How Russell Westbrook’s Lone Wolf Act Affects Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder‘s star point guard got a chance to look into a potential future in 2014-15 — one where he is the unquestioned leader of his team, as former league MVP Kevin Durant sat on the sidelines and watched. What did he learn and how will it affect the Thunder?
Before anyone gets up in arms, Westbrook is under contract for the next two seasons and unless you’re reading between the lines, there’s no real reason to believe Westbrook is itching to go anywhere (unless you’re a Lakers homer, of course). Still, we’ve been arguing about how Westbrook affects Durant and vice versa for the last five years. Let’s start by looking at a different duo and how things played out there.
HISTORY
This is hardly the first time two superstars have played together with everyone wondering how one would perform without the other. The most notable in my mind is when Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan were together with the Chicago Bulls.
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The 1993-94 Bulls represented Pippen’s chance to shine on his own. He had been riding on Michael’s coattails (or he was enhancing Michael’s game, depending on which side of that fence you sit on) for years and was coming off of a third straight NBA Title (and third All-Star appearance in four years), averaging 20.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals during the playoff run. For reference, he averaged 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals in the regular season.
Those Bulls started slow (4-7), but it wasn’t because of Pippen’s performance — it was because Pippen got injured. In fact, those Bulls went 28-6 in the first 34 games Pippen played.
For the season, Pippen averaged 22 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.9 steals. In those playoffs (in which the Bulls lost in seven games to the Knicks), Scottie averaged 22.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals. He never approached those regular or postseason numbers again. The ability to lead a team on his own — and the subsequent rise of his numbers — allowed him a modicum of success, but didn’t equate to a championship.
Bonus note — Pippen earned $2.25 million in 1996-97 and $2.77 million in 1997-98. Jordan made $30.1 and $33.1 million during those years. Ouch.
WESTBROOK’S CHANCE AT THE SPOTLIGHT
How did Westbrook perform without Durant in the lineup? We’re going to focus on the stretch run, after Durant’s failed initial return. In the final 28 games of the season, the Thunder went 16-12 (Westbrook missed one game, which the Thunder won).
In the 27 games Westbrook played, he averaged an astounding 31.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 2.0 steals in 36.7 minutes. From a numbers standpoint, that’s out of this world. The fact that the team went just 15-12 in those games paints an ugly picture, one that looks at Westbrook as more of a stat-stuffer than a guy who can carry teams.
There’s another guy in the league who just had a similar choice to make (and a similar label) — Kevin Love. He went from averaging 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists as the lone star on a terrible team to joining a star-studded cast in which he blended in, averaging 16.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
MOTIVATION
This is where things get interesting — when we talk about the motivations of a player. Is there any doubt that 30 teams will be lining up to woo Westbrook when he becomes a free agent? In my eyes, next season is going to make all the difference in the world.
Durant is in a contract year — scary, I know — and if the Thunder are healthy and winning basketball games I can’t see a situation where they decide to blow things up at the trade deadline. With that said, it hinges on Westbrook and Durant’s willingness to continue playing together.
I don’t think there’s any sentiment out there where Durant wants to be a lone wolf. He’s efficient, fearless and doesn’t complain about getting 15 shots (because he still finds a way to get 30 points). Westbrook doesn’t seem to be that guy. He needs the ball. He thrives when he’s allowed to run the show and is given free reign.
SELF AWARENESS
In 2014-15, Westbrook averaged 21.9 points in 24.1 minutes per game with Durant on the bench (was a plus-1.2). With Durant on the court, those numbers dipped considerably to 16.4 points in 26.4 minutes (and a plus-6.2). Westbrook’s shooting percentages got better in EVERY SINGLE four-foot distance inside 34 feet with Durant off the court.
Is it because he gets more open looks? Of course not — it’s because he needs to get into a rhythm and he needs the ball in his hands to be most effective. This is where self awareness comes into play.
Westbrook wants to win — hell, I’d wager that every single player in the league wants to win or else they wouldn’t put in the necessary work to stay in the league. With that said, what if he knows himself well enough to understand that he can’t play Robin to Durant’s Batman?
It’s like trying to convince a lion to be a zebra in order to eat. The lion know’s he’s a lion and knows he can eat on his own, but he has to decide whether he can get a better meal by being something he’s not.
Is Westbrook the kind of guy who would voluntarily extinguish his elite passion and desire to win? Or is he the ultimate alpha male competitor who would rather fail doing things on his own terms?
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