Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 takeaways from Game 4 vs. Jazz

1. Foul trouble limits Russell Westbrook

With four fouls in the first half and five overall, Russell Westbrook had a very difficult time finding a rhythm in Game 4. Sure, he played 35 minutes, a normal amount on any given night for the reigning MVP, but those minutes weren’t met with the aggression we’re so accustomed to seeing out of Westbrook.

Because he spent most of the game in foul trouble, Westbrook wasn’t able to play with his usual reckless abandonment, for fear of picking up another foul that would send him to the bench.

Instead, he had to play conservatively, which isn’t his preferred style.

Now, one could say that it’s that same attack mentality that got Russell into foul trouble in the first place, and there is definitely some truth to that. The key for Westbrook is to find the balance between aggression and composure, something he’s still working on, even in this, his 10th year in the league.

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Telling Westbrook to play anything less than 100 percent is to compromise the structure of his basketball greatness. Rather, he must learn to pick and choose his spots, thereby keeping himself out of foul trouble and making sure the Thunder’s best player can do his thing for as long as possible.