Justin Cooper

December 6, 2018

 

Metamorphosis is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages.”  Oklahoma City Thunder fans may be witnessing the metamorphosis of Russell Westbrook occur before their very eyes in the early parts of this 2018-2019 season, as he is showing glimpses of what the next stage in his development may look like.  Throughout his career, the Thunder superstar has been one of the most polarizing figures in all of professional basketball due, largely, to the public perception that the veteran point guard cannot or simply will not change his style of play for the betterment of his team.  This season, Mr. Triple-Double has the opportunity to transform that narrative and flip the script on the critics who confidently proclaim no Westbrook led squad can legitimately be considered a viable championship contender.  

Since he distinguished himself as the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double and the first player to accomplish the same feat in back to back seasons, Westbrook has commonly been accused of stat-padding, a practice that is actually quite the antithesis of his game.  Westbrook is a player driven solely by a burning passion to win; a fierce competitor that views the other teams’ players not only as opponents, but as mortal enemies that must be vanquished in order to claim the spoils of victory every time he takes the court.  When he finishes a game with 15 rebounds, it is not because he chased the statistic, but because, on those 15 shots, Westbrook wanted the ball more than any other player on the court and did whatever necessary to rip the board from any nearby contender.  It is this fierce competitiveness that fuels every explosive drive to the basket, every clutch shot, and every heroic effort in which number zero says ‘why not?’ and wills his team to victory.  It is this same unwavering passion and desire to will his team to victory, however, that has resulted in a more fitting moniker for Westbrook’s style of play: “hero-ball.” 

For all his explosive drives, clutch shots, and heroics Westbrook has always had games wrought with ill-advised, low-percentage shots, poor decision making, and a refusal to adjust when his shots aren’t falling and teams have closed off the paint, slowing his normally super-charged attack.  The first metamorphosis of Russell Westbrook was born out of necessity after Kevin Durant’s surprise departure in 2016, leaving the team undermanned, gutted, and discouraged.  Thunder fans, who had long decried Westbrook’s “hero-ball” style, suddenly learned not only to accept it but to embrace it as points not generated or facilitated by the Brodie were scarce, and leads the team did manage to build with him on the court quickly evaporated the moment he sat to catch his breath.  Westbrook’s first metamorphosis was the inevitable marriage between “hero-ball” and becoming the Thunder’s sole offensive sparkplug.  He became Mr. Everything for OKC and, for his efforts, Westbrook, who further endeared himself to his Oklahoma City base by inking a contract extension that year when many thought he would also leave the team in free agency as Durant did the previous summer, earned MVP honors.  He finished the 2016-2017 campaign averaging a triple-double with a league leading 31.6 points per game, finished second in assists at 10.4 per game but, in doing so, racked up a staggering 41.7 usage percentage (the second closest was DeMarcus Cousins who tallied a 36.5 usage percentage).  The team finished 47-35 and were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by James Harden and the Houston Rockets. 

The “Big Three” in OKC that never really was in 2017-2018 had all eyes focused on the Thunder with an anticipation that, with help, Westbrook could relinquish some control of the team and that “hero-ball,” now seemingly not a necessity, would no longer characterize Westbrook’s game.  Team chemistry never quite materialized to meet expectations, Anthony was a shell of his former self, still a ball-stopper on offense and even slower on defense than reputed, George was inconsistent while battling a nagging elbow injury, Roberson suffered a season-ending knee injury just as the team started to hit some semblance of stride, and Westbrook, once again left to carry the lion’s share of the load, was bridled with more criticism for his style of play.  The Thunder improved on the previous season’s record by only a game, winning 48, but were again bounced from the first round of the playoffs by the Utah Jazz. 

This season, Russell Westbrook has another chance at metamorphosis as the new look Thunder are 16-7 and winning games, even in his absence.  Sitting out with an ankle injury through 5 games in mid-November, Westbrook watched his team win 5 of 6 while he patiently recovered in swaggy street clothes, a far different reality than the previous two seasons that saw Thunder leads dissipate the moment he took a seat.  Trust in his teammates will be what facilitates the second metamorphosis of Russell Westbrook.  Through 15 games in which he has played so far in 2018, his game has continued to evolve.  One notable change to the 10 year veteran’s game which indicates a distinct new stage of development is simply the fact that he is shooting the ball less.  In 2016-2017, Westbrook put up 20 or more shots in 79% of games, hitting that mark in 61 of 81 contests in which he appeared.   Throughout 2017-2018, he attempted 20 or more shots 47 times, or 58.75% of the 80 games in which he played.  So far, through 15 games in which Westbrook has appeared this season, he has again reduced his field goal attempts, shooting 20 or more in only 7 games (46.6%).  This “less is more” approach is populating the win column this season, as in games where Westbrook launches 20 or more shots, the Thunder are 3-4, while games in which he attempts fewer than 20 shots, the Thunder are a perfect 8-0. 

Almost unbelievably, Westbrook (22.7 ppg) is not the leading scorer on this year’s Thunder team, another element of his evolution.  Paul George is leading the way with 24.3 points per game.  Wednesday night, the Thunder faced the struggling Brooklyn Nets on the road.  Oklahoma City came out shooting the ball poorly from the floor and allowed Brooklyn to build a 23 point second half lead.  Last season, this was the type of trap game that would have almost certainly sunk OKC; the type of game where Thunder fans who have been around a while almost instinctively expect Russell Westbrook to completely dominate every possession, indiscriminately firing threes from anywhere on the court without so much as an inch of breathing room.  For a few brief moments on a few ill-advised shots in the second half of last night’s contest, it appeared as if Russell Westbrook would revert to the “hero-ball” that his critics have so often highlighted when characterizing his game.  To the contrary, with the game on the line, the MVP deferred to his hot handed running mate, Paul George, who masterfully led the Thunder comeback and hit the go-ahead three to seal the contest.  Russ was ecstatic.  Although he put up 23 field goal attempts on the night, a different Russell Westbrook is emerging as trust in his teammates continues to develop.  The next metamorphosis of Russell Westbrook is only just beginning, but when the new, more efficient Westbrook fully emerges, it will be as the leader of a viable championship contender.  His critics are officially on notice.