Triple Double King Russell Westbrook Appreciation Thread.

[doclinkin]

King of the triple doubles, Russell Westbrook, plays for the Wizards now. That's pretty awesome.

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[doclinkin]

What I do like. In players like Deni and Bryant we have young fiery energetic guys who have a competitive nature. Fiery and competitive are Russ' forte. Any player who will get inspired by his attitude and effort may learn what it takes to be an alpha dog in this league at their position. Maybe he will light a fire under players like Rui on defense or Bonga on offense. In the weight room we may see players pushing to keep up.

As for fit, here Russ is surrounded by willing passers and outside shooters. We could stand to have another finisher or two as complementary players. If he chooses to pass instead of calling his own number, the expectation is that player better score with the same aggressive mindset, if not they may not see that ball again soon. Quick decisive moves may mean that "everybody eats" without having to pass the ball around deferentially, but instead twist the throttle and play uptempo. With a young team maybe we have the energy to run some teams off the floor.

[King Ken]

As someone who lived in DC and lives in Houston, what you will love about Westbrook is he does have decent floor general abilities and he really does a tremendous job creating high value threes for other players. His energy level is perfect for the regular season. He is a tremendous energy player even at this stage. His defensive instincts off the ball are still world class.

His finishing ability is not good anymore. His mistakes due to his lack of control has only gotten worse. His shooting is worse and his defense on the ball is abysmal. His impact has dropped. He will be much better in DC as he will be primarily a creator which he had to split time with Harden at it. This will give Beal more energy to focus on his all around game to impact winning.

Westbrook does help winning due to his energy and and high value shot creation for others even at this stage due to his energy and higher end athletic ability even at this stage for a regular season player. His flaws ultimately mean he's a poor playoff player and maybe it's time to accept his best position might be as a 6th man. That said, the Wizards don't seem to have grandiose goals and if you just wanted a better fit over Wall, I believe Russell is that. He's also very reliable which is hard to find and is an elite locker room guy considering his rep in OKC.

I do think Russell hasn't come to grips, he is best as a 6th man at this point.

[NatP4]

I think it’s a good fit. Bryant, Bonga, and Bertans are the kinds of players Russ needs to play with. Beal is a much better fit than Harden due to learning to play off ball for his entire career. I’m not sure how it all meshes together with guys like Brown Jr, Rui, and Avdija, but they will definitely be a solid top 5 seed playoff team, and Westbrook will be a much better player than Wall this season.

The Brooks-Westbrook reunion is an underrated aspect. It might help get Westbrook to move the ball 5% more.

[miller31time]

As much as I loved Wall, it just seemed like that relationship was over.

In terms of consolation prizes, this is hard to beat.

You just don’t have competitors in the league like Westbrook nowadays, much less competitors who averaged 27/7/6 last season.

You can make the argument that we have the best backcourt in the league this season.

[Shoe]

As someone who lived in DC and lives in Houston, what you will love about Westbrook is he does have decent floor general abilities and he really does a tremendous job creating high value threes for other players. His energy level is perfect for the regular season. He is a tremendous energy player even at this stage. His defensive instincts off the ball are still world class.

His finishing ability is not good anymore. His mistakes due to his lack of control has only gotten worse. His shooting is worse and his defense on the ball is abysmal. His impact has dropped. He will be much better in DC as he will be primarily a creator which he had to split time with Harden at it. This will give Beal more energy to focus on his all around game to impact winning.

Westbrook does help winning due to his energy and and high value shot creation for others even at this stage due to his energy and higher end athletic ability even at this stage for a regular season player. His flaws ultimately mean he's a poor playoff player and maybe it's time to accept his best position might be as a 6th man. That said, the Wizards don't seem to have grandiose goals and if you just wanted a better fit over Wall, I believe Russell is that. He's also very reliable which is hard to find and is an elite locker room guy considering his rep in OKC.

I do think Russell hasn't come to grips, he is best as a 6th man at this point.

A 6th man making $40 mil a year let's hope not. Maybe the way the Wizards are constructed will help Westbrook be his most effective self. I think the media's zero expectations for the team is a new dynamic for him. He gets to go against weaker East teams more frequently than a team like the Spurs.

[JWizmentality]

6th man...yea no. Thanks for the insight but Russell is not washed.

[NatP4]

Guy put up 27-8-7 and is a 6th man? Got it.

I know some people are not a fan of the metric, but Russ has ranked top 20 in the entire NBA in espn’s RPM stat, every single year since the invention of the metric.

For all the hate Westbrook gets for chucking bricks, wall has an even lower career TS%. The Westbrook/harden pairing never made any since, it makes sense that rocket fans hate him. Thunder fans love the guy.

[King Ken]

6th man...yea no. Thanks for the insight but Russell is not washed.

I disagree with this statement but I had the displeasure of watching and attending a lot of Rocket games last year before COVID struck. His numbers are fool's gold, to be frank. All of his positive value is via energy and his shot creation for others at this stage. I feel like fanbases have the darnest time accepting negative feedback of players who they just landed via trade or signing but this is what he is at this stage.

[Slava]

I can't believe you guys got out of jail from that Wall contract so easily especially with him coming off a career threatening injury and half assed rehab. Russ for all his faults is a highly professional guy who takes care of himself. That is something Beal would appreciate.

[prime1time]

After all emotions have subsided and we can have a rational conversation, the fit for Westbrook is fantastic. We can run multiple lineups of 4 three point shooters which is what Westbrook needs. Stops talking about Westbrook not sharing the ball with KD and Harden. They went to the finals. Kd and Westbrook a lot beat the Warriors. And the thunder refused to build the proper team around him. Westbrook needs shooting, shooting and more shooting. He has that now in DC. The only sad thing is that what we are trying to build here would also fit Wall. And if we have any success, like in expect we might, and Wall looks solid it will create a perpetual what if.

But this is what I’d say about Wall. He simply did not suede the moment. He was lazy in 2018, can’t back out of shape and in what was speed to be his crowning year he came up short, even berries he got injured. Time waits for no man. Wall talks about how he was super committed thus off season. Perhaps give he was 100% locked in from day one his time here would have been a different story.

Westbrook brings a level of day-in-day our consistency that Wall has never displayed. I don’t know how good Russell will play here, but I do know that he will show up and play hard on both sides of the floor every game. No more just showing up for good teams and letting bad teams coast. I think this Wizards team has a chance to be one of the best I’ve seen in my lifetime.

[prime1time]

As someone who lived in DC and lives in Houston, what you will love about Westbrook is he does have decent floor general abilities and he really does a tremendous job creating high value threes for other players. His energy level is perfect for the regular season. He is a tremendous energy player even at this stage. His defensive instincts off the ball are still world class.

His finishing ability is not good anymore. His mistakes due to his lack of control has only gotten worse. His shooting is worse and his defense on the ball is abysmal. His impact has dropped. He will be much better in DC as he will be primarily a creator which he had to split time with Harden at it. This will give Beal more energy to focus on his all around game to impact winning.

Westbrook does help winning due to his energy and and high value shot creation for others even at this stage due to his energy and higher end athletic ability even at this stage for a regular season player. His flaws ultimately mean he's a poor playoff player and maybe it's time to accept his best position might be as a 6th man. That said, the Wizards don't seem to have grandiose goals and if you just wanted a better fit over Wall, I believe Russell is that. He's also very reliable which is hard to find and is an elite locker room guy considering his rep in OKC.

I do think Russell hasn't come to grips, he is best as a 6th man at this point.

Westbrook was doomed in Houston because he needs an offense that is built around him. Houston’s mistake was trying to insert Russ in an offense built for Harden. Harden was skilled enough to adapt to any offense that he was placed in. Russ, in the other hand is not. We will see what happens here, but imo we will “let Russ cook.” Beal is skilled enough offensively that he will get his regardless and everyone else has been focused on improving their 3-point shooting. Obviously Russ is getting up in age but we will see what he has left in the tank. If it doesn’t work we will move on. I don’t think there’s nearly that much of a downside.

We’ve gone form. 48 minutes of Ish Smith and Shabazz Napier to 32 minutes of Westbrook. If Russ can average over 10 assists a game and just make the game easier for everyone else, I think we have a chance to be pretty solid. Now, will we win a championship? Probably not. But that’s not the expectation. The Westbrook disrespect has gone into overdrive imo. He is a first ballot HOF and will transform the culture more than anyone we have had here in our lifetime.

[doclinkin]

I can't believe you guys got out of jail from that Wall contract so easily especially with him coming off a career threatening injury and half assed rehab. Russ for all his faults is a highly professional guy who takes care of himself. That is something Beal would appreciate.

Significantly incorrect. Wall looks like he is in the best physical shape of his career, with a focus to prove himself. He had been playing with bone spurs for the past few years and was in agony on court. With them shaved off he could've/can still return to the form that made him a league wide top defender at PG. The achilles tear is a vulnerability of the antibiotics from post surgery infections, and has been a death sentence for most players other than Dominique Wilkins and Rudy Gay, but Wall was a workout demon in recovery and looks to have regained all of his speed, if a little less bounce. Health is always a big IF on any player returning from injury, but he has a chance to do well. Most Wizards fans are still looking forward to him showing up and playing well, wherever he is.

As for Westbrook. This team is stocked with young players plus Bertans and Beal. Here the young guns have an opportunity to play with a former MVP and first ballot Hall of Famer. In past years Russ' defensive effort has been sometimey, but when he is locked in he can be disruptive, and with Beal and Bertans opening the floor, he doesn't have to exert as much energy to score against double and triple teams on his attacks to the interior. His triple-double season was the Russ show all the time, and as such his D in transition was often at a slower speed than his energy with the ball in his hands at the other end. Still an area where we have suffered has been rebounding, and adding Russ will certainly improve us on this end (as would have Wall --as would have anybody in upgrading from the player formerly known as Isaiah Thomas). When dialed in on defense he can still be a difference maker. Either way on defense our upgrades will still have to come from improvement in the frontcourt.

I do think Russ' energy can go either way on players sharing the court with him. It is hard for anyone to match his intensity, so I think some players fade next to him. However, we have seen passivity from highly talented players, so the hope is that an infusion of passion forces them to raise their game, and Westbrook seizing the alpha dog role may open looks and opportunities when he inevitably draws the attention of defenses around him.

[Frichuela]

Some positive thinking about Russ fit:

Read on Twitter

?s=21

[dckingsfan]

One other reason I think it might work out well for him here, he doesn't need to play 36 minutes a game given the decent depth we have a point guard. I think that will help is productivity.

My 1/2 cent on positivity.

[pcbothwel]

Some positive thinking about Russ fit:

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Was thinking about this earlier... Bertans + Bryant is a 4/5 combo that gives us almost 14 3PA/36 at a 42% clip

We can play 5 out and really cause problems

[Frichuela]

https://prosportsextra.com/with-russell-westbrook-are-the-wizards-a-serious-playoff-threat/

[trast66]

I think he’s only the 3rd player who was an MVP at some point to be a player for franchise. Wes and Moses as well.

[doclinkin]

https://prosportsextra.com/with-russell-westbrook-are-the-wizards-a-serious-playoff-threat/

Hah! Needs editing, some hilarious malapropisms in that one:

It seemed inevitable that a trade between the Wizards and the Rockets would happen where they would swipe their superstar point guards in Russell Westbrook and John Wall.

'Swipe' or 'swap'? Damn shame. Kleptomaniac GMs shoplifting players while no one is looking.

But this is the one that made me snort:

Now again keep in mind it is still Russell Westbrook and he will not sacrifice his play for no one he will still take shots in high volume, and crazy three point shots that do not make sense, and erotic play from time to time. I

Russ is naughty. No shame. In front of an audience of thousands?

[montestewart]

https://prosportsextra.com/with-russell-westbrook-are-the-wizards-a-serious-playoff-threat/

Hah! Needs editing, some hilarious malapropisms in that one:

It seemed inevitable that a trade between the Wizards and the Rockets would happen where they would swipe their superstar point guards in Russell Westbrook and John Wall.

'Swipe' or 'swap'? Damn shame. Kleptomaniac GMs shoplifting players while no one is looking.

But this is the one that made me snort:

Now again keep in mind it is still Russell Westbrook and he will not sacrifice his play for no one he will still take shots in high volume, and crazy three point shots that do not make sense, and erotic play from time to time. I

Russ is naughty. No shame. In front of an audience of thousands?

Must be referencing his sweet stroke and ball handling.

Sad that Buck is gone. He loved saying "double-double," and being able to say "triple-double" so often would have been to him the height of sportscasting eroticism.