There aren’t enough words to describe the kind of season Russell Westbrook is having this year.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star has been even better than expected and he’s the clear front-runner for the MVP award. The departure of Kevin Durant has allowed him to become the alpha dog for the Thunder. And he’s been so good that he’s averaging a triple-double. Yes, that’s not a typo.
Following the 126-115 win against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Westbrook is currently averaging 31.1 points, 11.2 assists and 10.5 rebounds per game. He also has nine triple-doubles in 20 games, and in other three games he’s been one assist shy of getting another one.
It’s certainly an impressive start to the season and his performance hasn’t gone unnoticed. But can he keep this pace throughout the rest of the calendar? After all, Oscar Robertson is the only player EVER to average a triple-double in a season, And at any given moment Westbrook could either suffer an injury or slow down. But against all odds, we believe Westbrook can sustain this pace. He’s been THAT dominant this season.
First of all, Westbrook is embracing the role of being the one in charge of the offense. Shooting has never been a problem for him, so we’re sure he will continue to score 10+ pts per game. Westbrook hasn’t scored less than 14 points this season.
One might think rebounding could be a problem, but Westbrook has always been very good on the boards. This season, however, he’s taking it to another level. He hasn’t had less than five boards this year, something pretty impressive for a guard. And he’s topped 10+ boards in 13 of 20 games. We acknowledge it’s going to be hard, but if anyone can keep up this pace, it’s him.
The assists department could also be troublesome due to his scoring nature, but this is where he can get benefits from Durant’s departure. With Durant out of the way, Westbrook will always have the ball on his hands. And that would allow him to orchestrate the offense any way he wants. Much like the rebouding department, he hasn’t had less than five assists in a game this year. And he’s topped 10+ dimes in 12 of 20 games, and in four more he’s registered at least nine.
So far his best performance this year came against the Phoenix Suns. He scored 51 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in a 113-110 win.
It’s going to be hard and the smart money is on Westbrook slowing down at some point this season. But his involvement on the offense and his usage rate are good enough for taking a shot on a historical campaign for the Thunder star. And who knows? He might become the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season.
After all, history has taught us to never doubt Westbrook. He’s certainly proving his doubters wrong in the early going.