Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook Is The Only Real Nba Mvp Choice

... "Atlas was permitted the opinion that he was at liberty, if he wished, to drop the Earth and creep away; but this opinion was all that he was permitted.". The Thunder are 31-7 when Westbrook has a triple-double. They have only won 43 games total. What he does — these consistently ridiculous performances that have to be reduced and boxed into the category of “triple-double” to be more easily understood — is wholly out of necessity. The Thunder needed Westbrook to have a once-in-a-generation season, otherwise they would be lost. They needed him to score 19 points in the fourth, or they would have lost to the Magic. They needed him to be their be-all and end-all, because that is the only way that they can survive, much less thrive. Inflated rebound numbers be damned — this is not a case of stats padding. Westbrook could very well ...

James Harden Vs. Russell Westbrook

... such a way that it sometimes appears that the system is running itself. And then there’s the matter of team success. The Thunder will likely head into the postseason as the sixth seed in the West; the Rockets have an outside shot at a championship. Westbrook has far less talent to work with and almost certainly maximizes the effectiveness of those around them. Harden’s doesn’t just get the most of his teammates. He uses them to bring to life a thoroughly evolved version of the game. But what Russell Westbrook has done this season goes beyond mere stats. We’re saying an absolutely transcendent athlete pushing himself to breaking point, refusing to yield, and never once looking back. In the end, Harden will likely be the 2016-17 MVP. In any other year, we’d be positively agape over his stats. And with the Rockets rolling like they have, it’s simply easier to point to his play as yielding results. But if there were any justice in the world, the two would be co-MVP’s. It’s not just that the race is a toss-up. Westbrook and Harden are totally different players having totally different seasons. And for that, they both deserve recognition. Watch ...

Can Russell Westbrook Catch The Big O

... twitter pinterest email comments. Russell is four triple-doubles away from tying Oscar Robertson's single-season record of 41. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman. Welcome to the home of our Thunder Buddies podcast, named, in part, from Universal Studio's highly-acclaimed comedy 'Ted', but inspired by our continued hope for wall-to-wall coverage of the Thunder. Below is our list of episodes (click the link to listen). If you prefer i Tunes for your podcast listening experience, click here and subscribe. Hope you enjoy. Thunder Buddies – Can Westbrook Catch The Big O? – Nine games to go. Can Russell Westbrook catch Oscar Robertson’s single-season record for triple-doubles? Brett Dawson, Jenni Carlson and Erik Horne sit down to discuss, plus discussion on the Thunder’s defense, Billy Donovan’s rotations and oppressive Orlando heat. Thunder Buddies – Warriors All 82 Crossover – The ...

Westbrook First To Notch Perfect Triple-double

... said. "He's surveying what's going on and what our team needs.". Mr. Perfect. Russell Westbrook became the first player to be perfect from both the field and the free throw line while notching a triple-double. In the third quarter, Westbrook actively turned down a couple of open looks from 3 to work the ball into the post. "Just making sure I'm on balance before I shoot," he said of the somewhat unusual shot discipline. "Sometimes I rush 'em, but trying to prepare myself and make sure I'm taking on-balance shots.". The 76 ers struggled containing Westbrook in transition, where he would rebound misses and instantly turn them into fast-break opportunities for the Thunder. Of his career 72 triple-doubles, five have come against the Sixers, the most he has had against any one team. "It's not a one-person job [to guard him]. It's an entire team," Sixers guard T. J. Mc Connell said. "We just have to clog his driving lanes, and he's going to get his. He averages a triple-double, for Chrissake, so it's tough for us to stop him.". Westbrook recorded his 35 ...

Things Get Chilly For Mavericks At Home As Russell Westbrook Orchestrates Furious Thunder Comeback

... 3-pointer at the buzzer. It extended the season-long run of mediocrity on their home court. The Mavericks have a poor record on the road and, at best, they have been lukewarm at home, before getting chillier against the Thunder. Things got even chillier on Monday. The loss ended a 1-3 home stand, which pretty much summed up their year at home. They also now are assured their first losing season since 1999-2000. They simply haven't been good enough at home to make up for a miserable 10-24 road record. "Bad teams generally play better at home - I think," Carlisle said before the game. "If you look at the teams that are really struggling this year that are in our range, they're winning a hell of a lot more home games than road games, I'm pretty sure.". The Mavericks actually are 14-7 at home since Seth Curry was inserted into the starting lineup in January. Curry sat out Monday's game to rest a sore shoulder that has been giving him periodic problems. He is not expected to miss more than the one game. Nevertheless, Monday's game typified this season. "Our situation is a little different," Carlisle said of the home ...

Russell Westbrook Scores Most Points Ever In Triple-double, 57

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Unbelievable' Competitive Drive Keeps Russell Westbrook Trucking

... they might as well have changed the name to RIP City. (At the time, Five Thirty Eight ballparked their chances to make the playoffs at 19 percent.) That’s when the Blazers made a move, one that’s obvious in its importance now but seemed less significant at the time. When Portland traded Mason Plumlee for Jusuf Nurkic, he had fallen so far out of favor in Denver that the Nuggets included a first-round pick to make the deal happen. No reasonable person could have predicted that Nurkic would then transform himself into a stat-sheet stuffer and a catalyst for the Blazers’ postseason push. “For whatever reason, our system didn’t work for him,” Nelson said. “I don’t know if it was him or our system, but somehow, some way, it didn’t work.”. Nelson said he was happy for Nurkic, and he added that the trade has “worked out well for both teams.” That’s ...

James Harden, Russell Westbrook Showdown Doesn't Provide Mvp Clarity

... against the Rockets' offensive barrage. The previous three meetings between the teams were all decided by one possession, but Sunday's game got out of hand early. The Rockets led by as many as 25, shooting 63.3 percent from floor and hitting 20-of-39 from 3. In the four matchups, Harden is averaging 20.5 points on 34.3 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds, 12.3 assists and 6.3 turnovers. Westbrook is averaging 36.3 points on 44.7 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 6.0 turnovers. The Rockets are 3-1 against the Thunder. The MVP is shrouded in ambiguity for a reason. It makes for great conversation and discussion, but it also makes for plenty of confusion as to what matters. Some point to Sunday's game and declare it's clear Harden has better teammates, and Westbrook is carrying a lesser team. Others, like many Rockets players postgame, would say Harden is the straw that stirs the drink and makes all his teammates better, while Westbrook's individual magnetism can stifle his team. "Over here at the Houston Rockets," Patrick Beverley said, in a way that felt quite shade-ish, "we're focused on winning games, playing the right way, being ...

Westbrook Can Finally Be Westbrook, And He Has Durant To Thank For It

... Westbrook , driving through Los Angeles with his window half down and a big smile across his face, was jamming to a Lil Uzi Vert song. Now I do what I want. A month earlier, Kevin Durant had left Oklahoma City to sign with the Golden State Warriors. With chatter circulating that the Thunder would trade Westbrook if he didn't commit to an extension, Westbrook re-signed and, in effect, took the keys to the organization and instantly became the new, solitary face of the franchise. The summertime Instagram post wasn't coincidental. Westbrook was about to get to do what he wants. Larry W. Smith/EPA. For the #Let Westbrook Be Westbrook movement, the time had officially come. Westbrook was headed for a season of impunity, liberated to play in complete freedom. No more questioning who took more shots, or if he was holding his ...

Kevin Durant Praises Russell Westbrook While Discussing Controversial Nba Rest Issue

... So I understand both sides. It's not like I'm taking sides at all," Durant told Chris Haynes of ESPN. "I understand both of them, but sometimes you may need a mental break from it, especially when you're that top-level player like Le Bron, Kyrie or Westbrook - though he doesn't sit out - and Harden. Sometimes you need that mental break away from the game, and I understand that.". It's interesting that he made sure to specify that, out of that group of "elite" players he listed, Westbrook doesn't sit out. That's one of the reasons fans absolutely love Westbrook, seemingly more machine than man at this point in his career. That's a show of respect from Durant, who knows better than anyone how hard Westbrook works to be on the court as much as possible. Russell also overcome a handful of significant knee injuries that would deter lesser talents. Instead, he's recovered and is now a leading Most Valuable Player candidate. Durant explained that he understands both sides of the argument, but has a bigger problem with that fact that only superstar players are causing an uproar from the league office. "The truth about it ...

Bench Harden, Russ And Lebron For The Fantasy Finals

... Towers Experiment has produced some manic depressive box scores. How about two absolute velvet-rope-class mega-fantasy superduperstars. If I were coasting going into game 82. I'd consider sitting Russell Westbrook and James Harden. There. I said it. I'll go one further: In a league that counts turnovers, in a coasting situation - it's mandatory. Westbrook is chasing triple-double history. As a man who can appreciate the epochal sprawl of a sports statistic, for me, from here through game 82, Westbrook is a mandatory must-watch. But stars can get sloppy down the stretch. They're tired. Off-rhythm final-week rotations cultivate inconsistency. And when Westbrook has a night when he shoots 37 percent from the field. he means it. If you roster Westbrook, you know he's capable of a 10-of-27 FG, 8 TO kind of night. Night-in, night-out Harden enthusiasts are willing to ...