Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook is frequently criticized for gunning for his own shot too much, but maybe it's time to give the man some credit for his playmaking ability.
During the Thunder's game against the L.A. Clippers on Saturday night, Westbrook passed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant to move into 30th place on the NBA's all-time assist list.
Russell Westbrook has passed Kobe Bryant to move into 30th place on the all-time assists list! đź‘Ź#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/nZDlhhvkyX
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 16, 2018
Going into Saturday's action, Westbrook was averaging 9.9 assists per game. He owns a career average of 8.2 dimes a night.
Russell Westbrook's ability to find his teammates for buckets has certainly improved over the last several years, with the point guard posting double-digit assist averages in each of the last three years. Last season, Westbrook led the league in assists, averaging 10.3 per game.
Now, there are some out there who say that Westbrook chases assists to pad his stats, but at what point do we start giving him some props for actually setting things up for his brethren?
The 30-year-old, who played his collegiate basketball at UCLA, was originally selected by the Seattle Supersonics with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Of course, the Supersonics would become the Thunder that ensuing season, but that's a pretty good trivia question.
Russell Westbrook proceeded to register 15.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game in what was an impressive rookie campaign. Two years later, Westbrook was an All-Star.
Overall, Westbrook has made the All-Star team seven times, and in 2017, he won the Most Valuable Player award after becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double.
Westbrook then averaged a triple-double yet again last season.
This year, the dynamic Thunder guard is recording 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game to go along with his assist totals.
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