WHOLE NEW BALLGAME
Can Russell Westbrook sustain change to his game?
Russell Westbrook returned to the court Monday as a father of three. The emotion was clear, but there was more.
Before Westbrook had to pause in postgame while talking about his family, he was in pause above the 3-point line less than two hours earlier. In the summer before his MVP season, someone close to Westbrook said the now-30-yearold never does anything he doesn’t want to do.
Time and time again, rather than dribble into a 3-point shot as he’s accustomed to doing, Westbrook received a pass, stood and surveyed. The volume of Westbrook 3-pointers was met with general scoffs and disdain, but how many times in the past would those shots have been hoisted without hesitation or deliberation?
After just eight games, there’s no way to tell what Westbrook’s style
will look like the rest of the season. In those games, however, what’s transpired are alterations that could shape the Thunder’s season.
The right shots
Before demolishing Washington a couple of weeks ago, Westbrook went through his customary pregame warmup. It took six shots before he made his patented stop-and-pop mid-range jumper from the elbow — his “Cotton” shot. Each missed attempt wasn’t particularly close.
Considering Westbrook’s lack of rhythm combined with an offseason focus throughout the organization on better shot selection, there’s been more of an emphasis to take different shots and pass ones he’s taken in the past.
Westbrook is taking 48.8 percent of his shots from within three feet of the rim, his highest percentage at that distance since his rookie year. His
average shot distance of 10.1 feet is the fourth lowest of his career, per basketball-reference.com.
The mid-range has served as Westbrook’s rhythmic center for much of his 11-year career. The Thunder doesn’t want to take it away and believes Westbrook will follow the trend of All-NBA caliber point guards who became better shooters with age.
Part of becoming a better shooter is taking the right shots. Even in shooting too many 3-pointers Monday night against Sacramento, half of Westbrook’s 10 attempts were off the catch — a more efficient shot than shooting off multiple dribbles. Westbrook’s taken 12 catch-and-shoot 3’s this season compared to 16 pull-ups, a more balanced approach.
More with less
Dennis Schroder and Paul George have
assumed more ballhandling responsibility, not just sans Westbrook. With the pair, Westbrook is operating more off-ball. Basketball-reference.com has Westbrook playing 62 percent of his 257 minutes at point guard, his lowest percentage at the position since he was a rookie in 2008. The change has showed up in Westbrook’s decreased touch times.
It hasn’t affected his efficiency. He’s been better than ever, averaging more points per touch and a career-high field goal percentage of 48.8 percent.
But perceptions change rapidly. Patience is at a premium. Westbrook killed the Thunder’s ball movement when he came back.
Somewhere within the blur of a 5-1 stretch without Westbrook from Nov. 7-17 in which the Thunder ranked 10th in offense and third in defense, context was lost. The stretch came against a string of lottery-bound teams and a Houston team playing poorly. What was quickly forgot was Westbrook and the Thunder were eighth in offense and sixth in defense during his sevengame stretch before an ankle sprain. That came against tougher teams (Boston, Charlotte, New Orleans) without sacrificing passing.
The Thunder threw more passes per game in the seven Westbrook played in (250.3 for 23.3 assists per game) compared to the six postankle sprain games (219.3 for 19.5). The ball was moving as much during Westbrook’s stint, but without Westbrook, the Thunder made more shots against worse defenses like the Suns (twice), the Knicks and a then-broken Rockets.
Since the Thunder is committed to Westbrook for five more years at $205 million, it has to weather his adjustments in order to become a better team.
In attempting to alter his game — fewer touches, different shots, fewer shots — Westbrook will have to endure rough patches of pause to become a more efficient player.