This is Part 1 of a 6 part feature on rookie guards. This is one of the most impressive rookie guard classes in recent times, with 6 guards playing significant minutes.
Russell Westbrook, the Rookie of the Month in December, has gotten his career off the an impressive start. He's listed at 6'3 and has elite athleticism for someone his size, which is apparent as he's one of the candidates for the fourth member of the dunk contest all-star weekend this year. He played the 2 at UCLA, while also playing some point when Darren Collison needed a break, but Westbrook has really thirved at the point guard position in the NBA. He's a great on-ball defender and has the ability to finish around the rack against bigger opponents (see: facial here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7zh3uVUJv4).
His career with the Oklahoma City Thunder started off slowly, but as evidenced by his Rookie of the Month Award, Russ has really picked up in the second part of the first half. He has scored in double figures his last 11 games & his per 36 minute numbers this year are 16.8/4.9/5.8 (pts/reb/ast). He's also averaging almost 2 steals per 36 minutes, showing the same defensive presence he showed as a Bruin. Westbrook's biggest weakness is his shot. He showed up to UCLA very raw and still hasn't really developed a reliable jump shot, as evidenced by his 41% fg percentage and 31% 3-pt percentage. Additionally, Russ needs to learn to make better decisions. Being primarily a 2-guard in college, he didn't spend a lot time on the floor as the primary ball handler, and it's showing in his per 36 min turnovers (3.7)
Westbrook, playing for the Thunder, will get the opportunity to play a lot of minutes this year, and get adjusted to the NBA. I think Westbrook will ultimately end up third in the rookie of the year voting this year (behind Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo), but think the sky is the limit for Russ. His elite athleticism, good size for a point guard as well as playing alongside Jeff Green & Kevin Durant, will only open up more space for him in the future.
Strengths: Size, Atheleticism, Defense, Finishing
Weaknesses: Jump Shot, Ball-Handling/Decision Making
Outlook: While I think Westbrook will end up sticking around this league for a long time, he's in the wrong position in the wrong league. Sitting in the West, with CP3 and Deron Williams at point for the forseeable future, it's going to be difficult for Westbrook to crack the all-star lineup. At the same time, of all the rookie guards, I truly believe that Westbrook's ceiling is just as high as anyone else's. Much like Rose, he could really improve his jump shot, but his strength will always be getting to the rim. Howland instilled a defensive desire in him at UCLA and I expect that to continue in the NBA. The sky is the really the limit for a player like Westbrook and I fully expect him to be an impact player in the NBA for a long time. I think in 5 years, we will definitely be talking about the great rookie guard class of 2008, headlined by Rose, Mayo and Westbrook.
1 comment:
Westbrook is your classic sky is the limit player. He grades out extremely high at things you can't teach, i.e., height, speed, quickness, leaping ability, lateral movement, frame, strength, etc..., and he's shown rapid improvement in the areas that can be teached, such as handle, finishing, shooting, and decision making. I watched Russ play over 70 games in two seasons as a Bruin and have watched him about 5 times so far this season, and his progress from where he was 2+ years ago is remarkable. Given the same rate of progress, my guess is that he surpasses Mayo by next season. Rose, on the other hand, is exactly like Russ in terms on the sky really being the limit.
Post a Comment