Tuesday NBA Roundup: Russell Westbrook’s Greatness Can’t Be Found in Stats Alone

LeBron James may be “The King,” but Russell Westbrook is the undisputed king of triple-doubles. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar emerged with his 15th trip-dub of the 2016-17 campaign, exploding for 29 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists in a 106-94 victory over the Miami Heat. This one was never in doubt, since he entered halftime just two rebounds shy of the statistical feat. 

As we’ve seen so many times this year, Westbrook was nothing short of spectacular in myriad facets of the game. He routinely skied above everyone, fighting through traffic for contested boards. He exploded to the rim in transition, changing speeds to keep the defense off balance before finishing the play. And even while moving at hyperspeed, he was able to see passing lanes no one else could even imagine. 

CBS Sports’ James Herbert explained this perfectly, hinting at how his ability to play with a unique, out-of-control aggressiveness puts him in complete control: 

He elevates for jumpers half a beat before you would expect someone to do so. He contorts himself in traffic so he can draw a foul and still score comfortably. He manipulates defenses with jab steps, subtle fakes and the constant threat of getting all the way to the basket. He’s in LeBron James and Chris Paul’s category when it comes to getting rid of the ball immediately when a help defender overcommits.

It would be a mistake to say the game looks easy for Westbrook — his style and demeanor mean that will never exactly be true. Like other all-time greats, though, the game appears to be played at his pace. When he’s looking at a set defense, he’s in complete control.

All of this was on display throughout Tuesday night’s proceedings, but never more than on a possession during the second quarter.

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At first glance, the most notable part of the above play might seem like Steven Adams riding Hassan Whiteside as if the Miami center were a pony.

We’d argue that’s third in the pecking order. 

Second would be Westbrook’s ability to get Adams the ball so fluidly. First would be the threat of Westbrook’s finishing, which pulls Whiteside away from his assignment and creates the passing lane. Whiteside isn’t one to cede such easy opportunities, but even he falls prey to Westbrook’s dynamic athleticism.

Can you blame him? 

The OKC floor general doesn’t even look human when he’s playing like this: 

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And it’s not like Whiteside has been alone in 2016-17.

Westbrook has done this to everyone, and you can barely find enough triple-doubles throughout the rest of the league to match his individual tally. This doesn’t include those of Julius Randle, Rajon Rondo, Tim Frazier, but it’s significant all the same:

NBA Triple-Doubles in 2016-17Create bar charts

To be clear, Westbrook is not just hunting for stats. His presence makes the Thunder so much better, even if it can occasionally seem like he’s stealing rebounds away from bigs and seeking out assist opportunities. 

Without Westbrook, Oklahoma City has been outscored by 10.1 points per 100 possessions. Not only would that displace the Philadelphia 76ers (minus-7.7 net rating) at the bottom of the league-wide hierarchy, but it would also be one of the 25 worst marks in NBA history.

When he plays, OKC posts a 5.7 net rating, which would leave it sandwiched between the Cleveland Cavaliers (6.4) and Utah Jazz (5.3) for the Association’s No. 7 score. 

That disparity was evident yet again Tuesday night. 

The Thunder offense ground to a halt without Westbrook; only two other players—Semaj Christon (three) and Enes Kanter (two)—could muster up multiple assists. But it ran smoothly with him playing, as he consistently passed players open and stretched the Miami defense thin with his rim-running assaults. 

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