Wednesday Bolts – 5.11.11
Henry Abbott of TrueHoop on Russell Westbrook: “Kevin Durant has notably better efficiency with notably lower usage than his teammate. There’s also just something about seeing the point guard dribble up, pass not even one time, and take a shot. You only get so many of those before the basketball gods get antsy. Realize this is no condemnation of Westbrook, a wonderful young player. Just a “things to work on” kind of note. The point is merely that if his three or four toughest shots per game were, instead, passes, then the Thunder’s offense would be better.”
Shoals with more on Westbrook: “Then there’s Westbrook, who lives in some alternate dimension halfway between the Thunder’s nerdy virtuosity and the Grizzlies‘ unhinged defiance. The question may not be is Westbrook bad for Durant, but do Russell’s teammates even really understand him anymore? It’s entirely possible that Westbrook may be an altogether more ambitious kind of ball-hog, one whose differences with the team are philosophical, not personal. And in that, they’re more of a problem than ever.”
Mike Tokito of OregonLive.com: “Last night’s game was a classic, but it did little to settle the brewing controversy about Westbrook’s shot selection. He took 33 shots, making 15, while Durant took 20, making nine. It continued the playoff-long trend of Westbrook taking way more shots (22.1 per game) than he did during the regular season (17.0), while Durant’s attempts haven’t varied much during the playoffs (20.2) from the regular season (19.7). Compounding the issue is the fact that Westbrook’s assists are down to 6.7 per game in the playoffs, from 8.2 during the regular season.”
John Hollinger of ESPN.com on Westbrook: “Another aspect that gets far too little attention, and has really become apparent to me in the two rounds I’ve spent covering the Thunder in these playoffs, is how frequently plays called for Durant break down. In those situations, Westbrook is basically forced to improvise a shot — sometimes a poor one — because he’s often the only other Oklahoma City player on the floor who can reliably generate a halfway-decent look. Despite all that, there’s an unquestionable tension in his game, a fight between the yin of aggressively using his athleticism to take over the games and the yang of getting the rock to Durant. I’ve seen him try to take over games that Durant had already taken over. I’ve also seen him tilt too far the other way (though admittedly less often), and ignore a promising matchup because he’s trying so hard to be a “true” point guard. Either way, he can’t win. Not unless Durant takes 65 shots and Westbrook plays like assistant coach Mo Cheeks, which has no chance of ever happening.”
Berry Tramel writes that Memphis doesn’t have an answer for Westbrook: “Frankly, if Durant wants more shots, he need not look at Westbrook. He need look in the mirror. Westbrook hasn’t been ignoring Durant. Hasn’t been derelict in his point-guard duties. Hasn’t passed up passes to the two-time NBA scoring champ. If Durant wants more shots in this series, he’s going to have to work harder. Battier and Allen aren’t going to let loose of their grip. Aren’t going to give him six inches of space. Last round with Denver? Next round with Dallas, should the Thunder advance? Maybe the game eases for Durant. No Battier, no Allen. But Memphis has the Durant antidote, which can lead to Durant being a mere decoy. That’s not all bad. Brooks said the Grizzlies’ commitment to stopping Durant can create mini-fast breaks on the backside. That’s because the Thunder has Westbrook. Butch to Durant’s Sundance Kid.”
Zach Lowe of SI: “The misconception about the Thunder’s late-game offense is that the team isn’t running plays — or that Westbrook is breaking those plays to isolate. That’s wrong. The Thunder are (usually) running plays, but they’re either running them very late in the shot clock or running them without a backup plan — or both. The result is that if defenses are able to stymie that first action, one of the Thunder’s stars is left holding the ball with the shot clock running down and a bunch of inactive teammates watching. Because Westbrook is the team’s nominal point guard, he’s often left to create for himself in bad situations.”
Sebastian Pruiti for Basketball Prospectus on Westbrook’s postgame: “In limited opportunities this series, Westbrook has had some success posting up, scoring six points on five total post up possessions (1.20 Points Per Possession) on 60% shooting. With the much smaller Mike Conley defending him, Westbrook can easily use his strength to back him down and then use his athletic ability to finish at the rim.”
