The Russell Westbrook Implosion

Why an inefficient one-man show is no formula for success.

NBA

Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to implode this year. The combination of Westbrook’s selfish alpha ego and the media’s ability to create conflict and reinforce false beliefs will mix into a concoction that OKC cannot contain.

The sinking ship started when Kevin Durant left town. The media went to work when it got wind that Westbrook felt slighted on KD’s way out. Reporters did not report but rather writers wrote. They set up a narrative that KD wanted out of OKC and away from Westbrook. Writers took any quote from KD’s honest reflection about his new team and “twisted” it to fit their story.

In reality, KD took an opportunity for his own personal growth as a man and as a basketball player in joining the Warriors. He then gave an honest assessment about his new team’s “selfless” environment. Last year the Warriors led the league in assists by a whopping 3.3 assists per game. The difference between the Warriors and second on-the-list Hawks is same gap as between the Hawks and the 13^th ranked Nets. “Selfless” is exactly how you describe that kind of environment.

When a reporter relayed KD’s comments Westbrook took the bait. He responded with a “that’s cute” and “we’re going to worry about all the selfish guys we have over here apparently.” Westbrook clearly took it as a dig and his bothered reaction is only going to cause writers to stroke the fire all season.

Westbrook is in fact a selfish player. He’s all-world athlete at the point guard position but he ball hogs. His two most recent all-star games tell a story.

In 2016 on the West’s team he missed as many shots (11) as Kobe Bryant attempted (11). He heaved up a 7-17 line from three-point range, his weakest skillset. He took more three-point shots than stud deep rangers Curry (13), Harden (12) and Thompson (10). He missed more threes in the game than each of ice-cold Thompson’s 3-10 and KD’s 1-8.  He had more turnovers (3) on his team than anyone other than Paul (4) who dropped 16 dimes versus Westbrook’s 5. In 2015, coming off the bench he still missed more shots (12) than seven of his teammates attempted. He dished out one assist in over 25 minutes.

Unfortunately, both games he was awarded the game MVP mainly because he racked up the most points on the winning team. His selfish gameplay continually gets reinforced from applause from all around. Pundits construe his style as pure aggression and killer instinct. Westbrook is exciting to watch, but his efficiency will doom his team.

It is only fitting that Mr. Kobe Bryant would praise Westbrook has having a similar killer instinct. In Westbrook’s second game this season he scored 51 points, but on an atrociously high 44 attempts. That efficiency is old-Kobe bad. There is a reason Kobe shooting poorly resulted in cellar dweller Lakers. The fact that Kobe’s final night overshadowed a 73-win season mark is reflective of a misinformed audience. Yes, Kobe scored 60 points, but on 50 shots! Take Curry’s efficiency that same night and double his shot attempts and he is bucketing over 92 points.

The fallacy that individual points scored regardless of efficiency doomed the Lakers the past few years and it will doom the Thunder. Without KD and with Westbrook leading the charge in 2015 the Thunder missed the playoffs. This year Westbrook will continue to drop stat stuffing numbers, but the Thunder will struggle. Factor in they lost their defensive stalwart in Serge Ibaka who also spaced the floor. The team that led the world in standing around and watching one of their two guys go one-on-one, lost their most efficient one-on-one guy in KD. They are now turning the reins to Westbrook to take on the world by himself.

Sure the Thunder won their first two games. But a late comeback win against the Sixers? And overtime at home to the Suns? Please.

Best case scenario the Thunder are either James Harden’s Rockets last year or Anthony Davis’s Pelicans two years ago that eked out a bottom spot in the playoffs only to get tossed in the first round. Maybe for the Thunder and their small market, making the playoffs is gold, but for Westbrook it will not be enough. Writers will continue to remind him how far away from a championship he truly is.

His 44-shot night shows how little faith he has in his teammates. When things start to go bad, Westbrook won’t ease up on the gas and try to work his teammates in more. He will spurn his trust that others can get it done and assume that he can do it all. He started to become this player even with the four-time scoring champ by his side.

Without KD, Westbrook will imagine it is Russ or bust. But the day will come when all Russ is bust. When that realization occurs the question is does Westbrook stay in OKC?

Draymond Green is the Warriors’ Most Indispensible Player

NBA

If one of Steph, Klay or KD is out due to injury the Dubs can still compete for a championship. No chance if Draymond goes down. Why? Because defense wins championships.

Draymond Green is the Warriors’ key to reclaiming the throne. His defensive versatility and formidability keeps the Dubs championship contenders. They won the title in 2015 with Draymond as the main defensive cog when he was robbed of Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award. If after last year Kawhi Leonard has established himself as DPOY stud #1, then Draymond is 1A and everyone else takes a number behind them.

We know the Warriors have the offensive firepower. That is even more evident with the arrival of KD. But with the addition of KD came the subtraction of Bogut and Ezeli. The two big body centers provided a key aspect of “rim protection,” everyone’s favorite buzzword phrase to describe the Warriors weakness. I understand that blocks is an easily digestible stat and observing the last line of defense swat the ball away is sexy. But rim protection is not what made the Warriors a top defensive team the past two years. What made them elite and will keep them there is their first line of defense, their ability to disrupt the offense.

Basketball offense is predicated on getting open and mismatches. It is why every offense runs screens to free up men for open looks or place men in superior matchups. A mismatch is where Steph torches big men out on the perimeter. It is where the Grizzlies’ ZBo and Gasol and the Spurs’ Aldridge pound on little men on the block. It is when Griffin “outathletes,” Lebron outmuscles and Harden “outquickens” their guy.

What Draymond does is level that equation. He bangs with the seven footers and moves with speedsters. This allows the Warriors to switch on every screen reducing open looks and containing mismatches. With Draymond hovering the Dubs use their wing length to rotate and contain. Their primary is not blocking every shot but rather making every option not a good one. It is why the Death Lineup is the scariest of it all.

The Warriors blew out a lot of teams last year with their centers playing the main minutes because they were simply better than their opposition. But what pushed the Warriors into a 73-9 stratosphere was the Death Lineup. Steve Kerr employed it in close games to separate and in trailing games to flip it. If you are unaware of its consistency, it is where undersized Draymond plays center and Steph, Klay, Iguodala and now Durant (formerly Barnes) fill out the small ball lineup.

The Death Lineup creates all the floor spacing and offensive mismatches the Warriors utilize. Opposing defenses cannot keep up. The Dubs become a scoring juggernaut but it is their personnel (specifically Draymond) that solidifies them as a defensive force. With the Death Lineup last season the Warriors outscored their opponents by 47 points per 100 possessions. Without the Death Lineup, Steph and Co. do not turn the tables and take down Lebron in 2015. Without the Death Lineup, 73 wins is a dream, not a reality.

Without Draymond, 2017 is another missed championship.

Shut Up Abby Wambach

International Soccer

Yes, Abby you are in fact ignorant and you should stop talking about the USMNT’s foreign born players.

This is what you said:

“Do I agree with everything Jurgen has done? No, I do not. It’s just my opinion, and I’m entitled to that. It feels a little bit odd to me that you have some guys that have never lived in the United States that play for the United States because they were able to secure a passport. To me, that just feels like they weren’t able to make it for their country and earn a living, so they’re coming here.

But do they have that killer instinct? I don’t know. I’d love to sit down with Mix Diskerud and some of these other guys and talk to them about it. I’d love to understand how much they love their country. I believe they can have love for both countries, but I’d love to hear it, and I think so many other people would, too. If this is an ignorant opinion, I’ll raise my hand in the end and say, “My bad.” But I’d want to have that conversation.” (Abby Wambach, Retired U.S. Soccer Star, Reflects on Her Addiction)

And here is an equally ignorant and plagiarized statement made about your homosexuality:

“Do I agree with everything the government has done? No, I do not. It’s just my opinion, and I’m entitled to that. It feels a little bit odd to me that you have some humans that have never been heterosexual that get to marry because they were able to secure legality. To me, that just feels like they weren’t able to marry for real and earn a living, so they’re marrying the same sex.

But do they have that marital instinct? I don’t know. I’d love to sit down with Abby Wambach and some of these other gays and talk to them about it. I’d love to understand how much they love their spouse. I believe they can have love for both sexes, but I’d love to hear it, and I think so many other people would, too. If this is an ignorant opinion, I’ll raise my hand in the end and say, “My bad.” But I’d want to have that conversation.”

Or how about this equally ignorant and plagiarized statement about your book:

“Do I agree with everything Dey Street Books has done? No, I do not. It’s just my opinion, and I’m entitled to that. It feels a little bit odd to me that you have some humans that have never published anything that get write a book because they were able to be a professional athlete. To me, that just feels like they weren’t able to make it in a real career and earn a living, so they’re taking advantage of their celebrity.

But do they have that writing instinct? I don’t know. I’d love to sit down with Abby Wambach and some of these other celebrities and talk to them about it. I’d love to understand how much they love writing. I believe they can have love for both careers, but I’d love to hear it, and I think so many other people would, too. If this is an ignorant opinion, I’ll raise my hand in the end and say, “My bad.” But I’d want to have that conversation.”

These are your words framed in a way that I imagine you would find offensive and hurtful. I hope this perspective allows for your introspection. Your ignorant speech is damaging and you should check yourself. But, hey, if this is out-of-line, I’ll raise my hand in the end and say “My B,” I just wanted to let you know.