Russell Westbrook: His Case As A Top-5 NBA Player

Is Russell Westbrook a top five NBA player? Is he borderline top five? Is it too ridiculous to even consider? I have been going back and forth on this since the All-Star Game back in February.

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In my personal opinion, when Westbrook won the All-Star Game MVP award, it was the moment when he officially became more than Kevin Durant’s sidekick. Westbrook proved he could hang amongst the brightest of stars.

Sure, he has had his own fair share of individual success. Westbrook has earned four All-Star nods and made the All-NBA Second Team three times in his first six years. Not bad for some. But Russ isn’t just any ordinary NBA player.

We have never seen a player like Westbrook. No point guard in history has ever played with the same lethal combination of aggression and athleticism. He has Derrick Rose‘s speed and hops, Latrell Sprewell‘s ferocity and a heart as big as Allen Iverson’s.

The problem is, we’ve only had small doses of Westbrook’s talent because he’s been playing alongside Durant since he entered the league.

In the early 2000s, everyone knew Kobe Bryant was a stud even though he played alongside the dominant Shaquille O’Neal. Together Kobe and Shaq led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles and became arguably the greatest duo in the history of the league.

Now fast forward to the present day. Durant and Westbrook are easily the league’s best duo. Don’t be fooled though. They aren’t Batman and Robin. One doesn’t completely outshine the other. They are more like Bun B and Pimp C, the two rappers who make up the legendary rap duo, UGK.

But unlike UGK, or Kobe and Shaq, the problem with Durant and Westbrook is they’ve never won anything. This injury-plagued Thunder squad might not even qualify for the playoffs this year. But even when healthy, I’m not convinced these two can make it work.

Kobe and Shaq gave the Lakers an inside and outside presence. KD and Westbrook are both perimeter-oriented, and simply demand the ball too much to operate. Instead of creating opportunities for each other, it seems like they prefer to take turns attacking the defense.

At some point, the two are going to have to separate. There doesn’t need to be animosity between the two. They just need to realize they need their own team in order to maximize their true potential.

Now with Durant out for the season with a foot injury, Westbrook has been scoring like it’s going out of style. Since the All-Star break, he has scored 20 or more points in 20 out of his last 24 games. And in those 20 games, he has scored 30-plus points 14 times.

Mar 16, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (left) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) and forward Perry Jones (right) react on the bench during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Fans are getting a chance to see what Westbrook is truly capable of. He has been historically good. Just after the All-Star break, he joined Michael Jordan in becoming the only to put together streaks of four or more consecutive triple-doubles.

Westbrook may be a polarizing figure, but one can’t deny that he has game.

If the Thunder aren’t able to sneak into the playoffs, it wouldn’t be Westbrook’s fault, by any means. He is doing everything he can to keep them afloat. His gutsy performances down the stretch run of the season have him mentioned amongst the top MVP candidates, something we would never see if No. 35 were around.

What if Durant was on a different team? Would Westbrook be able to keep up this pace? I believe so.

This isn’t just a nice streak he is on. This isn’t a fluke. (Sorry Lin-sanity.) Westbrook has averaged 21 points, seven assists and five rebounds for his career playing alongside Durant. The reason he is able to put up even better numbers is because he is finally free.

The league’s list of top NBA players is missing some familiar faces because of injuries to Durant, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony. But, as of now, Westbrook is undoubtably a top five player in the league. Only time will tell if he is able to maintain that position.

Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time

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