Thursday Bolts – 10.16.14
Russell Westbrook is ranked No. 6 by SLAM: “But the thing that becomes fascinating with Westbrook is that he has the chance to make a run at the No. 1 spot for 2015-16. In two months, when the Thunder bring back the “elegant assassin” and OKC has first place in the League in consideration, would Westbrook begin to garner MVP votes? What could Westbrook’s statistical increases look like? How would Westbrook evolve as a leader of men in his practices, his huddles and his relationships on the team? Could Serge Ibaka average 20-plus points a game? Will Westbrook get to the line 15-plus times a game? We don’t even know if Westbrook’s actually capable of doing any of this, mostly because he hasn’t had to do it since he was in high school.”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com previewing the Thunder: “Assuming Durant undergoes surgery and misses six to eight weeks as expected, projections show the Thunder’s win total dropping by 2-3 games. Since Oklahoma City finished just two games ahead of the Clippers for the second seed in the West, and L.A. had the superior point differential (+7.0 vs. +6.3), that could be enough to drop the Thunder to third. That would likely mean winning two series on the road to get back to the NBA Finals. If Durant is sidelined longer, Oklahoma City could slip into the conference’s second tier, putting the Northwest Division title and home-court advantage in the opening round in jeopardy. It’s possible that the Thunder will get healthy, emerge from the gauntlet that is the West playoffs and end this season as champions. Any other scenario, however, will start the clock counting toward Durant’s free agency and possible departure.”
Be sure to check Pelton’s player profiles too: “Remarkably, Westbrook managed to record the league’s highest usage rate (a career-high 34.4 percent of the Thunder’s plays) while playing alongside the NBA’s MVP and leading scorer. Such aggressiveness will always make Westbrook unpopular with fans and analysts who prefer a traditional point guard. But Westbrook also improved his assist rate, the second highest of his career. He’s gradually harnessing his game without losing the aggressive mentality that makes him impossible to contain off the dribble. For example, Westbrook attempted more 3-pointers last season. While that might not seem good for a 31.8 percent shooter, when adjusted for the extra point, Westbrook’s effective field goal percentage on those shots (.477) is much better than what he shot on 2-pointers from beyond 16 feet (.415, per Basketball-Reference.com). Westbrook has also developed a back-to-the-basket game that is useful against smaller defenders.”
There’s a thing called Come Home KD.
Darnell Mayberry looks at winners and losers of KD’s injury: “Anyone who thinks this sudden opportunity to play the role of Batman is somehow a good thing for Westbrook is fooling themselves. Point guards long to have an option like Durant by their side. They don’t cherish a chance to prove what they can do without a scorer who makes the game so much easier for everyone else. Furthermore, think about what Westbrook will now be up against. He’s about to go from the secondary focus of defenses on most nights to the primary focus every night. Teams will design their entire game plan to stop him. Westbrook is talented enough to notch his share of victories. But you lose that game more than you win. Above all, Westbrook wants to win. And without Durant by his side, Westbrook knows what everybody else does: the Thunder simply isn’t nearly as good of a ball team.”