Jan 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Russell Westbrook never had it easy, even if he made the game look easy at times. From the moment he became a superstar for the Oklahoma City Thunder, every one of his plays became permanently dissected.
Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA yesterday, and we went through just how amazing the greatest moments of his career were. We also took a dive into the list of his greatest teammates, and needless to say, Russ has always been successful or had successful stars around him.
Yet, somehow, Westbrook might be the most criticized player in the modern era. So what gives?
Westbrook could score 40, grab 15 rebounds, and dish out 10 assists, and somehow the conversation would still become about the two jump shots he missed in the fourth quarter or the turnovers he committed under duress.
That is partly because Westbrook was such an unusual superstar.
He played with an intensity that looked chaotic and wasn’t always controlled and efficient. So, yes, there were legitimate criticisms to make.
But the criticism often became bigger than the player, and it began to weigh on the former MVP, especially during his Los Angeles Lakers stint.
Westbrook was a nine-time All-Star, an MVP, a nine-time All-NBA selection, and one of the most statistically dominant guards basketball has ever seen. He became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season and did it three more times.
So why did the criticism follow him everywhere? Here are five reasons.
5. His Style Naturally Attracted Every Opinion
Westbrook’s greatest strength was also one of his biggest problems. Everything with him was turned up to the maximum, whether it was needed or not.
There was never much middle ground with Russ. He would attack the rim with force every time, take contested jumpers with full confidence, and try difficult passes without fear. Every single time.
Westbrook accumulated statistics because of this. During his prime, he was one of the most explosive guards basketball had ever seen, and that produced some absurd numbers.
In 2016-17, his MVP season, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double over an entire season.
And then he did it three more times. Westbrook ultimately averaged a triple-double in four different seasons, an achievement that once seemed almost impossible in the modern NBA.
But because his game was so aggressive, the mistakes were equally visible. Westbrook averaged 3.9 turnovers per game for his career.
He averaged 5.4 turnovers per game during his MVP season. His decision-making could become erratic, particularly when defenses loaded up against him late in games.
He also averaged at least 4.0 turnovers per game in seven seasons over his career. Whatever Russ would do exceptionally well would usually follow with something concerning.
A Westbrook pull-up three followed by a screaming celebration and a defensive breakdown becomes a 24-hour television segment.
That’s the Westbrook experience in a nutshell.
4. Efficiency Is What Point Guards Are Always Judged On
This is probably the most legitimate criticism of Westbrook, and also the one that sometimes swallowed the rest of the conversation.
Westbrook was never an elite shooter. He shot 43.8% from the field and 30.8% from three-point range for his career, and his lack of consistent shooting became increasingly problematic as the league evolved toward spacing, efficiency and three-point volume.
Westbrook did not have a season shooting at least 35% from three, as his highest mark was 34.3% in 2016-17. That was the only time he shot at least 34% from deep. He had nine seasons shooting under 30% from deep as a point guard; that wasn’t going to cut it.
His free-throw shooting was up and down as well, because Russ had seven seasons shooting under 70% from the stripe and only has eight seasons shooting at least 80%.
His athleticism could overwhelm defenses in transition, and his ability to create off the dribble was extraordinary.
But in the playoffs, teams figured out something important: You could sometimes live with Westbrook taking jump shots, and often fouling him.
That became a problem when he played alongside other stars who needed the floor spaced around them.
The criticism became especially intense during his post-Oklahoma City years. Teams such as the Rockets (James Harden), Wizards (Bradley Beal), Lakers (LeBron James), and the Clippers (Kawhi Leonard) were asking whether his particular style could coexist with other elite offensive players.
That is a much harder question.
A player can average 20 points and 8 assists and still be a difficult fit if opponents don’t respect his jumper. Westbrook’s critics were right about that.
3. The Triple-Double Saga Created An Unfair Narrative
There is something almost funny about this now. Westbrook spent years being criticized for chasing triple-doubles.
A player was averaging roughly 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and instead of marveling at how historically difficult that was, the debate became whether he was stealing rebounds from teammates.
Yes, there were legitimate discussions about his rebounding habits and how his teammates let him hound the boards.
Even if it is true, Westbrook might be the greatest rebounding guard of all time.
During his prime, Oklahoma City frequently allowed him to grab defensive rebounds and immediately initiate the offense. Rather than waiting for the center to collect the ball and make an outlet pass, Westbrook could turn a defensive possession into a fast break himself.
That was part of the strategy, and it worked.
His 2016-17 MVP campaign remains one of the most remarkable individual statistical seasons of the 21st century. He scored 31.6 points per game, led the league in scoring, averaged a triple-double and carried Oklahoma City to the playoffs after Kevin Durant left for Golden State.
Instead of simply celebrating that achievement, Westbrook became trapped inside a bizarre argument over whether triple-doubles mattered.
Then came the criticism that he was “stat padding.”
For a while, the triple-double was supposed to be impossible, but Westbrook made it look routine.
As soon as he did, it became criticized. Once again, the Westbrook conundrum.
2. He Was Constantly Compared To Kevin Durant
This one followed Westbrook for years, and it probably wasn’t fair.
Westbrook and Kevin Durant were teammates in Oklahoma City from 2009 through 2016, becoming the best superstar duo in basketball. They reached the NBA Finals in 2012 and became perennial contenders in the Western Conference.
But Durant was so special that he made others around him look less than him. He was efficient, controlled, and consistent.
Westbrook was the opposite: explosive, relentless, and constantly attacking with no fear. It was either up or down with Russ.
When Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State in 2016, Westbrook suddenly inherited the entire franchise, and then he produced one of the greatest individual seasons in Thunder history.
Instead of being celebrated for keeping Oklahoma City competitive after losing one of the greatest players alive, Westbrook was frequently questioned about whether he was responsible for Durant leaving.
Until today, many believe that Westbrook pushed Durant out of town. Durant was so elite that he needed an old-school pass-first point guard to make him succeed. Judging by how well KD fit into the Warriors system, perhaps that was true.
But Westbrook was being himself, and the fact that the Durant situation happened has hurt Russ’ credibility.
Still, Durant’s heartfelt message to Westbrook sits well with Thunder fans worldwide who once witnessed one of the best duos compete in NBA history.
1. Expectations Became Ridiculously High
This is ultimately why Westbrook was criticized more than praised.
He was extraordinary, and the expectations became too high for him. Once you average a triple-double, people expect triple-doubles, and once you win MVP, people expect MVP-level basketball.
Once you lead the league in scoring while averaging 10 assists and 10 rebounds, a 25-point, eight-assist, nine-rebound game somehow feels disappointing.
That’s the trap Westbrook created for himself. He raised the bar so high that his normal excellence became treated as failure.
And then came the second half of his career, when his athleticism began to decline, and the flaws in his game became more pronounced.
The criticism was louder because everyone remembered the Oklahoma City version. When that version disappeared, people didn’t simply say Westbrook had declined.
They often talked about him as though he had suddenly forgotten how to play basketball. His flaws became apparent.
Westbrook was never perfect. His shooting limitations were real; he was turnover-prone and would make some confusing plays at times. When he was in his prime, the triple-double would cover that up. As he aged, it showed what many critics felt was “the truth”.
Still, we cannot deny the resume. Russ became an MVP, nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA selection, two-time scoring champion, and one of the most prolific triple-double players in NBA history.
And perhaps the most Westbrook thing of all is that even those accomplishments somehow came with an argument attached.