Could Westbrook Average to Average a Triple Double Again 2019

After Mon night, Russell Westbrook has done it once more. For the 4th time in five seasons, Westbrook will officially average a triple-double. He could play in each of the remaining games and log zip points, assists, or rebounds and he would however be over ten per game of each.

But what's that mean?

Russell Westbrook'south career is one that volition be talked about online, in barbershops, and in bars for decades. He represents a fun enigma. He's made a 12 year NBA career and ix-time All-Star legacy built on being relentless and high energy. What is Russell Westbrook best at? Playing hard. And not like "playing difficult because that is his job," like "playing 100 miles per hour for every possession of a 48+ minute game considering he's incapable of doing anything less."

As silly as information technology sounds, playing that hard is what sets the future Hall-of-Famer apart. Playing that hard every dark for the first 9 years of his career has led to him being, by doctors, asked to not play back-to-backs in the last few years. Playing that hard has also made him a nine-time All-NBA pick that has led the league in assists and points multiple time.

But is playing that way what is best?

That seems similar a silly question. On the surface, playing difficult is always good. Accumulating points, assists, and rebounds are always good. The goal of a basketball game is to put the round ball in the round hoop more times than the other squad. Points and assists do that. Rebounds go on the other team from doing that. But the question boils down to is it working? With a fourth twelvemonth of triple-double evidence to clarify, we take to look at information technology.

Historical Precedence

Westbrook's name is being placed in individual record books aslope Wilt Chamberlain. For those new to basketball, Wilt Chamberlain is, statistically, the Babe Ruth of basketball game. Every time you look upward an incredible accomplishment, at that place's ordinarily i or two guys to do it. Sure, Michael Jordan did it one time, peradventure LeBron James or Magic Johnson every bit well… And and so there'due south Wilt Chamberlain's name, with something wild like "(5)" adjacent to it. Chamberlain broke basketball game over his 14-year career. He averaged over 50 points per game in one season, over 48 minutes per game in another (yes, that's every minute and overtime). He famously striking triple-digit points in a single game.

But in the years Wilt Chamberlain played for a squad that won information technology all? Chamberlain averaged 24 points per game for the NBA Champ 1967 Philadelphia 76ers and 14 points per game for the 1972 NBA Champion LA Lakers. It's not that Wilt Chamberlain couldn't get out and take a big night. In 1966-67, Chamberlain had over 35 points ten times that season. Simply Chamberlain'south function shifted. He stopped being an all-the-time everything became a defensive force and offensive piece. And they won because of it. In 1971-72 Wilt Chamberlain broke 30 points just four times. He was at present sharing the floor with Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Jim McMillan.

They can all score, so Chamberlain did the other stuff. He blocked and deterred shots, got the rebounds, and kicked the ball alee on fast breaks. Information technology's not that he couldn't accept scored the points, but kicking the ball ahead vanquish the defense down the floor in a manner him dribbling it downwardly could not.

What'southward that got to do with Brodie?

Russell Westbrook is undeniably incredible. Getting a triple-double in an NBA game is a demonstration of full control at both ends. The triple-doubler has to detect multiple ways to score and is grabbing boards to keep the other team from scoring. To average 1? That ways you always accept that kind of command.

Farther, being in that much control and playing like Russell Westbrook is undeniably fun to watch. It's fun to encounter a guy fly down the floor for bigtime dunks and lobs before one-half the defense has crossed midcourt. It's crazy to see the relentless attitude from a player diving out of bounds for loose balls later on 35 minutes of basketball game to salve a possession is monumental.

But information technology also hasn't yielded wins. Westbrook's first triple-double campaign was on a 47-35 Thunder squad. The Thunder settled in at 6th identify in the Western Conference before losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The second triple-double entrada was on a 48-34 Thunder squad that went out in a half-dozen game first round series. The third? A 49-33, 6th seeded Thunder squad that lost (you lot guessed information technology) to Portland in a commencement round serial.

This year, Russell Westbrook and teammate Bradley Beal are leading a squad that sits, currently, at 30-35 and 10th identify in the Eastern Conference. For reference- a yr ago, without Westbrook, the Wizards were too in this 9th / 10th spot (the added Orlando Chimera games actually injure them, but the teams behind them didn't play).

Equally things stand up, the 10-seed is in able to play its way into the playoffs. If the current standings concord, Westbrook and the Wizards could beat out the Indiana Pacers and then the loser between the Hornets and Celtics to get into the playoffs. Currently, that would pb them to a first-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. This season, Washington is 0-3 against Philadelphia. (For what it's worth, Washington is 2-0 against Indiana, 0-two against Charlotte, and 1-ii vs. Boston.)

Nuclear Option

The upshot with existence critical of Russell Westbrook boils down to ane question: what else is he supposed to practise? Sure, triple-double Russell Westbrook may be jump for another first-circular get out. But was he supposed to practise something else? When Chamberlain passed off his responsibilities, he had someone to hand them to. He had multiple people to share the scoring load with on the Philadelphia 76ers in 1966-67, three other players averaged over 18 points per game. Three of Chamberlain's teammates in Los Angeles did, too.

Scoring isn't everything. But, in a faster era of basketball, with a three-point line and dramatically better spacing, the merely one of Westbrook'southward teammates averaging more than than 15 points per game is Bradley Beal. At some indicate, that Westbrook has x or more assists in itself is impressive. In Oklahoma City? He had merely one teammate average over 18 points per game twice (Paul George). Westbrook tin't concede his influence on the game in the aforementioned way Chamberlain could because the options to paw it to are not the same.

Westbrook loosening his grip on the game increases the chances information technology floats abroad. While Westbrook has played with All-Stars in Paul George and Bradley Beal, none of his teams have the depth of scoring abilities that Chamberlain's had. Averaging a triple-double has go a nuclear option for mad-scientist Russell Westbrook because it'south something he can autumn back to. The game becomes entirely based on his impact. The event, for Westbrook, is at to the lowest degree in his command. And if cipher else, it's incredible to watch him control it.