Russell Westbrook is now the sole star of the Oklahoma City Thunder after Kevin Durant’s departure. Will he play similarly to LeBron James in his first stint in Cleveland?
Russell Westbrook finally gets to be “the guy” with the Oklahoma City Thunder after Kevin Durant‘s decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors. Now fans will get to see Westbrook operate with the ball in his hands even more.
What will second year head coach Billy Donavon do to compensate for the loss of Durant? He picked up a good young guard in Victor Oladipo to play on the perimeter alongside Westbrook. OKC also adds rookie forward Domantas Sabonis as a versatile offensive threat and solid defender.
The most comparable season that Westbrook had without Durant came during the 2014-15 season when Durant only played 27 games. He was scheduled to miss the first six weeks after having preseason surgery to repair a Jones fracture, but ended up having his season shut down for bone graft surgery on the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, according to SI.com.
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Westbrook led the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.1 points per game during the 2014-15 season. He improved in other facets of his game to then-career highs 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game. The season also gave him career-highs in usage rate (38.4 percent) and Box Plus/Minus (11.0.) In that season alone, Westbrook had 11 triple-doubles.
In what was a remarkable season for Westbrook, the Thunder missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season. On an individual level, those numbers are similar to what LeBron James was putting up in his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Taking a look at James’ 2007-08 season, he led the league in scoring averaging 30.0 points per game. He also averaged 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He finished the season withs even triple-doubles and led the Cavs to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The comparisons between the two players aren’t talked about often. But with Durant leaving for the Warriors, expect the comparisons to come fast and furious this season.
Westbrook has more talent around him than James did in their previous stint. Other than the aforementioned Oladipo and Sabonis, Westbrook also has the frontcourt tandem of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Add the talented 3-And-D wing in Andre Roberson.
That sets Westbrook up to be a much better assist man. He has the ability to drive and kick out to open three-point shooters on the wing with the addition of Oladipo. His options are limitless in the pick-and-roll game with the twin-headed duo of Kanter and Adams. It will also make life easier on Sabonis in his rookie season.
Westbrook will have plenty of opportunities to thrive late in games. He will become the go-to option for Donavon late in games. The opportunities will be endless for Westbrook late in games with the additions of floor spacers and versatile bigs. He was the 12th-best scorer in clutch situations, according to NBAMiner.com.
The 28-year-old Westbrook is set up to thrive in Oklahoma City. The teammates around him are going to benefit from his playmaking abilities, and Westbrook will also reap the benefits. He will be another challenger to James and two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry for the NBA’s coveted award, and could edge them out as the Washington Post‘s Josh Planos suggests.
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He has become a fan-favorite for basketball fans and those in entertainment, thanks to his fashion trends. On the court it is all about his fiery passion for the game, especially win playing in front of the hometown fans.
Westbrook agreeing to and signing a three-year, $85 million extension with the Thunder means that he has the keys to the team.
In LeBron’s first run with the Cavs, the team achieved a lot of success with playoff appearances and a lot of winning, which can be expected of Westbrook and the Thunder. With a better team around him, Westbrook’s numbers could become just as good, if not better.
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The only questions is, will Russell Westbrook become LeBron James-like in his game and take it further by leading his team to a NBA Championship?