Can Westbrook develop into a 1?

[Vlade4life]

he's not getting to 13. Pacers and Kings at 11 and 12 both need point guards.

They need a real PG, not Keyon Dooling part 2.

[old rem]

I wonder if he is an option for Walsh and D'Antoni at 6. I think he's very talented. He's 6'4", a ball hawk and awesome on the break. But can he develop into a 1? Would you take him at 6 over EG and Gallinari?

Hell no.

He has to be a PG ultimately because a SHOOTING G ..has to shoot. Either way...Westbrook is a 12 pt a game guy,not that big for SG and with about 4 assists per...not yet proven to be a high grade distributed. Hyped as a special athlete and a BIG PG..the combine showed he's not that big and there's quite a few guys as athletic. Defense? D is good but G's don't go lotto because of D alone. Augustin is a PG. Gordon can be a good SG. Westbrook is a reach anywhere in the top 10.

[old rem]

Westbrook is an athletic Tony Parker with better defense.

....and about as much offense as Jacque Vaughn

[earthmansurfer]

Edit - Knicks Fan

Something that has to be made clear is that Westbrook will effectively take opposing point guards out of their game. With the way the NBA is going (no physical D) a player with his speed and hands can stay in front of GREAT point guards and stop their dribble penetration and dishing outs. They can still be great pointguards but they will be on the perimeter getting their job done. Now that helps this team where we have little interior D with Curry and Lee.

The conundrum is that we need a point guard who EXCELS in ball distribution. I don't know if that is Westbook, not sure if he projects in that way. But with his speed he would seem to be able to create a lot in penetration. That could be done in transition too, not just in half court sets. If he can attack the rim on transition and dish it out often he is going to get a lot of assists and plenty of easy points (with his speed, not off the jumper per se). He might be able to be a successful pg but in a different way. I wonder if a better distributing pg (traded for or drafted) would be better for this team along with a great scoring forward (drafted - maybe Alexander? in this draft).

Regardless I can really say I trust the new regime with the decision. They actually have a feasible plan (what ever that may be )

[GANGSTERDOG]

Westbrook is one of my favorite players in the draft, I would definitely take him over Gallinari and Eric Gordon - and Bayless for that matter (unless my team badly needed a scorer)

Westbrook has all the natural skills needed. You see many players like that turn out like bust but not a 19 year old kid who already has a great WE. He can flat out fly and his defense is amazing. A great defensive guard is always nice to have, and he will at worst, give a team that.

I obviously think he will give a team more than that. He has terrific speed, a solid mid-range jumper, and he's only 19 and will certaintly work to improve his shot. His decision making is good for his age and he knows how to win. He isn't selfish, he'll play defense, drive to the lane and then dish, and all the time he'll be improving. He reminds me of Rondo but with more upside.

As workouts go on, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go as high as #4 to the Sonics. I don't believe the Bayless rumors, Presti is a thorough thinker and he also knows they need good defenders and unselfish players alongside Durant. Westbrook could fit well there, and he also wouldn't be pushed into the PG role.

You are a god amongst men

[RIPskaterdude]

I think he is extremely overrated and it's getting worse by the day.

oops

[NO-KG-AI]

I think he is extremely overrated and it's getting worse by the day.

oops

Come on man. I'm not the only one that thought a 6'2, 185 pound PG averging 12/4 without PG skills and poor shooting wouldn't develop into a super stud. I have wayyy more egregious whiffs than this one, if you want to dig up my bad scouting. Take the very next year, I was low on Steph Curry.

[RIPskaterdude]

sounds like you would been a great scout for the Kings then

[bondom34]

Yeah, pretty sure more people missed on Russ than hit.

[teerfour+40LG]

Look at what Monte Ellis is doing with the Warriors. He's neither a good shooter nor a true point guard, yet he's a stud. I see no reason Westbrook couldn't deliver the same. I don't Russell to ever be a "true" point guard, but I could see him being as much of a point guard as guys like Tony Parker and Devin Harris - 5-6 apg. We're talking about a guy who led UCLA in assists despite playing next to a potential 1st round NBA point guard, Darren Collison.

Westbrook has shown great athleticism, great work ethic, great intelligence, and great intensity and energy on the court. He has a good - not great - skill level, but as an NCAA sophomore who barely played as a freshman, you get the feeling it's only the tip of the iceberg. Sounds like a recipe for success to me.

My player comparisons...


Worst Case: Antonio Daniels
Median: Devin Harris
Best Case: Monte Ellis + All-Defense


As you can see I'm very high on Westbrook. 8)

Who is this masked man?

[FemaleDogPlease]

So much fail in this thread.

[MOTGER]

Best Case: Monte Ellis + All-Defense

nope, not the best case at all..

[Shock Defeat]

Best Case: Monte Ellis + All-Defense

nope, not the best case at all..

Monta Ellis + defense is a decently close comparison. Not terribly off the mark, gotta give him credit for being that close.

[doordoor123]

Shouldn't the same be applied to Zach LaVine? I see no reason he can't also eventually do that.

[NO-KG-AI]

Shouldn't the same be applied to Zach LaVine? I see no reason he can't also eventually do that.

With the possibility that I might get quoted on two misses, 5 years or more apart, in the same thread... I'm not sure his first step, handle, and aggression will let him do the type of things that make Westbrook so special as an attacker.

[SaintofKillers]

Best Case: Monte Ellis + All-Defense

nope, not the best case at all..

Monta Ellis + defense is a decently close comparison. Not terribly off the mark, gotta give him credit for being that close.

I agree. Early Westbrook was very similar to early Monta who was an elite penetrator, solid midrange game, subpar playmaking that's highly dependent on sucking the defense and dishing, and was an above average defender (when he felt like it).

Westbrook got better on everything exponentially (and now dubbed as GOATBrook) while Monta regressed on all areas - his midrange jumper isn't money any longer, when slashing he avoids contact like a guy on a tuxedo navigating puddles, he turns the ball over when attempting to get others involved, and he barely even tries on guarding his man.

[doordoor123]

Shouldn't the same be applied to Zach LaVine? I see no reason he can't also eventually do that.

With the possibility that I might get quoted on two misses, 5 years or more apart, in the same thread... I'm not sure his first step, handle, and aggression will let him do the type of things that make Westbrook so special as an attacker.

Out of triple threats his handles look really good and I think Westbrook had a worse handle coming in. He was SO turnover probe when he got in the league. If it weren't for his other talents he wouldn't have been played as much.
He also has a great first step -- like really great. I still think he doesn't know how to use his athleticism while Westbrook is a master at knowing what he can and can't do athletically.
I think LaVine's lack of aggression could stop him from being a ball-hawk defensively and I don't think he has a want to defend the way Westbrook does, but offensively he has that aggression -- he just isn't making his shots enough to warrant confidence. When he is hitting his shots he has all the confidence in the world. It's the reason he had a couple big games offensively.

[Notanoob]

Shouldn't the same be applied to Zach LaVine? I see no reason he can't also eventually do that.

LaVine needs to add like 40 pounds of muscle and look for contact first.

[DontPushMe]

Keyon dooling comparison was a bit off here.

I like seeing old threads like this.

[spearsy23]

Sam effing Presti is better than you.