It cannot be denied that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is one of the best in the league right now. Westbrook won the 2016-2017 NBA Most Valuable Player award because of his freakish ability to finish games with a triple-double, and he has been the face of the franchise since Kevin Durant's departure for the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
But is Russell Westbrook actually letting his team down this season? Colin Cowherd thinks so:
"Here's an interesting stat so far for the Thunder: When Russell Westbrook shoots less than 20 field goals, they're 8-0. When Russell Westbrook shoots over 20 shots, they're 2-4. Less stats, less shooting, less of Russell Westbrook, 8-0." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/v9D1RylcIi
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 4, 2018
Cowherd has some useful evidence as he pointed out that OKC is undefeated at 8-0 when Russell Westbrook does not attempt more than 20 shots. However, he added that the Thunder are actually losing more games when Westbrook fires more than 20 shots.
Cowherd criticized Westbrook by stating that his triple-double efforts during his MVP season didn't really help the team. Instead, his triple-doubles were simply good enough to help him win the award.
Cowherd also pointed out that Westbrook hasn't been able to lead the Thunder in the playoffs, as they've made their exit in the first round in the past two seasons.
Currently, the Thunder have the third-best record in a tight Western Conference. They are only half a game behind the current leaders, the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Russell Westbrook is currently averaging 22.8 points, 9.5 assists and 9.8 rebounds per game. He recently missed six games due to an ankle injury he suffered against the New Orleans Pelicans. During that span the Thunder went 5-1.
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