Russell Westbrook is widely regarded among the flashiest, most well-rounded players of this generation and the greatest point guards in NBA history; his astronomical 22.8 PPG/8.4 APG/7.4 RPG career average, Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, 9 All-Star selections, and 9 All-NBA nods speak to his impact on the game. NBA fans adore Brodie for his on-court hustle, spicy game-winners (sorry Nuggets fans), and mind-boggling triple-doubles.

Russell Westbrook celebrates trade to Lakers with 2 blunt statements - Lakers Daily

Westbrook with the Los Angeles Lakers – Justin Benjamin, Lakers Daily

Unfortunately, fans are forgetting these cherished moments because of Westbrook’s disastrous stint with the Lakers this past season. Westbrook averaged a 17.5% turnover (TO) rate (he loses the ball nearly 1 out of every 5 possessions), which ranked as the 5th worst TO% in the league last season. Moreover, the Lakers failed to even make the play-offs, let alone the play-in tournament. Westbrook endured a majority of the blame for the club’s failure, thus begging the following question: is Russell Westbrook’s NBA career over?

 

Westbrook’s issues always existed during his legendary Thunder tenure

What next for Russell Westbrook after Thunder trade Paul George? - SBNation.com

Westbrook with Oklahoma City Thunder – Tom Ziller, SBNation

Westbrook’s well-rounded arsenal as an athletic, high-volume scorer and extravagant passer can carry teams with playoff aspirations, but they limit how deep these teams advance in the playoffs. After Kevin Durant infamously left the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook became the Thunder’s leader both on the court and in the locker-room; however, his leadership amounted to little team success.

In his 2016-17 MVP season, Westbrook averaged an impressive 30-point triple-double (double digit value in three statistical categories), broke the single-season triple-double record, and carried the 6th-seeded Thunder to the playoffs, but the glory ends there. The Rockets scraped past the Thunder and Westbrook’s mere 37.4 PPG, 10.8 APG, and 11.6 RPG in 5 games. Unfortunately, the Thunder suffered the same fate in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons: they performed well in the regular season but couldn’t advance past the first round of the playoffs. Long story short, Westbrook cost the Thunder an arm and a leg during his tenure.

So, why couldn’t Westbrook lead the Thunder past the first round from 2017-19? Westbrook’s dumb decision-making may have decimated the team––he only turned the ball over about 5.3 times per game in the playoffs from 2017-2019, after all! His turnovers put the Thunder on ice offensively. Even worse, his turnovers helped opposing teams more easily thrash the Thunder on defense. Along with his turnover-prone dribbling, Westbrook’s scoring efficiency evaporated; without KD, Westbrook bricked the ball 3 out of every 5 times. His teammates couldn’t rely on him offensively, and let’s not even discuss his defense. A brook can trouble teams better than him!

 

Has Westbrook changed his clearly selfish style of play?

Paul George -- Knew Russell Westbrook, James Harden pairing with Rockets would work

Harden-Westbrook guard duo in Houston – Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN

Not quite! Westbrook expects teams to adjust to his ball-dominant playstyle. This selfishness resulted in his being traded three times to the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Lakers, his current team.

Westbrook first landed in Houston, reuniting with ex-Thunder teammate James Harden. Westbrook was the clear second option on the team; believe it or not, he set aside his ego for the team’s playoff aspiration. Westbrook handled the ball less and instead scored off of Harden’s dribbling. His mindset adjustment resulted in his averaging 32.9 points, 7.3 assists, and 7.8 rebounds on respectable efficiency during January and February 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily ended the season and disrupted Westbrook’s rhythm. Once the NBA resumed, Westbrook reverted to his old habits. As a result, the Rockets embarrassingly lost to the Lakers in the second round.

Wizards: Russell Westbrook is trending up at the right time

Westbrook with the Washington Wizards – Christopher Jeter, Fansided

After his 2020 Houston stint, Westbrook joined Bradley Beal and the Wizards, where he was once again the second option. Impressively, he averaged a triple-double for the 2020-21 season and broke the all-time career triple-double record, but these
statistical accomplishments highlight the issue at hand: his selfishness and stat-hunting tendencies. To make matters worse, the Wizards finished that season with a losing record and, as you guessed it, couldn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs.

Westbrook was then traded to the Lakers, where his disastrous tenure prompted the writing of this blog.

 

So…can Westbrook stay in the NBA?
Absolutely, he can! His opportunity, however, depends on his commitment to non-ball-handling duties. Westbrook’s athleticism isn’t what it once was, but he still has the athletic tools for scoring–just look at his slam on Rudy Gobert. Reduced ball-handling would mitigate his turnovers and help him save energy for defense. NBA draft scouts sought after Westbrook for his supposed defensive motor, so maybe Westbrook finally delivers? If Westbrook doesn’t take these strides, his first-ballot hall of fame career might as well be over.