Tag: OKC Thunder

Russell Westbrook Traded to the Rockets: Does this Make Houston Better?

After Loosing Paul George, the Oklahoma City Thunder began their rebuild and they were clearly not going to be able to rebuild a team around Russell Westbrook. Therefore, they had to move him. So, the Thunder traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul. This will reunite the former Thunder teammates James Harden and Russell Westbrook. So, the big question is: How is this going to work?

The answer is simple. Westbrook has to change. Both Harden and Westbrook are very ball dominate players. In fact, they have 2 of the highest usage ratings in NBA history. Even higher than Kobe Bryant, who was known for not passing the ball. The reason Westbrook has to change and Harden doesn’t is because the Rockets offense runs through Harden. He is one of the top scorers and 3 point shooters in the league and the Rockets are not going to win with out Harden leading their offense.

However, the Rockets have to be smart about how they use Westbrook. Westbrook can be a ball handling athletic point guard, much like in OKC, but he has to let Harden be the guy on the offensive end. This would be much more of an issue if Westbrook hadn’t proven he could take a step back while playing with Paul George last Season.

Westbrook was able to let George dominate the ball and lead the offense. Westbrook was still able to score and contribute with his athleticism, however, he was able to take a step back and do what was best for his team. Something that he was previously accused of being incapable of doing.

The fact that Westbrook and Harden have a good relationship goes a long way for Houston. Chris Paul and James Harden had some problems. Paul has been know to have a bit of an ego and has the potential to cause problems in the locker room. However, with this trade the Rockets now have two star players who get along well and who have had success together in the past when Harden played for the Thunder.

With this deal the Rockets have gotten a little bit better. They got rid of a bad Chris Paul contract, Paul has 3 years left on a 4 year 159 million dollar contract and, while he may still be a good player, he is 34 years old and not the same Chris Paul he used to be. Their are pros and cons with the addition of Russell Westbrook to the Rockets.

The Rockets will get a younger point guard with a better contract who they already know will get along with their superstar in James Harden. However, Westbrook will have to almost completely change his game and with a game built around his extreme athleticism, the Rockets have to wonder how long Westbrook’s athleticism will last. And when his athleticism eventually gives way, will Westbrook be able to change his game and still be effective on the court?

Another concern the Rockets should have is Westbrook’s lack of 3 point shooting. Everyone knows that the Rockets brand of basketball is almost exclusively volume of 3’s. They shoot and incredible amount of 3 pointers. In fact, the Rockets had the highest 3 point frequency in the league last season at 52%. The Rockets needed to get better at shooting from distance not worse, which they did by getting Westbrook who shot 29% from long distance last season.

Westbrook is a fantastic player and the already established chemistry between he and Harden makes this a solid trade for Houston. However, Harden and Westbrook have to make it work. Otherwise, the Rockets will look very bad. So, while the Rockets may have gotten a bit better with the addition of Russell Westbrook, there are still a lot of wrinkles to iron out.

Where is the best place for Russell Westbrook Now?

With OKC trading Paul George to the Clippers everyone is asking the same question: What’s next for Russell Westbrook? It has long been said that Westbrook will never win a championship. In the past he has essentially demanded control of the team on the floor, he stat padded his way to an MVP in the 2016-17 NBA season, and he was criticized for stealing rebounds from his teammates in order to secure his triple double. However, Westbrook is simply not good enough to win a chip as the best player on his team.

Russel Westbrook gives his all on the basketball court. He never shows a lack of emotion or heart when it comes to the game. However, with only 29% shooting from 3 point range and a 42% field goal percentage, all that heart doesn’t matter without success.

With Paul George gone the Thunder are now in a rebuilding faze and the best thing for them to do is send Westbrook to a place where he can contend. The biggest problem for Westbrook is his demand to have the ball in his hands, or at least it used to be.

With Paul George, last season, Westbrook showed a willingness to give up his role as the top dog and let Paul George, the better shooter, take control of the offense and be the scorer. That is what Westbrook has to keep up if he wants to win a title. He can’t pad his stats or demand the ball. He is a solid player and an all-star talent but he can’t win a title all by himself.

So, where is the best place for a player like Westbrook. Teams that would be looking would be teams with cap space, who have another star player, and are looking for that missing piece to put them over the top.

The Heat do not have the cap space but if they could clear some in the future, Westbrook could be a nice addition to their team. Jimmy Butler has been known to get in the face of players who don’t work hard enough. That would never be a problem with a guy like Westbrook. He and Butler have similar personalities and could gel well as teammates in Miami.

If all Westbrook cares about was getting the most money, Atlanta would be a good choice. They have the most Cap space currently and are on the come up as a young team without a real superstar. However, it is doubtful that the Hawks would be willing to deal out their developing young talent for Westbrook, who may not even work well with their system.

Another potential destination for Westbrook is the Boston Celtics. With players like Kemba Walker, Jason Tatum, and Jaylen Brown in the starting line up they are looking like a good team this coming season. They only have 3 players currently in double digits in terms of yearly salary and have some good cap space. While Westbrook does have a big personality he hasn’t had many problems in the locker room, which is good news for Boston after what they dealt with in Kyrie Irving. If Hayward can get his game back the Celtics could have one of the best front courts in basketball.