The NBA Playoffs are long underway. While some teams have had their uprising moments and upsets, none have caught my eye more than the Oklahoma City Thunder. More specifically, their starting point guard, Russell Westbrook. Widely regarded as a top-10 player in the world, Westbrook has had himself a fantastic past few seasons. If there’s anything that Westbrook’s 2018-19 season has told me, it’s that he’s a terrific player numbers-wise. But, this year, he has to prove he can be a winner too.
2015-16: One Win Away
Flashback to the 2015-16 season. The Thunder finished with a 55-27 record, third in the Western Conference. Instead of being on the Warriors, Kevin Durant was on the Thunder with Westbrook, forming one of the NBA’s best duos. Westbrook averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, further staking his claim as one of the NBA’s best players.
Their road ended with the Thunder making their deepest playoff run since their 2012 NBA Finals appearance. They’d blow a 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals. Although the Thunder fell short, Westbrook specifically established the Thunder as a team to fear the next season. This, of course, was done with the help of Kevin Durant.
Westbrook, at that point, was someone who we all knew could win games and perform in the big moments (I reiterate again, with Kevin Durant). At this point, the Thunder should be seen as the Finals favorite going into the 2016-17 season, right? Not quite.
2016-17: Single-Season Triple-Double King
That offseason, even after coming one game away from the Finals, the Thunder would lose their best player. Kevin Durant would join the Golden State Warriors as an unrestricted free agent and leave Russell Westbrook as the franchise player in Oklahoma City.
Westbrook had already proven to be a star and was expected to bring the Thunder to at least the second round of the playoffs. His record-breaking regular season included 42 triple-doubles (most for a single season in NBA history) and averages of 31.6 points, 10.4 assists, and 10.7 rebounds. This amounted to his first MVP.
In his first season without Durant, Westbrook goes on a triple-double spree. If we go by the numbers, then yes, Westbrook is without a doubt a bonafide top-10 player. Up to that point, he would’ve been remembered as one of the triple-double kings of the league. But that’s pretty much it. A player’s legacy has a lot to do with the wins he’s able to put up for his team. That season, the Thunder finished 47-35 and included a first-round exit from the Houston Rockets (4-1).
As I said before, Westbrook was considered a superstar in the league. He was the MVP. When I talk about the legacy of a player, they must prove they can win. Westbrook hasn’t done that, and that season was a prime example. He couldn’t put up enough wins, yet still became MVP of the league because he averaged a triple-double.
Why not give him the MVP the next season, or this season, considering the fact that the case is the same. But a counter-argument will be that Westbrook didn’t have enough “help” that season, and that’s completely understandable. Enter Paul George.
2017-18: Paul George and Carmelo Anthony
As Durant exited in the 2016 offseason, 2017 saw the Thunder trade for former Pacers F Paul George and former Knicks F Carmelo Anthony. To keep it in perspective, Westbrook had shown he couldn’t get the job done without Kevin Durant. Now that he had two all-stars by his side, maybe that could change, right? Still, not quite.
Even with the influx of trades made by Oklahoma City in the 2017 season, Westbrook was still the best player on the team. For the second straight season, he averaged a triple-double with 25.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 10.3 assists. Once again, Westbrook was great when it came to stats. And, if it wasn’t clear already, Westbrook’s legacy is solely based on how many triple-doubles he gets and not about how many games he wins.
To further my claim, the Thunder would finish with a 48-34 record (sixth in the West). I remind you that this Westbrook-led team had the services of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Despite all of that, the Thunder suffered a first-round exit. This came at the hands of the Utah Jazz who defeated them 4-2. What this season proved is that Westbrook, even with two all-stars, couldn’t get the job done.
The counter-argument to that? Carmelo Anthony. But guess what? Melo wasn’t the problem, Westbrook was. I’m a strong believer that if one player isn’t performing the way they should, that just means someone has to step it up. Anthony averaged 12 points on 38% shooting. Westbrook averaged 29 points on 40% shooting. The difference? Anthony averaged 12 shots a game while Westbrook averaged a whopping 27.
Anthony had been underperforming all-season, making his showing against the Jazz not surprising. Westbrook, on the other hand, took 27 shots and was only able to knock down 11 of them. That’s more than just disappointing.
There’s also no need to discuss Paul George simply because of the fact that George shot better than Westbrook in their six games. But, he’s not to be discussed more so because people didn’t blame him for the series loss. They did blame Melo.
Westbrook, without a doubt, is a great player but, once again, this all goes back to the fact that his legacy is a mere depiction of the numbers he puts up. Triple-doubles are nice and all, but even with the two other all-stars, he still couldn’t distinguish himself as a winner. For those Westbrook fans who say Carmelo was the reason for that edition of Oklahoma City demise, let’s take a look at this season.
2018-19: Best Post-Durant Season Yet?
This year, OKC got rid of Carmelo Anthony. The team was left with Paul George and Russell Westbrook to will them to new heights. The expectations for the 2018-19 Thunder were sky high. After the Warriors and the Rockets, they were considered the third-best team in the West.
Westbrook once more averaged a triple-double with 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. But, for at least the games leading up to the All-Star break, Westbrook had put the Thunder in a winning position.
Pre-All-Star break, the Thunder had the third best record in the West. This was largely due to the fact that, although it was still Westbrook’s team, the ball had to be in his hands less. Paul George would rise to prominence as an MVP candidate, and his stats showed that.
I’ve gone in depth before about how the Thunder have fallen off. Westbrook (as the leader of this team) should be the one bringing the Thunder together in times where their play has struggled mightily. As covered in the article, that wasn’t the case. The Thunder would drop down all the way to the sixth seed as THE worst shooting team in the NBA.
Long story short, Westbrook, once again, averaged a triple-double to add onto a legacy that’s all he’d be remembered for. Just when it looked like he could add the slightest of winning pedigree, the Thunder lose momentum in the second half of the season. Now, the Thunder are matched up with the Portland Trailblazers while trailing 1-2 in the series.
Westbrook’s legacy is at stake simply because he can’t win when it counts. Comparing Westbrook to his point guard adversaries puts him at a major disadvantage. The most common names in the NBA’s best point guard conversation includes Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry. Kyrie Irving? Championship pedigree. Stephen Curry? Championship pedigree. Russell Westbrook? Triple-double king?
Rusell Westbrook has to prove he can win; especially without the help of Kevin Durant. Because, although he’s been one of the NBA’s premier players, he’s shown me that he’s nothing more than someone who can fill the stat sheet. Triple-doubles are amazing, and what he’s doing may never be done again. But, that may be all that he’s remembered for in the end.
Westbrook must make a deep playoff run, and that’s, at minimum, a Conference Finals appearance. As he and the Thunder trail 1-2 in the first round, there’s no question that his legacy is at risk of being tarnished if he can’t make it to at least there.