NBA Trade Rumors: Trading Russell Westbrook Would Be Wrong Move for Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Friday night with an NBA-best 10-2 record, but much of the attention early on has been displaced with Russell Westbrook’s sluggish start.
It seems the early season consensus is that the Thunder must trade Westbrook to win a title. That’s because he struggles at the point guard position and has clashed with star Kevin Durant.
The disagreements between the two stars shouldn’t be alarming. It isn’t rare for two competitive players to have disputes through the course of an 82- or 66-game season. For the Thunder to be a mainstay in the west, its future includes Westbrook.
Westbrook skeptics are quick to forget he was named to the All-NBA second team last year (in just his third season). At 23 years old, Westbrook averaged just under 22 points a game and eight assists per game last season.
Much of the hype at the point guard position is focused on Derrick Rose and Chris Paul in Los Angeles. But Westbrook posted a better player efficiency rating (PER) than Rose last year, according to ESPN’s John Hollinger.
His estimated wins added (17.9) trailed just Rose (19) and Paul (18.3). He added more than five wins than the next best, Deron Williams (12.5).
These stats are a much greater sample size to use than the 12 games played this season.
Yes, Scott Brooks would like his starting point guard to average more than five assists a game. But an overlooked aspect of Westbrook is that he’s still learning the position after playing shooting guard in high school and at UCLA.
Not to mention that Westbrook is already starting to turn his season around. He’s coming off two strong games this week against Memphis and New Orleans.
With talking heads on television and Twitterverse erupting with potential trades, here is a look at two potential trade rumors using ESPN’s Trade Machine. Both include Westbrook and neither one makes sense.
Celtics trade Rajon Rondo and Greg Stiemsma to Thunder for Westbrook, Cole Aldrich and Royal Ivey.
The Rondo-for-Westbrook deal is one that is heard the most often. Rondo seems like a perfect fit to give Durant the ball in positions to thrive while Westbrook becomes the next rebuilding piece as Boston’s “Big Three” continues to age.
However, Westbrook provides a scoring punch that Rondo simply cannot replace. Rondo has the luxury of playing with three future Hall of Famers and hasn’t been leaned on offensively the way Westbrook has.
Rondo frequently cannot finish games because he becomes a liability offensively and is a poor free-throw shooter.
Rondo’s scoring is up five points from his career average, but he is too inconsistent as a fourth scoring option to depend on for a large role.
A starting lineup featuring Rondo, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka and Perkins has just one true threat. Putting the ball in the basket has been a problem for the Thunder early in playoff games. This causes them to play catch-up much too often.
Warriors trade Stephen Curry to Thunder for Westbrook
ESPN’s J.A. Adande brings up this possibility in a recent column, bringing the sharp-shooting Curry into the backcourt feeding Durant.
While Curry is a much better shooter than Westbrook, Curry is not the defender that Westbrook is and has shown difficulties recently staying on the floor. He has reoccurring ankle injuries.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
NBA Rumors: Disgruntled Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook Should Team Swap
Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo need to switch teams. Both of these supremely talented point guards would be in a better position on the others’ team, and the teams would be in a better position because of it.
ESPN’s JA Adande recently wrote a piece about Westbrook’s frustration, that became apparent when Westbrook snapped at his teammates during a recent timeout.
While Adande reported that, “A Thunder source said the altercation amounted to “’nothing at all’” and a source close to Durant said, “’I don’t think it’s that big a deal,’” this should still be considered a sign of bigger problems to come.
As for Rondo, there have been numerous reports of tantrums, including this doozy reported by the Boston Herald, which comes to us via Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk:
According to multiple sources, Rondo’s errors were being pointed out when he arose and began discussing the mistakes of his teammates. Loudly. Using harsh language.
Coach Doc Rivers got up and fired back, and Rondo threw a bottle that shattered the video screen. He bolted from the practice facility and was prevented from returning when he tried later.
That tantrum likely led to Boston already considering this swap.
Rumors of a Past Trade Proposal
A month ago, ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported that, after the playoffs last season, Boston had offered up one of the oddest trade packages you’ll ever see.
What is crazy about this deal was that the two clubs had just swapped Green and Perkins months earlier. Boston wanted to exchange point guards and get a re-do on their previous trade, which is understandable because it was a horrible trade for Boston.
The Celtics should forget about getting Perkins back, and find a way to swap Rondo for Westbrook. It would be best for both teams and both players.
Why This Trade Makes Sense
With both players carrying frustration with their current teams, this would give them a fresh start on a new team.
However, this trade is about far more than swapping bruised egos and spoiled temperaments. These guys would be a better fit on the teams they were going to.
Oklahoma City needs a point guard that is more content to pass than to shoot at the end of games. Rondo only takes shots late in games when he is wide open. He is wide open because he can’t shoot. However, Westbrook is a poor outside shooter as well.
The difference here is that Rondo won’t be forcing up shots while he has teammates—namely Durant—better equipped to take the late shots.
Meanwhile, Westbrook would be in a position to become the centerpiece of the aging Celtics. He will be surrounded by players that demand the ball initially, but in a year or two, this offense will be built around Westbrook. That is something that will never happen in Oklahoma City.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder: Next Step in the Russell Westbrook Project
It was well known that when the Oklahoma City Thunder (then Seattle SuperSonics) took Russell Westbrook No. 4 overall in the 2008 draft, general manager Sam Presti had taken on a project.
Despite not having played point guard in college at UCLA, Presti envisioned the super athlete as a hybrid scorer/distributor that, paired with Kevin Durant, could form a dynamic scoring duo. His perimeter defending, earning him Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, was the icing on the cake.
After three full seasons, Presti has been mostly correct. Westbrook and Durant both averaged 20-plus PPG last season and were one of the most exciting tandems in basketball, perhaps only behind LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
His freakish athletic ability allows him to make plays that literally no one else in the league can make, giving him the potential to be one of the most lethal scorers in the game, especially driving to the basket. His developing jump shot makes him even harder to guard.
The only remaining question looming over Westbrook’s head, however, is whether or not he can be a good point guard. There is no question he is one of the 20 best players in the league, but being a point guard isn’t just about getting to the rim.
It’s about decision-making. It’s about tempo. It’s about getting the ball to the hot hand. It’s about getting others involved. It’s about protecting the ball. It’s about winning the game, not your stat line.
Running the point requires the most basketball IQ of any other position on the court. You are the guy who touches the ball on every play. You are the pitcher. The quarterback. The holding midfielder.
With a few games under his belt in his fourth NBA season, it is apparent that Westbrook still does not possess the decision-making abilities to effectively run the point. He led the league in turnovers his first two seasons and finished fourth last year. One of the Thunder’s most well-known shortcomings is their half-court offense that consistently drags, routinely settling for long-range, low-percentage jump shots.
High turnovers and ineffective half-court play are symptoms of a team without a good point guard. This fact has become very clear, especially when Eric Maynor subs in for Westbrook and runs a wildly efficient second unit.
This is no coincidence. Eric Maynor is a better point guard than Westbrook.
Maynor is not a better basketball player than Westbrook, he is only better at running the point. Westbrook was an All-Star last year, and deservedly so. However, he doesn’t have what it takes to run an offense.
Luckily for the Thunder, “where do we fit a top-20 guy next to our top-five guy” is pretty good problem to have. It is a problem that the 4-0 Thunder are more than just “getting by” with. It is also a problem with solutions.
If the Thunder want to live up to their Western Conference champion hype, it is a problem they are going to have to address.
The solution requires, in part, an increased level of fluidity in backcourt roles depending on the personnel on the floor. Fluidity isn’t something head coach Scott Brooks is known for, but we have seen signs in this young season.
During the back-and-forth second halves against Dallas and Memphis, we saw Durant set up the half-court offense during long stretches. This was surprisingly effective against Dallas with shut-down specialist Shawn Marion guarding KD.
Durant’s increased strength and ball-handling allowed him to work tremendously well with a high pick-and-roll. After a successful screen from Nick Collison or Kendrick Perkins, Durant’s drives to the hoop were flanked by Westbrook on one side and James Harden on the other.
Is there are scarier situation for a defense than that? If so, there aren’t many.
In this new set, Russell seems much more at home playing a wide winger/slasher role. Imagine him curling to the basket off a screen or making a back-cut down the baseline. He would still be the point man for fast break opportunities, but if the defense (somehow) gets back in time the team would benefit from Russell deferring to Durant or Harden to set up a play.
Another option we saw during the Western Conference Finals last season, albeit for only a few minutes, was having Maynor and Westbrook on the floor at the same time at point guard and shooting guard, respectively. Combining Maynor’s textbook point play with Russell’s ability off the ball is something Thunder fans would love to see.
In conclusion, I don’t think the problem constitutes a major shakeup. Westbrook does not need to be traded/benched and Maynor does not need to start. If Westbrook continues to struggle, what is needed is some combination of 1) blend the backcourt roles; 2) experiment with different personnel packages and; 3) give Russell more work off the ball to take advantage of his physical gifts.
The other option is just stick it out and hope the kid develops the necessary mental skills to run a team. The compressed schedule takes away from the practice time of an ordinary season, making development of this magnitude very difficult (but not impossible) this year.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Trading Stephen Curry For Russell Westbrook Makes No Sense For The Golden State Warriors
Earlier this week teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder were involved in an altercation during a time out. The incident has led to speculation that Westbrook may need to be traded. Over the last couple of days ESPN has come out with a story about the incident that downplayed the altercation, which can be found here. Also, Durant was interviewed a day later and that can be found at this link. Even with ESPN and Durant downplaying the incident it would not be surprising if the Thunder did consider trading Westbrook.
ESPN’s J.A. Adande recently came out in which he called it the “best idea” for the Thunder and that would be to trade Westbrook for Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry. His idea then would be for Curry to become the starting shooting guard and Eric Maynor take over as the starting point guard for the Thunder and for the Warriors Adande believes that with Mark Jackson’s more defensive minded approach th…
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
Russell Westbrook: OKC Thunder Dustup Is Nothing to Worry About
Being perfect is no easy task. Just ask Russell Westbrook whose temper and shoddy play threatened to derail a fine start for the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
After a close-shave win against the Grizzlies Wednesday, reports came out that Westbrook fired off his temper at some teammates, including Kevin Durant.
Westbrook finished a horrendous showing, going 0-for-13 on the night, only netting four free throws. At some point, the frustration was just too intense.
Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reports a Thunder dust-up during the eventual 98-95 victory, stating there was an “altercation with Kevin Durant on the bench during a second-quarter timeout.”
It seems that Westbrook became incensed with one of his teammates and had to be quelled by Durant at one point. With three minutes left in the second quarter, Westbrook apparently yelled,“shoot the (expletive) ball” at teammate Thabo Sefalosha.
Before you jump off an Oklahoma City high rise, consider this is all part and parcel of life of a top-tier NBA team. The pressure culminates and type-A personalities clash. You can ask the Chicago Bulls big men of the 90s what Michael Jordan use to call them.
The Oklahoman reports even quotes Durant as such:
We’re going to disagree sometimes, like I’ve always been saying. But I’m behind him 110 percent, and he’s the same way with me. And you seen when we came on the floor we clicked and everything started to work from there.
Consider that Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal managed a string of titles despite hating one another and you begin to see how worthless playing with best friends can be.
It doesn’t matter if the players are chummy or are the best of friends; what matters is that the wins continue, and that they are for the time being.
What should worry the team is the goose egg in field goals made for Westbrook—not how he talks to teammates. Infighting will continue to be a part of every season on every single team. This is nothing new, and should be forgotten immediately.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
T’Wolves Luke Ridnour Almost Killed by Russell Westbrook Crossover (Video)
Watch this video- wow! Talk about a Tim Hardaway, Allen Iverson “killer crossover.” Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder faked the Minnesota Timberwolves Luke Ridnour literally out of his shoes. This is ridiculous, the only way Ridnour could be more faked out is if he were lying on the ground, curled up in the fetal position sucking on his thumb.
The announcer said Westbrook “broke his ankles!” Well, Ridnour is the third string point guard on one of the worst teams in the NBA for a reason. And Westbrook is the second star on the Western Conference favorites for a reason.
You’ll want to watch this a few times!
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio shows all across the world. The President of the United State…
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
Russell Westbrook Video: Watch Thunder’s Star Break Luke Ridnour’s Ankles
Russell Westbrook embarrassed Luke Ridnour so horribly, it was impossible not to feel a little sympathetic for him.
Westbrook started showing off his handles, and Ridnour didn’t stand a chance. Ridnour’s defense was almost hard to watch, and the crossover that sent him to the floor put him out of his misery.
It’s unclear whether he stepped on someone else’s shoe or just ate it because of the filthy moves Westbrook was putting down, but frankly, it doesn’t matter.
This is one for the highlight tape and embodies everything we missed about the NBA. It may be a shortened season, but plays like this ensure fans get their fill of jaw-dropping action this year.
The Thunder are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA, and they have a serious shot at winning an NBA championship.
The team is packed full of young and veteran players and overloaded with talent. This team could easily have multiple All-Stars and a ring when this season is all said an done, and they’ll entertain along the way.
It’s a shame that Ridnour’s ankles are no more, but if it’s any consolation, he won’t be the last defender to fall victim to Westbrook’s lethal crossover.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
NBA Rumors: Russell Westbrook Shouldn’t Get Max Contract from OKC Thunder
Russell Westbrook is a fantastic young star and a top-tier NBA point guard, but the Oklahoma City Thunder would be foolish to give him a maximum contract extension.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix tweeted on Nov. 29 that the Thunder will likely offer their young point guard a max contract.
As soon as team executives could speak with players’ agents, Thunder GM Sam Presti began contract negotiations with Westbrook’s agent, according to NewsOK.
Presti said the following about Westbrook:
“Everybody knows how we feel about Russell Westbrook as a person and as a player, and we’re looking forward to having those conversations at the appropriate time.”
Under the current rules, the longest deal Westbrook might be able to sign would be a four-year deal. There is no way he deserves an amount of $17-20 million per season.
Westbrook is a very good player but he has too many faults, such as bad shot selection, a poor attitude at times and subpar defense.
All three of these issues can be turned into strengths, but Westbrook must prove he can work on these this season. If he does that, then he will have earned his huge contract.
Westbrook’s shot selection and the number of shots he took during the 2011 NBA playoffs were criticized, even heavily at times.
Mannix also tweeted some insight on the team’s thoughts on Westbrook despite his up-and-down performance in the playoffs last season.
Not only would giving Westbrook a max contract puts even higher expectations on him, it will make the team’s challenge of keeping promising guard James Harden for the future much harder.
Harden arguably has more talent than Westbrook, and the 2011-12 season could be the one in which Harden breaks out and becomes a big star.
Young forward Serge Ibaka, who last year grew into one of the league’s best defensive players, will also want a nice raise soon.
Westbrook can score the basketball and is a decent playmaker, but he is not a pure point guard. His backup, Eric Maynor, is the real true point guard on the Thunder.
For all of Westbrook’s strengths (scoring and rebounding primarily), there are too many things he needs to improve on before he earns a maximum contract.
The Thunder have too much young talent to keep for the future, and signing Westbrook to a massive contract could hurt their ability to keep their young core intact for many years.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
NBA Trade Rumors: Rajon Rondo for Russell Westbrook Makes No Sense for Thunder
Rajon Rondo‘s name has been smoldering in NBA trade rumors regarding the future of the Boston Celtics.
This is more than the team just doing its due diligence on the point guard.
It’s becoming obvious that general manager Danny Ainge doesn’t view Rondo as a point guard who he can build a championship contender around going into the future, and it has led to several conversations about whether or not the team should deal him right now.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported that the Celtics would be willing to move Rondo in the “right deal,” but there was initially some confusion as to what that scenario might be.
Rondo signed a five-year extension worth about $55 million in 2009, and he’s under contract through the 2014-15 season at a reasonable rate.
In a league where bad contracts abound on almost every roster, that’s a serious bargain.However, on the heels of Broussard’s report that the team might be investigating the potential for a deal, Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated revealed that Ainge is “highly motivated” to land Chris Paul, and that would definitely jive with the belief that Boston will only deal its current starter for an obvious upgrade at the position.
Don’t get too excited, Celtics fans.
First and foremost: The NBA currently owns and operates the Hornets, and it’s highly unlikely the league would sign off on such a trade that would dramatically shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference.
New Orleans reportedly has no interest in a two-team deal with a package built around Rondo in exchange for its franchise star, and rightfully so, as the Hornets could get better offers than the one Boston could currently present.
Broussard also adds that Paul would be unwilling to sign a long-term extension with the Celtics, and that should pump the brakes on most of the chatter surrounding a deal built around Rondo.Ainge is searching for a way to keep the championship window open for the Celtics, and he’s certainly never been afraid to pull the trigger on bold moves, as we saw last season when he shocked the basketball world by dealing Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green.
Boston reportedly attempted to deal Green and Rondo to Oklahoma City at the conclusion of the 2011 postseason in exchange for Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins, a deal that would make absolutely no sense for the Thunder.
Sounds like Ainge might be having buyer’s regret after deciding to deal Perkins, who many fans viewed as an integral part of the heart and soul of the Celtics roster.Even if the Celtics did make that offer (which would have been an illegal trade), it makes no sense for a Thunder team that is said to be extremely high on Westbrook’s future and just handed a sizable four-year extension to Perkins to pull the trigger on such an offer.
Per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Thunder believe so deeply in Westbrook’s future that the club won’t hesitate to give him a maximum contract, so that in and of itself should pour buckets of water on the fiery flames of this strange rumor.
Ainge is playing with fire, and he better be careful that he doesn’t get burned.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Report: Celtics Offered Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green for Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins After Last Season
How’s this for weird? ESPN’s Chris Broussard tweeted an interesting failed trade proposal that Celtics president Danny Ainge reportedly offered the Oklahoma City Thunder after last season. According to Broussard, the C’s offered the Thunder point guard Rajon Rondo and forward Jeff Green in exchange for point guard Russell Westbrook and center Kendrick Perkins. Trading Rondo, one of the franchise’s cornerstones would raise eyebrows as it is. However, the fact that this trade would bring Perkins, who was traded at the deadline in a deal that brought Green to Boston, is the real eye-opener in this scenario. Alas, Oklahoma City…
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
