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5 Reasons For Blake Griffin To Join Westbrook, Thunder Next Year

By Sai Mohan

December 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
December 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Westbrook More Driven Than Paul

Chris Paul is undoubtedly the better playmaker and floor general. But the younger Russell Westbrook brings the wow factor and relentless production on offense that would allow Blake Griffin to perform his role of the primary screen-and-roll threat without worrying about scoring on every other possession.

Even though Westbrook averaged a career-high 10.4 assists last season, he’s still not most conducive point guard for a system that preaches constant ball movement.

Despite Westbrook racking up the assists, the Thunder ranked No. 16 in percentage of two-point field goals assisted upon and No. 29 in percentage of three-point shots assisted upon. In other words, the Thunder still played a lot of hero-ball and Iso ball, a culture that Billy Donovan is trying to change.

The Thunder would miss Kevin Durant’s scoring but they’d also miss his playmaking ability. Durant averaged five assists last season and often brought the ball up in a point-forward capacity.

Griffin is an underrated passer. In recent years, Chris Paul has often deferred to Griffin as the secondary playmaker, a role that the forward has excelled in.

During the seven-game playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs last year, Griffin averaged 24.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, allowing Paul to play off the ball and get to his spots on the floor.

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Griffin and Westbrook are dynamic scorers who often draw double-teams, especially during the playoffs. Though Paul is an all-time great facilitator, he has rarely drawn double-teams for his scoring prowess.

With Griffin and Westbrook on the court together, we could be witnessing a rare, athletic 1-2 punch, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

You could argue that Durant and Westbrook were a more lethal 1-2 punch. However, there was the perennial issue of chemistry with those two superstars on the court.

Westbrook ranks No. 7 and Durant is No. 9 in the list of all-time usage rate percentage. Griffin, on the other hand, has a career usage rate of 27.6, compared to Durant’s 30.45.

Westbrook would possibly prefer playing alongside Griffin, who doesn’t demand the ball as much as Durant, especially in half-court sets. Most of Griffin’s playmaking comes in transition, giving Westbrook the freedom to sprint back on offense.

More hoops habit: Oklahoma City Thunder: 2016 Offseason Grades

There’s a lot to like about the potential superstar pairing of Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook. Add Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams and Enes Kanter to the mix, and the Thunder could be a legitimate championship contender entering the 2017-18 season.

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