his life, the more she loves him.
She lights up when she talks about the reading rooms that his foundation has funded at local low-performing elementary schools. She loves that he doesn"t just give to causes but is personally involved and engaged in the projects. She appreciates how tight he is with his family and doting he is on his wife, Nina.
Yes, Westbrook has some personality quirks and Brenda is totally OK with that.
She had a younger brother who had Down syndrome, and then she spent two decades teaching special ed and coaching Special Olympics.
Different, she has long said, is good.
And so, Brenda Hawkins proudly hoots and hollers and hoists a Westbrook fathead during games at The Peake. She sits only a few rows off the floor opposite the visitor"s bench, and she knows that some people around her in their high-dollar seats are probably rolling their eyes at her.
She doesn"t care.
Russell Westbrook made her happy again.
Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at (405) 475-4125 or jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok or view her personality page at newsok.com/jennicarlson.
Even their teammates knew this was a seminal moment. This was terrific.
This Stephen Curry scream almost made the last six months of drama worth it.
This wont stop us from reading the tea leaves every time they walk past each other, but maybe it should. Even Oklahoma City seems ready to move on. Now, so do they.
76ers Fan Explains Why He Flipped Off Russell Westbrook
The NBA has a boatload of attention-grabbing superstars to keep an eye on this season. But for sheer excitement, the player most worth watching this season is Russell Westbrook. No other player can rack up numbers and highlight-reel dunks like he can. A couple of caveats: Yes, Westbrook does have deficiencies. He can be reckless (4.28 turnovers a game last season, second most in the NBA) and overly aggressive (28 offensive fouls, second among all guards). And he is an average defender (42nd percentile in points per play). But that doesn"t make him any less fun to watch. Here"s why he"s a must-see event:
He will posterize anyone at any time
Part of what makes Westbrook must-see TV? His propensity to roar through a defense for an emphatic dunk. Consider this: Westbrook has nearly as many unassisted dunks in the past five seasons (122) as prolific slashers Dwyane Wade and DeMar DeRozan have combined (131) and more unassisted dunks than the total number of dunks by new teammate Victor Oladipo (116).
Most dunks by guards, last five seasons
In fact, Westbrook is the king of the unassisted dunk. A look at all players with at least 20 dunks in a seasons over the past five seasons shows that Westbrook does it at a higher rate and a higher volume than just about anybody (check out the blue dots below). And his numbers from last season (in which 57 percent of his dunks were unassisted) make him even more of an outlier.
Unassisted dunks by all players, last five seasons
Dots represent all players" single-season totals from 2011-12 through 2015-16, minimum 20 total dunks made
He"s a monster in transition
With the ball in his hands, Westbrook is always looking to create chaos -- and he does it well. Last season, no player had the ball in his hands in transition more often, and nobody produced more points, per Synergy Sports Tech. Westbrook"s totals: 374 times as a ball handler in transition, 398 points produced (1.064 points per play). Only a handful of players came remotely close to his numbers: James Harden, John Wall, Isaiah Thomas, Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
All players in transition, 2015-16He is remarkably athletic
His speed, power and toughness are widely recognized, as evidenced by the NBA"s newest general manager survey released last week. In a league full of eye-popping athleticism, Westbrook is the only player to receive GM votes in all three categories:
From 2016 NBA GM SurveyHe will be fine without Durant
Westbrook was second on the Thunder last season with 18.1 field goal attempts per game. Oklahoma City"s No. 1 option, Durant, is gone. But Westbrook has done this before, during the 2014-15 season in particular, and he"s more than capable of carrying the offense and, yes, playing efficiently. Below are Westbrook"s career numbers with Durant (527 games) and without him (61 games). In most instances, his numbers are improved without Durant -- even in categories like turnover rate and defensive rating.
Westbrook in games without Durant vs. with him
And another reason Westbrook will be fine: The Thunder have now built a roster specifically to survive the loss of Durant. True, Oklahoma City might not be as loaded as the Warriors or Cavaliers, but OKC"s core is all under 30 and on the rise. Below is a look at projected stats for Westbrook"s supporting cast:
Projected 2016-17 stats
Improvement from 2015-16 in blue, age in parentheses
All projections from ESPN.com, except Roberson (Basketball-Reference.com)
He"s become a triple-double machine
Westbrook racked up a league-best 18 triple-doubles last season, tying Magic Johnson for the most in a season since 1967-68. Could that total increase even more this season? It"s entirely possible. The Thunder offense will continue to be fast-paced, so there"s no reason to think his passing stats will diminish. And as Kevin Pelton points out in his Thunder season preview, Westbrook grabbed a career-high 18.1 percent of available defensive rebounds last season, nearly as much as the average for a power forward (19.2 percent). Below, a look at his totals since entering the league -- notice the recent spike:
Triple-doubles by seasonIt"s his franchise now
The Thunder franchise has had the remarkable good fortune to draft Durant, Westbrook and Harden in the past decade -- three Hall of Fame-caliber talents. But now that Westbrook is the only remaining superstar on the roster, he is on track to eventually lead the team in total win shares in the OKC era.
The top five win share totals in Thunder history (2008-09 to present):
It seems likely that Westbrook will eclipse Durant as long as he sticks around. He has averaged 9.4 win shares per 82 games in his career. At that pace and playing full seasons, Westbrook would surpass KD during the 2021-22 season, when he"ll be 33.
He could join an exclusive club
Projections have Westbrook averaging more than 25 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals this season. How impressive is that? Very, and historically rare. Only once in league history has a player averaged 25/8/8/2 in a season: Michael Jordan in 1988-89 (though keep in mind that steals weren"t officially tracked until the 1973-74 season). A look at Jordan"s numbers, along with a composite of Westbrook"s projected stats:
* Westbrook numbers are averages of his ESPN.com and Basketball-Reference.com projections.
Statistics courtesy of Synergy Sports Tech, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.com, StatMuse and NBA Miner.
Why RE-SIGNING RUSSELL WESTBROOK Is GREAT FOR OKC & Him!
When he agreed to sign an extension with the Thunder, Russell Westbrookinstantly became a hero in Oklahoma City. The fans showed that in full force on Thursday by showing out in a massivecrowd just to greet him for his press conference. Westbrook added to his cult status with well-crafted words to go along with his actions.
It might only be a matter of hours before someone is selling "Sting for who?" T-shirts in Oklahoma City. And that was hardly the only thing he said about Kevin Durant. Westbrook didn"t say anything obviously disparaging, instead answering Durant-related questions with a sense of ease that makes it seem like he really wasn"t bothered by it.
In a lot of these situations a player or coach or management might say something like, "It"s obviously a disappointment, but we have to move on and focus on the guys we have here." Not Westbrook. He wasn"t hung up about losing Durant and was instead focused on what comes next.
What comes next might be the MVP year of Russell Westbrook.
Kevin Durant, meanwhile, seemed happy for Westbrook:
"I got nothing but positive energy and vibes for everybody,"Durant told The Undefeated"s Michael Lee. "I don"t have no beef with anybody or wish no ill will on anybody. So if he did what he wanted to do, that"s better. That"s great for him."
Don"t think for a second that Durant"s decision hasn"t changed their relationship, though. As Westbrook mentioned, they haven"t spoken since the former league MVP decided to join the Warriors and Durant doesn"t know when they"ll finally be able to talk things through.
"That"s a touchy deal. I don"t know,"Durant told Lee. "It"s easy for someone else to tell me what I should do, but you guys don"t know how that whole thing [went down]. I don"t know, man. I"ll see after this is over and once everything dies down. Like I said before, at some point we"ll sit down and talk. But I don"t know when."
Westbrook and Durant appeared to be unconditional in their support for each other not long ago. Now Westbrook is dismissing how significant Durant"s departure was for him and Durant seems almost scared to reach out to his former friend.
This could be the beginning of a rivalry. The first time they go against each other as opponents will definitely be fun to watch.
By: Nate Scott| July 5, 2016 9:19 amFollow @aNateScott
Boston Celtics fans, if there was ever a time to get Russell Westbrook, it would be now.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been left reeling by the news that former MVP Kevin Durant will leave the team to join the Golden State Warriors, but with Russell Westbrook reportedly uninterested in signing an extension, the team needs to act fast before he becomes a free agent next summer.
Told emphatically by league source there"s no chance Russell Westbrook will do a renegotiation/extension of his contract (one yr remaining).
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 4, 2016
The team just got a max return when they traded Serge Ibaka for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and No. 10 overall pick Donatas Sabonis. Aweek later the Thunder lost Kevin Durant and gotabsolutely nothing in return.
If they dont think they can get Westbrook back, the Thunder need to act before the trade deadline in February and the Celtics have been waiting for a moment like this.
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
For years Danny Ainges acquisition of assets countless assets, all of the assets hasnt resulted in the superstar he wanted it to. But with a bunch of just-drafted first round talent, including No. 3 overall pick Jaylen Brown and several stashed European players, future picks (including a pick swap in nextyears draft with Brooklyn, the Nets first-round pick in 2018, and the Grizzlies first-round pick in 2019), and established talent on affordablecontracts in Avery Bradley, Jonas Jerebko, Marcus Smart and others, the Celtics have the pieces to make an offer that is extremely enticing.
If youre the Thunder, do you listen to a deal of Bradley, Jerebko, Brown, and the Nets first-round pick in 2018? Youre getting the No. 3 overall pick in this years draft, a 3-and-Dguy in Jerebko, and Bradley, who you can pair withOladipo in a new backcourt that will bedevastatingdefensively. All that anda future Nets first-rounder.
Im sure the Celtics dont want to do this, but they could alsoturn Jerebko into Jae Crowder in that same deal and then it becomes very hard for the Thunder to turn that down. (That one I actually think the Celtics would balk at. Westbrook could always leave after the season.)
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The Thunder cant afford to wait too long. Westbrook could leave whatever team hes traded to, and while I dont know if the Celtics do the above trade for half a season with no guarantees they might go for it with only one year promised.
In the Eastern Conference next year, a team built around Westbrook and new signing Al Horford could make a run. It would almost guarantee the Celtics a date in the ECF with LeBron and the Cavs. Why not make it happen now?
The Thunder should trade Russell Westbrook. Here"s why.
Boston, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook, NBA
