Russell Westbrook's struggles with efficiency have been a phantasmagoric experience for Oklahoma City Thunder fans. The 2017 NBA MVP has gone from notching the first triple-double season since 1961-62 to doing so again last season, but at a lower efficiency.
This 2018-19 season has brought another triple-double average, but those shooting struggles are now at an alarming level. Westbrook's shooting is even now even comparable to Markelle Fultz, who is already receiving the “bust” label this early in his career.
Prior to taking the floor against the LeBron-less Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook was shooting 30.0 percent on jump shots and 24.0 percent on 3-pointers this season, numbers that are now worse than Fultz's before he was shut down after an injury was discovered:
Before tonight, Russell Westbrook was shooting 30% on jump shots and 24% on threes this season.
Before being shut down, Markelle Fultz was shooting 30% on jump shots and 29% on threes this season.
— Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) January 3, 2019
Westbrook had resolved to take less pull-up jumpers, reduce his number of 3-point attempts (something he has been told to do his whole career) and make the most of his long-range attempts in catch-and-shoot scenarios. The OKC guard has been seen battling himself to keep his 2018-19 resolution alive and is now at conflict with the true nature of his game, clanking shot after shot.
Article Continues BelowDespite averaging a triple-double for the third straight season (20.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 10.1 assists), Westbrook is shooting a feeble 41.6 percent from the floor (the worst since his rookie year), 23.6 percent from deep and a baffling 62.6 percent from the foul line.
Westbrook hasn't just dropped a whopping 21.9 percentage points at the line since his MVP season, but is now getting there less frequently — going from a career-high 10.4 attempts in 2016-17 to 7.1 attempts last season to 5.6 in this current campaign.
The 30-year-old's physicality and raw athleticism play a vast part in his game, one that has now been rendered only semi-useful due to his alarming inconsistencies from the perimeter and even at the foul line.
Russell Westbrook might not have a nerve-related injury like Markelle Fultz, but not even the yips can explain such a dramatic drop-off in his shooting numbers like he has displayed this season.