FanDuel NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy Basketball Lineup For November 16
Russell Westbrook is threatening to become the first player to average a triple-double in 55 years and his output is unprecedented in FanDuel NBA tournament play.
Just about any play becomes a fast break when Russell Westbrook is on the floor.
The 6-foot-3 guard has been clocked at 21.6 miles per hour, a measurement that indicates he is about half a second faster than the average player sprinting the full length of the court.
No player has been able to produce more transition points than the 75 Westbrook has totaled this season.
Even when defenders are between Westbrook and the basket, few are capable of deterring him from scoring. Westbrook is averaging 8.1 points per game off drives, the fifth-most in the NBA.
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Monday night in Detroit, the Pistons defense froze as Westbrook sprinted past Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and elevated towards the rim.
Marcus Morris simply sidestepped out of the way instead of trying to prevent Westbrook from a dunk.
Westbrook slammed the ball through the rim so hard it bounced well past the 3-point line and had to be chased down by teammate Andre Roberson before play could resume.
Even when opponents foul Westbrook on approaches to the rim, it hardly fazes him. Westbrook has earned nine and-one chances, tying him with Damian Lillard and Eric Bledsoe for the seventh-most in the league.
Fouling Westbrook is about the only option defenders have left, as he has scored a league-best 352 points. More than 29 percent of his points have come at the foul line, as he leads the NBA in both free throw attempts (128) and conversions (103) during the early portion of the year.
A strong showing against Houston Wednesday night could place Westbrook in rare territory, as he is 13 rebounds and 11 assists shy of averaging a triple-double for the year.
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No player has seriously threatened to join Oscar Robertson by averaging a triple-double since he posted 30.8 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.4 assists a night in 1961-62, his second season in the NBA.
Westbrook is the most productive player in FanDuel NBA tournaments, averaging 56.4 fantasy points, the most of anyone this year.
His status as the most expensive, and productive, roster selection for FanDuel NBA purposes stems from the 32 points, 9.9 assists and 9.7 rebounds he is averaging.
Even with Westbrook generating at a rate unseen in five decades, Oklahoma City his still lost four straight games.
Another triple-double could be in store for Westbrook Wednesday night, perfect for anyone saving a point guard slot for him on a FanDuel NBA roster.