In an NBA season where copious records have been set, in hindsight, Russell Westbrook will unequivocally be the name synonymous with 2016-17.
As NBA seasons and eras come and go each tends to have a definitive marker associated with it; this season that constant symbol and marker has been Russell Westbrook. Regardless if the question is asked now or in 50 years the answer will be 2016-17 was “the Season of Russell Westbrook”.
Granted, this is one scribe’s opinion. But, there is copious evidence offering proof to support the argument. Moreover, as you’ll discover later in this article the majority of respondents to my Twitter polls felt the same way.
2016-17: A Year of History Setting
Any NBA aficionado recalls specific years or moments and a majority will isolate common standout performances. Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game, Oscar Robertson’s triple-double season, Michael Jordan clinching the title on Father’s Day (the first after his father’s murder), or Kobe’s 81 point game.
This season has been punctuated with record-setting of gargantuan proportions. Consequently, several players have reached new benchmarks adding their names to all-time lists. Especially notable, Dirk Nowitzki became the sixth player (and first international player) to score 30,000 points. Likewise, LeBron James (8) climbed four spots on the all-time scoring list this season.
Teams are getting in on the record-setting action, specifically on offense. The average points per game (ppg) this season is 105.18. Comparatively, last season teams averaged 102.6 ppg.
Furthermore, all but one team is averaging over 100 points per game. In contrast, seven teams were under that mark with one scoring exactly 100 ppg last season. Consequently, analytics is driving offenses with increases in 3-point attempts and makes.
The Houston Rockets already surpassed the old record of 1,075 triple (1,080). As a result, they’ll be adding to their total as they finish out the season. Although, it’s not much of a stretch to see how Houston got there given they average over 40 attempts per game.
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The @HoustonRockets now have a record-setting 1,083 three-pointers made this season, 72 more than the entire NBA made in 1982-83. #Rockets50 https://t.co/YiRQiu0bGB
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) March 31, 2017
Triple-Double Explosion:
Last season the NBA registered 75 triple-doubles. While Westbrook leads the way with 18, Draymond Green had 13 with the next nearest player being Rajon Rondo who had 6. This year the Association has produced 102 such performances.
Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and LeBron James represent 68 of the total produced or 66.6 percent. As a result, Westbrook’s 38 represent 37.2 percent of the total.
All these individual records deserve recognition, but none compare to the fifty-five-year-old record(s) Westbrook is on pace to surely tie or break this season. Hence, the record setting is only part of the Westbrook storyline.
With that, let’s break down the myriad of reasons 2016-17 is the year of Westbrook.