Russell Westbrook: The Ultimate Distributor

On the Receiving End

Two players stick out when looking at those who were on the receiving end of Westbrook’s assists during the streak last season, Kanter and Serge Ibaka.

The majority of Westbrook’s passes to Kanter ended with Kanter laying up or dunking an easy two points (usually after a pump fake that none of the league figured out), but Ibaka was used differently.

In the first 10 seconds of a game against the Hornets last season, Westbrook and Ibaka ran a simple pick-and-pop to get Ibaka an open jump shot from the middle of the court. Ibaka is an incredible athlete and can finish at the rim with authority, but his jump shot might be his most important offensive skill for the team.

Ibaka’s mid-range shooting is one of the best in the league, as shown by his shot chart from last season. The pick-and-pop against the Hornets was not a one-time incident, as the Thunder utilized Ibaka’s shooting ability often last season.

One of the most impressive aspects of Ibaka’s shooting last season was that he did so with a lack of spacing on the court. Morrow and Durant were the only other reliable outside shooters at the start of last season, and while Kyle Singler has shot well in the past, he played in less than 25 percent of the team’s games. With Kevin Durant, Morrow, Singler and D.J. Augustin all able to shoot from the outside, Ibaka will have more space for those shots this season.

Next: Turnovers