The Oklahoma City Thunder is on a roll right now. As of this writing, Paul George has scored an average of 30+ points in three consecutive wins and the bottom of it all is that they are playing without their premier star Russell Westbrook. Russ is still listed on the injury list due to an arthroscopic right knee procedure but should be back on the team anytime from now.
This development of winning momentum for the Thunders even without Westbrook, however, has triggered some comments and debates on some social media platforms. Questions arise that if Russell Westbrook is the cause why Oklahoma City Thunder is not moving to the next level of NBA championship ladder.
Many criticized Russell Westbrook for being a ball hog and the number of minutes he has the ball in his hands during the game. While there are some critics, there are also many fans praising Westbrook for his athleticism, loyalty, and for being the heart and soul of the Oklahoma team.
The Russell Westbrook Effect.
Many observe this due to a phenomenon that a lot of good players, blossomed into great franchise players when they got out of the shadow of Russell Westbrook.
Over the years, due to trades and players movement within the league, a trend can be observed if players' performance improved or deteriorated whenever they transferred to other teams.
The likes of James Harden, Victor Oladipo, etc., and if you can consider it, even including Kevin Durant. A lot of these players have reached another level of stardom when they got out of Oklahoma and become premier stars on their own.
It may be unfair to accuse Russell Westbrook in all of these but also you cannot ignore the fact that his style of play and leadership can somehow gravitate other players and not reach their full potential.
Other Coaches Are Noticing It Too.
I even heard at one interview about two years ago that Steve Kerr commented that OKC is one of the easiest team to beat come closing minutes of the game and when the score is just at the striking distance. The reason why he may have mentioned that is that of the offense predictability. The ball should be on Westbrook's hands, all you have to do is concentrate your defense on him. He may score and do some incredible shots on some plays but the likelihood of high turnover ratio can also work against them.
What Now? What Should OKC Do?
It may be too early to conclude but a major step should be done to improve OKC's performance. It's been a lot of years that people are looking for them to achieve another level, especially during the playoffs.
In my opinion, it is not necessary that OKC needs to dispatch or trade Russell Westbrook at this time. He is one of the most talented players in the NBA ever. His athleticism is bar-none superior to most players out there, however, his role as a facilitator and decision maker is suspect especially during crunch time.
He should be delegated as a shooting guard. And that at the onset of their offensive possession, the game should start rolling from either Paul George or other point guards of the team. He can then be used as a major offensive threat where opposing teams can be confused who to guard even the ball is not in his hands. He is still a firepower that can well take over the game at any given night.
What about you? What do you think? Should Russell Westbrook be traded while his value is still high and get another primetime player? Or should Oklahoma stick it out with him until the end of his career in the NBA?
Please share us your thoughts below and let us hear from you.
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