During his record breaking season last year, Russell Westbrook averaged 31.6 points per game. For the sake of our countdown, we are gonna round up to 32 points. Going into last season, we all knew Russ could score the ball. I don’t think anyone knew just how much he could actually score though.
All season long we watched the Brodie do whatever he wanted to opposing defenses. The Thunder relied on him too much at times and it cost this team a couple of games. As the only superstar on the team, he was put in a very tough spot.
Westbrook had to decide whether to try to do it on his own, or trust his teammates who often let him down. Sure, there were times where Russ needed to trust his teammates more, but there were also times where he should’ve taken the ball but instead he gave it up.
There came a time in the season where the Thunder had to question how much Westbrook is too much Westbrook. Luckily in 32 more days, he will have some help. He will remain the foundation of this team, but he will have some help in times of need.
There’s no doubt that Westbrook makes his teammates better. He provides open looks and demands so much attention from the opposing teams defense that it paves the way for his teammates to succeed. Having a Westbrook that has confidence in his teammates is gonna be fun to watch. Having another superstar on his side in Paul George is certain to take away from his scoring. It’s likely that he won’t average 32 points again. Luckily, I don’t think Russ cares about how much he scores as long as his team comes out on top.
Article written by Craig Hofeld. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram.