Westbrook playing at a level all his own
There will be no “rest” days for Russell Westbrook. He doesn’t get the meaning. He doesn’t even understand the occasional catch-your-wind stroll down the floor. He’s the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, as it looks from here, on the basis of accomplishment and sheer determination against the odds.
To be sure, that award would look perfectly fine in the hands of James Harden, LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard, but to study Westbrook’s approach to the game is to step into history. He’s the greatest backcourt athlete the game has ever seen, and if he winds up averaging a tripledouble for the season — it seems quite likely — he will have set himself apart from every player of the modern era.
Westbrook can’t wait to see the Warriors on his home floor Monday. He’ll be scoffing at the notion of their four healthy players getting a night off against San Antonio, their biggest rival in the Western Conference (Westbrook hasn’t missed a game, and won’t, barring injury). He’ll be wishing Kevin Durant were in uniform, just to turn up his dial from 108, on a scale of 100, to 120. And he’ll know, as always, that when he attacks the rim at full speed, navigating mine fields of defense and then somehow dropping a feathery layup in the basket, with either hand, that nobody ever did it quite that well.
That game looks particularly interesting, as well, with a look ahead to the playoffs. There’s no reason to assume the Warriors will clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference; they could get passed by the Spurs, perhaps by plenty. It’s just as easy to imagine Oklahoma City, currently sixth by a half-game over Memphis, winding up in the No. 7 slot and drawing Golden State in the first round.
Anticipation? Early matchups seldom carry such potential. The Warriors had better hope Durant is ready by then, because Westbrook can find ways to beat any team, any night — sort of remarkable, considering the fact that he has
reliable shooters around him. The Thunder are 28-6 when Westbrook registers a triple-double, a stat that seems to make little sense until you acknowledge the man responsible. Appreciate him now, more than ever.