What is the Problem with Russell Westbrook?

Posted on by Jim Smarts

Almost everyone has seen Russell Westbrook during his time with the Thunder and everyone can agree that he was one insanely explosive point guard. The ferocity with which he dunks the ball still gets opposing fans out of their seats. And to top it all off, the guy is a walking triple-double machine. Now which team would not want such a player who is going to be the all-time leader in triple-doubles on their roster?

The answer is quite a lot. So what seems to be the problem with Westbrook? Well, for starters, even with averaging a triple-double for an entire season, Westbrook could not get his team past the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Now one might say that it is almost impossible for a single player to win championships but Westbrook has never been the lone wolf. Russell has played alongside Kevin Durant for eight years, Paul George & Carmelo Anthony for two years and a year and a half in Houston with his old teammate, James Harden. So it is safe to say that Westbrook has always had the helping hand of another scorer who could take on the offensive load off of him.

Yet his patience and resilience have not resulted in anything substantial apart from the single MVP award and now the all-time record for most triple-doubles in NBA history.

Since Westbrook’s departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, a lot of players have been pretty vocal about their feelings for Westbrook and describe him as difficult to be around.

But that is just the type of player he is. A hard-nosed, no-nonsense, old-school type player who will get up in the defender’s face with trash talk or just quite literally. Westbrook is the type of player anyone would love having on their team but would hate to play against him if that makes sense.

Currently, Westbrook is playing for the Washington Wizards, alongside all-star shooting guard, Bradley Beal. Russell also tied Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles in NBA history today as well. However, that does not fix the Westbrook problem.

Westbrook is a player who needs the ball in his hands constantly to generate offense. Moreover, Westbrook has a habit of not making the right play at the right moment. At times he takes it upon himself to will his team to victory, whereas at other times, it’s all about facilitating the ball, even if it means passing out on a free layup. And so far, the only player he had continued success with was his first dynamic duo partner, Kevin Durant.

But here is a theory and a player who can actually play well alongside Russell Westbrook and compliment his game too. And that player is none other than ‘The Joker’ himself, Nikola Jokic. The reason why I chose Nikola Jokic is because of the style of basketball he plays. Standing at 7′ feet, Jokic can handle the ball with ease which tends to be a problem for a majority of big men in the league. Plus Jokic is an excellent facilitator of the ball, finding his teammates left and right. And with Russell’s tendency to slash at the rim, Jokic would definitely be the best player to play alongside Russell Westbrook.

I hope this duo comes true someday so that we can actually witness the complete power of this dynamic duo.