Russell Westbrook has spent his entire NBA career in Oklahoma City after being drafted in the Thunder’s first season, and in the last eight years, he has put up a number of ridiculous stat lines. Russ has been a contributor since his rookie year, but he has not always been as smart with the ball as he is now. Early in his career, he was labeled as a “ball hog,” but take a look at his current averages, and he is far from that.
This last season Russell Westbrook set the franchise record for the Thunder for assists in a single game with 19 in a 120-108 win at home against the L.A. Clippers on March 9. Westbrook also shot an efficient 9/15 from the floor for 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to complete one of the most impressive triple-doubles in history.
Westbrook finished the 2015-16 season averaging 10.4 assists per game, bringing his career average to 7.6 assists per game. Russ finished second in the league in APG, ahead of guys like John Wall, Chris Paul, Ricky Rubio, James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Steph Curry. Westbrook’s season average was no surprise as he managed double-digit assists in 49 of his 80 games that he played in.
Russell Westbrook is still very much maturing and learning to polish his overall game of basketball, but there is no longer a case to be made when claiming him as a “ball hog.” Russ is without a doubt one of the most dynamic scorers in the league, but his ability to share the ball and put his teammates in scoring position is outstanding. Oklahoma City fans can look forward to another season of outrageous stat lines as Westbrook is the inexplicable leader of this Thunder squad.
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on twitter.