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OKC Thunder: 2015-16 Roundtable Discussion

By Austin Denean

Mar 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts to his dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 111-97.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts to his dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 111-97.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 19, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) is guarded by Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) is guarded by Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

5. There’s a few people around the league that believe Russell Westbrook is better than KD. What’s your take?

Eberley: Those people would fare poorly in executive positions. Westbrook is the motor, the drive, even the soul of this Thunder team. However, Dr. Russell and Mr. Westbrook is a real thing. His wild style can sting you, 80 percent of the time he’s a terrific player but 20 percent of the time he hurts you. Durant can play on or off ball, he shoots significantly higher percentages, and he turns it over less. Give me Durant with no offense intended to Westbrook.

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Bourguet: Not buying into that quite yet. While Westbrook’s game has always been underrated and under-appreciated, Kevin Durant is going to go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history, championship or not.

That’s also true of Westbrook, who is probably the more well-rounded player, but Durant gambles less on defense, he’s by far the better/more efficient scorer and his shooting numbers are sublime. If Westbrook were to add a three-point shot and stay a little more focused defensively, however, this could turn into a real debate….

Hanneke: My take is that some nights Kevin Durant is better, and some nights Russell Westbrook is better, and on just about every night they’re the most unstoppable duo in the league, and maybe of all time. I don’t think it matters at all if “people around the league” say one is better than the other.

Woods: Westbrook is fantastic, but Durant is Durant. Durant is a seven-footer that can create his own shot, plays better than average defense and is incredibly efficient on high volume. Westbrook does a lot of things really well, but he doesn’t do anything as well as Durant scores.

Next: Bigger loss: KD or Russ?

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