Good point he sucks just because I say so
Westbrook is overrated
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Last: 9 yr ago by Original_NoOlives
Oh man I didn't even consider the butt hurt Spurs fan side of the argument. I guess I would hate on Westbrook too when my team is only a couple games ahead of an OKC team that has had their top two players out for a large portion of the season.
I'm a rockets fan but I'm sure spurs fans are so button hurt and crying into their 5 trophies
quote:
Oh man I didn't even consider the butt hurt Spurs fan side of the argument. I guess I would hate on Westbrook too when my team is only a couple games ahead of an OKC team that has had their top two players out for a large portion of the season.
You're so right. I was so upset when we beat OKC in route to our 5th championship.
Because the Spurs haven't been missing half their roster at some point or another.
Air tight argument
Air tight argument
quote:
Oh man I didn't even consider the butt hurt Spurs fan side of the argument. I guess I would hate on Westbrook too when my team is only a couple games ahead of an OKC team that has had their top two players out for a large portion of the season.
Lmao.
quote:
I'm a rockets fan but I'm sure spurs fans are so button hurt and crying into their 5 trophies
+1
quote:5 losses separate #7 San Antonio from #8 Oklahoma City. 4 losses separate #7 San Antonio from #3 Portland, and 6 losses separate SA from #2 Memphis.
Oh man I didn't even consider the butt hurt Spurs fan side of the argument. I guess I would hate on Westbrook too when my team is only a couple games ahead of an OKC team that has had their top two players out for a large portion of the season.
That's just The West, man.
I've been thinking about this a bit and I believe that some of the Westbrook criticism comes from the fact that he's had the misfortune of being saddled with a well-below-average offensive coach. Every basketball blogger in the country who focuses on scheme + Xs & Os rips on OKC's offense (or lack of one. they're basically running a college O in the NBA). So yea Westbrook is a ball hog and takes dumb shots, but he's not playing in an offense that routinely lets him facilitate or create for others. It's mostly drive and dish for him. Basically, Brooks is the worst possible coach for minimizing Westbrook's weaknesses because his idea of an offense is working on screens and picks in practice and then on gameday, rolling the ball onto the court and seeing what happens. And that's not on Westbrook. He can't help that his coach isn't scheming to bring out his strengths while using other players to cover his weaknesses. He can only play.
If OKC had grabbed Jackson a couple of years ago when he was just hanging out in Montana (because we all know Phil loves nothing more than stepping in as HC of a loaded team), we might have a vastly different opinion of Westbrook at this point.
As another comparison, look at how Popovich handled younger Tony Parker. You don't remember it now because Parker is older and has lost a few steps, but when Parker entered the league (and up until age 28 or 29), he was pretty darn close to Westbrook in speed and explosiveness. If you didn't get back on D in transition, he'd fire from halfcourt to the basket in a blink. There was a long stretch of seasons earlier in his career during which he was routinely included on the short list of fastest players in the league. As for range, you don't think of Parker as a 3pt shooter, but when you look at the percentages, Parker actually has a better career average than Westbrook (30.2% career average for Westbrook versus 32.4% career average for Parker). So their strengths and weaknesses were actually pretty similar. The difference is that Popovich knew range wasn't Parker's strength, so he didn't let Parker fire off a bunch of 3s. Conversely, he knew teams were terrified of Parker's speed, so he used that to stretch and warp Ds, creating passing opportunities for Parker and scoring opportunities for teammates.
All speculation obviously, but it's an interesting thought. Where would Westbrook be and would would we think of him if Westbrook had another coach?
If OKC had grabbed Jackson a couple of years ago when he was just hanging out in Montana (because we all know Phil loves nothing more than stepping in as HC of a loaded team), we might have a vastly different opinion of Westbrook at this point.
As another comparison, look at how Popovich handled younger Tony Parker. You don't remember it now because Parker is older and has lost a few steps, but when Parker entered the league (and up until age 28 or 29), he was pretty darn close to Westbrook in speed and explosiveness. If you didn't get back on D in transition, he'd fire from halfcourt to the basket in a blink. There was a long stretch of seasons earlier in his career during which he was routinely included on the short list of fastest players in the league. As for range, you don't think of Parker as a 3pt shooter, but when you look at the percentages, Parker actually has a better career average than Westbrook (30.2% career average for Westbrook versus 32.4% career average for Parker). So their strengths and weaknesses were actually pretty similar. The difference is that Popovich knew range wasn't Parker's strength, so he didn't let Parker fire off a bunch of 3s. Conversely, he knew teams were terrified of Parker's speed, so he used that to stretch and warp Ds, creating passing opportunities for Parker and scoring opportunities for teammates.
All speculation obviously, but it's an interesting thought. Where would Westbrook be and would would we think of him if Westbrook had another coach?
I agree.
Assuming that Westbrook would allow himself to be coached. These situations are always kind of chicken and egg. Is Westbrook a chucker because he has a bad offensive coach, or is Brooks a bad offensive coach because he has two superstar chuckers who balk at any offensive scheme that takes the ball out of their hands. Someone mentioned that maybe Phil Jackson could have molded Westbrook more positively, but Jackson coached Bryant for a long time and Bryant is the poster child (next to AI) of polarizing players who hurt their teams while putting up big numbers.
I suspect there was a window with Westbrook, but at this point it's probably too late for him to change, at least until he loses a couple steps. He's the best highlight reel in the game right now though.
I suspect there was a window with Westbrook, but at this point it's probably too late for him to change, at least until he loses a couple steps. He's the best highlight reel in the game right now though.
According to NBA.com, of the top 10 scorers, Westbrook is 3rd highest Efficiency
10 turnovers tonight. He needs to clean it up
Brewer is awesome on the fastbreak
I am starting to wonder "did Perk really mean this much to our defense" because since that trade it's been non existent
Goggles with another great run late in the game...then fouls out with a minute and half to go and not able to close. Shocking.
His turnovers are way too high
Westbrook was two rebounds and three turnovers from a quadruple-double in a loss to the Chandsome led Mavericks.
Pelicans and Thunder are tied in the loss column with the Pellies holding the tie breaker with 3-1 head to head.
Pelicans and Thunder are tied in the loss column with the Pellies holding the tie breaker with 3-1 head to head.
You guys act like okc was a top 4 seed before Durant was hurt. If memory serves, they were outside the top 8. It's not like Westbrook is derailing their season.
For the 19th game in a row (seemingly) Westbrook's main assignment goes off for a career high in every single statistic.
Seriously, guys come in to an OKC game averaging 3 points a game and score 30 when Westbrook covers them.
Great stats, not much of a player. Westbrook is kinda like Glenn Davis from the Astros a long time back. Guy hit 30 homers a year, but 28 were solo homers.
Seriously, guys come in to an OKC game averaging 3 points a game and score 30 when Westbrook covers them.
Great stats, not much of a player. Westbrook is kinda like Glenn Davis from the Astros a long time back. Guy hit 30 homers a year, but 28 were solo homers.
quote:That's more of a knock on the rest of the Astros for not getting on base, is it not? Not sure that is the best analogy.
Great stats, not much of a player. Westbrook is kinda like Glenn Davis from the Astros a long time back. Guy hit 30 homers a year, but 28 were solo homers.
But overall, I see your point
quote:Unless you were a Spurs fan who went into a comma in 1998 and just came out of it this year, I'm not sure that term exists.
the butt hurt Spurs fan side
I think Westbrook is phenomenally talented and has clearly taken OKC on his back like very few players could, and as a result is putting up remarkable numbers that no guy at his position short of Magic Johnson has ever sustained for such a stretch, and Magic was half a foot taller. However, the utter lack of defense and the thing with the triple-double request from the scorer's table rub people the wrong way. And the turnovers aren't exactly making the case for MVP stronger. OKC averages 1.043 points per possession. If 10 of those possession are Westbrook turnovers, that means he's costing them at least 10.4 points per game. That is horrific.
quote:
Unless you were a Spurs fan who went into a comma in 1998
Better than having a period, amirite?
Westbrook posted 16-4-7 with 4 turnovers and shot 31% from the floor in leading his team to a 39 point loss tonight.
quote:quote:
Unless you were a Spurs fan who went into a comma in 1998
Better than having a period, amirite?
quote:All while making a scene about 3 or 4 times in the game, throwing down and breaking his face mask, refusing to let any Spur help him up off the floor.
Westbrook posted 16-4-7 with 4 turnovers and shot 31% from the floor in leading his team to a 39 point loss tonight.
What a guy.
quote:Plus Spurs point guards Tony Parker and Patty Mills combined to shoot 14-20 from the field against Westbrook.quote:All while making a scene about 3 or 4 times in the game, throwing down and breaking his face mask, refusing to let any Spur help him up off the floor.
Westbrook posted 16-4-7 with 4 turnovers and shot 31% from the floor in leading his team to a 39 point loss tonight.
What a guy.
Maybe this is just what Patty has needed - to play against Westbrook.
This thread:
Wait, the Thunder played Wednesday night?
Man the Spurs are great to watch when they're clicking.
I'm interested though, in regards to Russell's defense, to go look at the comparisons before Kanter joined the team. Teams have figured out that he (Kanter) is clueless on pick and roll defense, and that is putting the Thunder in these awkward situations where Kanter (or McGary who is also very weak defensively) are matched up on PG's. Perkins, for as much as we loved to make fun of him, was leaps and bounds better defensively. Westbrook's always been prone some lapses on D, but when he's just matched up 1v1 on guys he can absolutely guard guys well just on pure size and athleticism alone. The bigger issue now is a team defense issue, and opposing teams playing chess while Brooks plays checkers.
Man the Spurs are great to watch when they're clicking.
I'm interested though, in regards to Russell's defense, to go look at the comparisons before Kanter joined the team. Teams have figured out that he (Kanter) is clueless on pick and roll defense, and that is putting the Thunder in these awkward situations where Kanter (or McGary who is also very weak defensively) are matched up on PG's. Perkins, for as much as we loved to make fun of him, was leaps and bounds better defensively. Westbrook's always been prone some lapses on D, but when he's just matched up 1v1 on guys he can absolutely guard guys well just on pure size and athleticism alone. The bigger issue now is a team defense issue, and opposing teams playing chess while Brooks plays checkers.
Bump. 10-32 shooting tonight in a loss. More shots attempted than points.
quote:
Bump. 10-32 shooting tonight in a loss. More shots attempted than points.
Impressive.
In an awful way.
quote:quote:
Bump. 10-32 shooting tonight in a loss. More shots attempted than points.
Impressive.
In an awful way.
9 of his 31 points came from the line as well. So it took him 32 shots from the field to get 22 points.
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But but but he got another triple double.
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