The Top 10 Players In The NBA Right Now
By Ti Windisch
3. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook picked a bad time to have an incredible season. He unfortunately won’t be able to claim best player–or even best point guard–honors this year, but he has been great enough to leapfrog Thunder teammate Kevin Durant at least.
| Season | GS | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 ★ | 64 | 34.7 | 18.4 | .460 | 4.1 | .294 | .493 | 7.2 | .825 | 1.8 | 5.8 | 7.6 | 10.5 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 24.1 |
| Career | 554 | 34.1 | 17.3 | .435 | 2.8 | .302 | .459 | 6.8 | .819 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 21.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/10/2016.
Westbrook is a beast, and maybe the most tenacious scorer the NBA has to offer now that Kobe Bryant is essentially a relic still getting minutes. His three-point stroke has been streaky and he’s currently hitting less than 30 percent of his threes, but that’s where Westbrook’s list of weaknesses ends.
Averaging 24.1 points, 10.5 assists, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game is a remarkable stat line. Westbrook is one of the most versatile players in the Association, and he can adapt to be whatever the Thunder need him to be.
Last year Westbrook scored nearly four more points per game, to make up for the absence of Durant for most of the season. This season he’s toned that down a little, to leave some room for KD to feast on defenses.
In turn, he’s boosted the rest of his game. Westbrook is currently seventh in scoring, second in assists per game, steals per game, player efficiency rating (PER), box plus/minus, win shares, and value over replacement player (VORP).
Advanced statistics may not tell the whole story, but they’re not wrong in naming Westbrook as one of the best players in the NBA. He’s great at essentially everything, which is why he fits so well with Kevin Durant.
Next: Number Two