6 reasons for Russell Westbrook’s recent production explosion

6. Usage

One simple reason why Westbrooks production has exploded is simply due to an increase in usage. Westbrook’s usage has steadily increased as he’s become more comfortable within this Rockets offense.

According to NBA.com, Westbrook’s usage in October, November and December was no higher than 32.6 percent. But in January and February, his usage has gotten as high as 36.4 percent.

The reason for this increase in usage is because Russ has simply become more comfortable playing alongside James Harden and his other new Rockets teammates. It seemed like Westbrook was picking his spots and trying to fit in with the group at the beginning of the season.

Now, he has figured out his role on this team and is making the most of it. The Rockets have also benefited greatly from this enhanced version of Russell Westbrook as it’s not only making Russ better but also his teammates and the Houston Rockets team as a whole.

This is a relatively obvious reason for the recent numbers we’ve seen from Westbrook but it doesn’t explain everything. For most guys, more shots often mean a decrease in efficiency but we have seen quite the opposite effect in Westbrook’s case. There are a lot more things going on that have contributed to this recent explosion.