Slicing, cutting, scoring, passing and defending, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook has become the NBA’s resident razor. He is the knife in the league.
Westbrook has to do everything right now for the Thunder because injuries have destroyed his team. Nevertheless, the Thunder remain a major speed bump to the NBA championship because of one player – Russell Westbrook.
He scores, he passes, he rebounds; Westbrook does everything imaginable to keep the Thunder winning.
Westbrook recorded his 10th triple-double of the season on Sunday against the Miami Heat, becoming just the sixth player since the 1985-86 season to record 10 in a single season. Westbrook hit 12 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, and most impressively had 17 assists in the Thunder’s home win over the Heat.
Oklahoma City has had to officially shut down the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, Kevin Durant, because of a lingering foot injury. Last season, Durant averaged 32 points per game while playing over 38 minutes a contest. This year he has been a vapour of greatness since being diagnosed with a fractured right foot in October.
Compounding the Thunder’s problems is that Serge Ibaka is also out with a knee injury. On March 17, the 6’10” power forward/centre was ruled out for four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to try and relieve right knee pain.
If you look at the numbers – and NBA geeks can be the true nerds of the sports world – Westbrook’s season has been amazing. He is averaging 32.4 points, 10.4 assists and 9.3 rebounds in 21 games dating back to February 1.
The Elias Sports Bureau is a cross between heavy duty tax accountants and Talmudic scholars. They are earnest, resolute and their pursuit of the truth through numbers (sports stats) is beyond reproach. They would probably pass up a date with Kate Upton to crunch numbers – those magnificent bastards.
The ESB says that only Michael Jordan (seven times between 1988-89) and the immortal Oscar Robertson (many times between 1960-1966) have been able to average 30 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists over a 20-game span in a single season in NBA history. That’s some history!
Furthermore, over the last 40 years the only players with more triple-doubles after the All-Star Game are Michael Jordan and Grant Hill. Once again we are in rarefied air (Air Jordan).
Jordan and Hill, along with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are the only other players in the last 40 years with eight triple-doubles after the All-Star break.
We now pause for a moment because we are evoking names from NBA Valhalla.
The record for most triple-doubles after the break is 24, held by the Hall of Fame’s Wilt Chamberlain in 1967-1968. Given Wilt’s record with the ladies, that is a record that cannot and should not be broken.
In the last 40 years, only His Airness, Michael Jordan, has needed fewer games within a single year to register 10 triple-doubles than Westbrook has in his current, amazing streak of 10 triple-doubles in 31 games.
We don’t make this stuff up – because we believe in Elias, we believe in the Sweet Spot and most importantly, we believe in Kate Upton, even if the guys at Elias are too busy.
Westbrook is not perfect. In the win over the Heat, he had six turnovers, four steals and two blocked shots. But his 17 assists equals a career high and the 6’3” guard with the 7-foot wingspan – the NBA’s true hybrid player – remains a solid contender for the league’s Most Valuable Player trophy.
Here is one little factoid to roll around in your brain pan when thinking about just what kind of season Westbrook is having: he has had eight triple-doubles since the All-Star break. No other player has more than two over that span, while the rest of the NBA has combined for just nine.
The NBA’s resident razor Russell Westbrook – great player. The Elias Sports Bureau – great guys. Supermodel Kate Upton – just great.
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