Top 50: Russell Westbrook, no. 12

Thanks for all of the comments. Dude is surely a lightning rod. I love KD35, but I truly think Russ is a more complete player. Basketball is SO much more than just shooting the ball and I strongly feel this guy has been wrongly criticized. WCF w Dallas was a mixed-bag for all OKC players, but don’t act like KD35 was wide open on every possession and Russ was shakin’ him off for his own benefit.

@ jarrett:

Perkins is a bit biased, Rondo isnt the player Westbrook is, Perkins wants easy passes for easy baskets, thats not what Westbrooke will give u all the time, but at least he can put the damn ball in the basket and isnt offensively challenged in every other way.

for ONE perkins and rondo are BEST FRIENDS in real life. so what u expect perk to say. for 2, no one would pass up KD for russ but on THIS CURRENT TEAM. russ is the one that makes them go….MENTALLY

LOL

did u watch the playoffs? this guy is not top 50 let alone top 12.

omphalas, i agree with the WC from last summer, but nothing from this summer should be used as actual evidence in a debate. They aren’t playing competitive basketball. I never have said that I would put Russ over KD35 in a ranking like this, just thought that due to his expanding game and major room for improvement, his ceiling might be higher. BTW, i am one of KD35′s biggest fans.
Laz, not top 50? obviously, the playoffs were all that you did watch….

Ball handling in general, sure, but then you can’t say Westbrook is a better rebounder, for their position? KD as a ball handler by a landslide. Westbrook on the boards, but which one is a bigger advantage, 5 rebounds from your PG, or a SF with a 7’6″ wingspan who handles the ball like a guard? Creating for teammates is also tricky, the whole defense, every game is geared around containing Durant so technically if he’s on the court, he creates every scoring opportunity. Plus he isn’t a PG. And then there is the whole basketball IQ portion of the whole thing. Westbrook has better raw athletic potential, and is a much much better defender already. But Durant is a 7’0″ SF with Guard skills and unlimited range. Westbrook will never be able to affect a game in the ways Durant does.

If it is about who is better for the future yeah it’s debatable, not right now though, it’s clear who is better today.

11. Amare
10. Deron
9. Dirk
8. Carmelo
7. Paul
6. Durant
5. Kobe
4. Rose
3. Wade
2. Dwight
1. LeBron

OVERRATED!!!

damn, this ranking is way too high

thats stupid that somebody’s dissing westbrook in comparison to rondo because of his maturity issues. remember rondo spent a lot of time on the bench during the only year he won a championship, and he was pissing off doc so much that doc even let it be known in the media that rondo was acting a fool. westbrook is already better than rondo, and he didn’t even play the damn position in college. yea rondo’s a better distributor and passer, but russ outshines him in nearly every other category.

I can’t believe the author thinks that Westbrook could leapfrog Durant. Kevin friggin Durant, the most prodigious talent in the league since LeBron James. Are you serious? Westbrook is amazing no doubt, and 12th is a good spot for him, but he is no Durant. He needs to know his role, shoot a little less, and contribute when required of him, while the league’s future best player aka KD35 does his thing.

Would love to see OKC play Maynor at the 1, let Russ play his more natural position like a Dwade or Monta, KD (hopefully with an improved post game), Ibaka and Perk. With Harden playing the Manu role, then you have Thabo, Collison, Nate, Cook and Nazr. That’s a scary team.

CP3 is overrated these days. 16 and 10 is nothing spectacular and 2 good games against a Lakers squad who 1. Can’t defend the PG spot at all and 2. We’re fairly mediocre throughout the playoffs is not going to change my opinion. He is living off past rep in 2008 he had a remarkable year but that time has past and with this knee injury he’s not the same player. People always say Chris Paul if healthy is the best, well he hasn’t been healthy in two years. I hope he’s not top 5 on this list I’d be fairly disappointed.

^^Stats dnt lie……. anyway i thinks its hilarious how mass media can shape your views on anything…. imagine watchn a game without the commentators and analyst……… Everone agreed wit espn that westbrook was the problem and should be traded but no 1 said that thunder has only 2 scores in the lineup after tradn greene (which was a mistake) Kdurant is a superstar but sometime still gets pushed around and relies on the jumpshot 2 much……… Westbrook deserves this spot ahead of rondo….. rondo has 3 hall of famers on his sqaud. i believe his number wouldnt look da same if he didnt have great players on his team… Westbrook is more valuable because all he has to work on his passing ability… once thats worked on… cp3 and dwill etc watch out

Harden should run the offense a bit more, he seems to understand the pg’s role better then russ.

I’m not sure he belongs ahead of Rondo. I don’t watch OKC enough but Rondo is pretty damn good.

westbrook averaged 8.2 assists a game during the regular season …how the hell is that selfish…..hes shooot first obviously but thats better than d rose and 95 % of players in the L

Allen: Not my ratings, what I think SLAM will be.

Caboose
that was all-ball not me.

So much for being a floor general when you never win. This is not 2008 and cp3 is not the same player. Dont give me anything about him not having a good team either. West is a two-time all-star and tyson chandler was very critical in helping the mavs win championship, he even played with peja when he still had some game left. He has played with enough talent, the dude is overrated.

cosign nbk… slick rick is tripping. nobody is more efficient and nobody sees the floor better.

Allenp – Thats a good point… eating into Hardens minutes is a bad thing… add Thabo to the mix (I think they still have him down for next season…?) and there is a serious log jam in the backcourt with effective young guys that all play well with 30+ minutes a game.

nbk, watch your mouth boy, no ones an idiot, when cp3 went down the season before last, the pg that plays for Indiana now who name I forgot put up stats that were very comparable to cp3′s and New Orleans didn’t look anywhere near the worst team in the league, they weren’t good, but they were winning around the same pace they were with cp3.

And raw stats is how you judge guys? You don’t even know who they are.