Russell Westbrook: The Ultimate Distributor
By Shawn Woods
Sharing the Load
As much as Westbrook succeeded in the pick-and-roll, the majority of his turnovers also came as a result of these sets.
One of the most intriguing questions going into this season will be if Westbrook can continue his performance from last season while sharing some of the load with Kevin Durant. While Westbrook’s counting stats may decline with the insertion of the former MVP into the lineup, it will clearly be the best thing for the offense.
With all due respect to Dion Waiters, Mitch McGary and Steven Adams, the majority of Westbrook’s assists that went to players like these three will end up in the hands of Durant this season, which could indirectly cause Westbrook’s turnovers to decline.
Durant’s shot chart from his MVP season should come as no surprise. He was fantastic from almost every area of the court, and spent the majority of the season doing it without Westbrook. The pick-and-pops that resulted in shots from players not named Ibaka normally ended in misses. Having Durant on the receiving end of those pick-and-pops will result in a more efficient offense and could prevent Westbrook from forcing the action too often in the pick-and-roll.
Of course, Westbrook could help himself by avoiding turnovers such as this one.
Westbrook’s season averages of 28 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds is outstanding and only matched by some of the greatest players ever. With a few tweaks and the addition of one of the best players in the world, there is a lot for the Thunder to look forward to this season.