OKC Thunder: The adaptability of Westbrook’s game as he enters his 30’s

Defensive impact

On paper, since the 2013-14 season, Westbrook produced a clear positive plus/minus defensively (+3.1 last season). Despite the advanced statistics, Russell Westbrook has never been a serviceable defender. He gambles for steals far too often, is prone to ball watching, has frequent lapses guarding his assignment, and simply does not give the same awe-inspiring effort he does on offense.

When locked in, however, Westbrook has shown just how terrifying he can be as a defender, like when he clamped James Harden in their matchup last season:

Another fatal flaw of Westbrook defensive shortcomings is his propensity for nabbing defensive rebounds. He uses his verticality to beat practically anyone for the board, making him impactful in an area historically dominated by the bigs.

Defensive priorities

However, despite his gaudy rebounding numbers, Westbrook often sacrifices defensive positioning in lieu of adding a rebound to his numbers. Of all the players that averaged 10 or more boards a game last season (all 6’11” or taller), Westbrook had by far the least contested rebounds a game (2.2 or 21.6 percent of his total).

Prioritizing defense and awareness over rebounding would maximize Westbrook’s impact as he ages, allowing him to be a positive presence in more ways than one.

With a concerted effort on defense, the rebounding will easily come.