Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is known to be the ultimate competitor on the court. He hustles for every loose ball, plays tenacious defense, and is known to leap for boards usually reserved for the 7-footers on the court.
Because of this, ex-Thunder head coach and current Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks is confident that Russell Westbrook has the ability to play every position on the court.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks on Russell Westbrook playing more off ball: “Russ can play anywhere. He can play the five. He’s a winner.”
— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) November 2, 2018
This is an interesting statement by Westbrook's former coach. While it's true that the former UCLA guard is one of the most competitive guys in the league, it would be a tall task to ask him to guard an opposing center on the block.
Even as the NBA shifts more and more to positionless basketball, most lineups include at least one player who is 6-foot-9 or taller.
Russell Westbrook is listed at 6-foot-3, meaning he would be at least half a foot shorter than the opposing center the majority of the time.
Regardless, Westbrook is doing just fine currently playing the 1 for the Thunder. He has gotten off to a solid start to the season after missing a few games because of knee surgery, averaging 25.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in his first five games.
The Thunder started slow, losing their first four games. Recently, the team has turned it around and won three straight behind some impressive Westbrook performances.
As long as Russell Westbrook is on the court and healthy, Thunder fans won't mind what position he is playing if the wins keep coming.
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