Fox Sports 1 talk show host and known Russell Westbrook critic Colin Cowherd slightly changed his opinion after debating OKC Thunder analyst Antonio Daniels on Tuesday.
By now, most Oklahoma City fans likely know Cowherd is a Russell Westbrook hater, but give the guy credit for listening to Daniels and changing his stance at least a little bit.
Cowherd, along with a large percentage of NBA fans, believe Russell Westbrook is difficult to play with because his high motor leads to a lot of unnecessary mistakes.
Some even go as far to say that Kevin Durant left because of Westbrook’s playing style.
Sure, Westbrook takes some bad shots early in the shot clock or commits silly turnovers trying to force the issue, but is it so bad that nobody wants to play with him? Not according to Daniels.
“He has 67 triple-doubles over the past two years. The Thunder are 53-14 in those games. If this ‘padding stats’ didn’t lead to W’s, I would get it. But, the fact of the matter is, when he’s getting triple-doubles over the past two years, they are winning 79 percent of the time. I have no problem with that whatsoever.
As Danilels addressed, Cowherd and many other Russell Westbrook haters argue that his stats don’t mean as much because he goes well out of his way to pad them. However, Thunder beat writer Royce Young made a great point in saying that if it were easy, everybody would do it.
Moreover, when Westbrook grabs the defensive rebound he can begin the rush upcourt, pushing pace and getting into a quick offense set. This is essential to the Thunder offensive style.
You might think Russell Westbrook just stat-padded his way to back-to-back seasons averaging a triple-double. But if it were just as easy as that, he wouldn't have been the first guy in 60 years to average one, and the first ever to do it twice.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 12, 2018
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When it comes down to it, Westbrook is a one-of-a-kind talent which Cowherd admitted to. If he’s not on the team, the Thunder would not be in the situation they are in now.
Would they still have Durant? That’s up for debate. What can’t be argued is that the Thunder would be in a better position because of it.
OKC couldn’t capture a championship with Durant, Westbrook and James Harden on the same team. So, it’s unfair to suggest they would have one with Durant and Harden alone.
Regardless of what anybody says, Oklahoma City fans have shown a lot of love to their superstar and the organization has paid him a lot of money for his effort and loyalty.
At the end of the day, nobody is perfect. There will be times Westbrook takes a bad shot or turns the ball over because he’s moving too fast, but the good far outweighs the bad.
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And, more than anything, with Westbrook on the team, the Thunder have a chance against any team in the league.