Russell Westbrook career falling off so fast

[Goat poster]

Russ Westbrook has a pretty bizarre basketball story:


“A lot of people who are in the NBA now have been good since they were eight. I wasn't good until I was 17.” - Russel Westbrook

Russ was a pretty average to below average hooper until VERY late in high school when he got a HUGE uptick in athleticism around 17

Him even getting a last second look to play at a school like UCLA when he was never really a blue chip was also abnormal, It's a MARICLE he didn't end up at a mid major or lower tier D1. His high school resume was more along those lines.

That Athleticism combined with his NO HOLDS BARRED mentality served him well while he was in his prime and I think covered so much of his bad habits ( that were pretty obvious to most even in his prime)


I'm a OKC Westbrook fan but I'm realizing dude never LEARNED how to be a good basketball player.

It's like a fairy tale of a kid that's trash at basketball WISHING for elite level superpowers on the court and actually getting them granted....

But the Clock has struck 12 and the powers are gone and that kid who wasn't good at basketball and never really learned how to be is still in the NBA

 

[Dem313wayz]

Really bad three point shooting percentage for majority of his career.

If you're the veteran guard, you gotta be decent from long rage at least. All that athleticism + no major injury in his career has kept him in the league, but it's fading and he has nothing much else to offer. His season with the Clippers was pretty damn bad. Surprised a championship contender Denver signed him up for two seasons.

I'm saying how could Jason Kidd reinvent himself and become a spot up shooter late in his career but Russ can't

 

[kdslittlebro]

I'm saying how could Jason Kidd reinvent himself and become a spot up shooter late in his career but Russ can't

Kidd was an amazing basketball player. Conservatively top 10 BBIQ, not just raw athleticism

 

[STAN JONES]

I'm saying how could Jason Kidd reinvent himself and become a spot up shooter late in his career but Russ can't

Kidd was one of the most skilled PGs of all time

a 3 point shot was the only thing missing from his game

Russ game depended solely on athleticism

He has never been a skilled basketball player

 

[Damnshow]

I'm saying how could Jason Kidd reinvent himself and become a spot up shooter late in his career but Russ can't

What happened to Westbrook happened to guys like Dwight Howard. Another example of a basketball player depending on athleticism. And even Dwight without supernatural athleticism anymore, he could still give the team some defense and rebounding. When Westbrook athleticism diminishes completely, he's gonna be completely useless cause he doesn't play a great defense, his decision making is bad and certainly he can't shoot.

 

[Max Power]

His MVP season was what made me fall out of love with basketball. I was seeing this lunatic refuse to contest shots so he could stand underneath the rim for Adams to box out his rebounds, stop passing after his 10th assist, the entire media telling me this the MVP and he was rewarded for it. I can't respect a sport that doesn't respect itself.

 

[cartierhoe]

Russ was never taught to break out of those bad habits that's encompassed his game since day one, in fact being rewarded for them. Playing erratic on offense, stat chasing, ball watching and gambling on defense, never was a good decision maker. @kdslittlebro really nailed it on the not being a playmaker but an assist maker aspect of his game. I used to take up for Russ because I loved his motor but if that's gonna be the only redeemable part of your game in this part of your career when you don't have the ball in your hands 24/7 like you used to then yeah it's gonna get ugly. Every year teams trick themselves into thinking they can "fix" dude but it's the same story every time. I'm seeing this now with Giannis who I kept refusing to see it for but if you don't actually learn how to be a fundamentally sound basketball player the game will pass you by quickly.

 

[NZA]

Even in his prime, all the signs were there. Those of us that had good working vision and watched him play knew he wasn’t a winning basketball player and was living on borrowed because his elite athleticism. And a lot of dudes in this site use to swear by him. Slandering KD any chance they could get.

at the time, from the outside looking in...he seemed like he was at least a better team leader than KD

 

[No1]

at the time, from the outside looking in...he seemed like he was at least a better team leader than KD

He was aggressive so people saw Kobe in him but he was never as disciplined or refined. It’s like if 18 year old Kobe never grew up. KD just led by example and didn’t try to stop Russ from being Russ so people called him a bad leader. Now that he’s been this exact same guy everywhere people can see that’s just him. He played the same style next to KD, Bron, Beal, Harden, PG, Melo and now Joker.

 

[No1]

Kidd was one of the most skilled PGs of all time

a 3 point shot was the only thing missing from his game

Russ game depended solely on athleticism

He has never been a skilled basketball player

Kidd couldn’t really shoot jumpers all that well but as he got older he developed an outside shot. Kidd also wasn’t out there attacking at 100 MPH. They weren’t the same type of player at all. Kidd type of players can age gracefully - Russ not so much.

 

[The War Report]

at the time, from the outside looking in...he seemed like he was at least a better team leader than KD

A rock head ain't gonna be no goddamn leader.

 

[mastermind]

at the time, from the outside looking in...he seemed like he was at least a better team leader than KD

He was aggressive so people saw Kobe in him but he was never as disciplined or refined. It’s like if 18 year old Kobe never grew up. KD just led by example and didn’t try to stop Russ from being Russ so people called him a bad leader. Now that he’s been this exact same guy everywhere people can see that’s just him. He played the same style next to KD, Bron, Beal, Harden, PG, Melo and now Joker.

I don’t think Kd is a lead by example type either, tbh. He just isn’t a leader, which is fine because it ain’t for everyone. Steph and Duncan are examples of that type of leader. Russ just has more personality so it drew people, but a Russ was never a leader himself.

I also agree with the hypothesis that Russ was never that skilled and intelligent of a basketball player. His super power was his relentless offensive engine. He was constantly attacking and had all time elite athleticism to match it. He coulda been a special defensive player with those traits if he tried, but he didn’t have the IQ to match it and I think coaches even told him to reign that in
more because he was hurting the team.

 

[KnickstapeCity]

A rock head ain't gonna be no goddamn leader.

Russ got a big dikk, breh

 

[No1]

I don’t think Kd is a lead by example type either, tbh. He just isn’t a leader, which is fine because it ain’t for everyone. Steph and Duncan are examples of that type of leader. Russ just has more personality so it drew people, but a Russ was never a leader himself.

I also agree with the hypothesis that Russ was never that skilled and intelligent of a basketball player. His super power was his relentless offensive engine. He was constantly attacking and had all time elite athleticism to match it. He coulda been a special defensive player with those traits if he tried, but he didn’t have the IQ to match it and I think coaches even told him to reign that in
more because he was hurting the team.

I don’t know what makes Duncan more of a leader or even Steph - I guess winning = leader. But I remember Tony Parker saying that Duncan didn’t even acknowledge him until he was a good player. Duncan just went out and did his job and played the right way. I’ve always felt that Draymond was the leader of the Warriors for better or worse.

But again, I’m not in these locker rooms but to me if you tell a dude shows up every day and practices like it’s a game day and holds everyone accountable on the court - I’d say he’s leading by example. Very few have that LeBron ability to create an atmosphere.

 

[mastermind]

But again, I’m not in these locker rooms but to me if you tell a dude shows up every day and practices like it’s a game day and holds everyone accountable on the court - I’d say he’s leading by example.

From my understanding, this wasn’t KD