Is it just me or is Westbrook's style of play not conducive to title wins?

[TrueBlue89]

I brushed off the fact he couldn't lead OKC to the playoffs last season despite the historic numbers he was putting up but after 3 straight losses I think there's a debate to be had.

Forget the horrific defending, ineffeciency and high TO's, his decision making in the clutch is mind-boggling. He completely freezes out his teammates and only passes when he needs to be bailed out. People forget the last time the Thunder made the finals the offense was being run through the Harden in the 4th not Westbrook.

[Foster5k]

Westbrook is a blind lion. Meaning, he has all this power and strength, however he doesn't know exactly where and when to use it. When I watch him play, he's like a wild man.

On the other hand, when I watch Curry play he's like a calculated ring master. He knows how to control the lion while the crowd thinks the lion will devour him.

In the end, the lion goes back into its cage and the ring master locks it.

Will Westbrook ever learn how to control his wild side and play like the ring master? We'll have to wait and see.

[Lebronxrings]

present day allen iverson.

he does the right things in the first 3 quarters then goes full one man army mode in the 4th.

[Legends66NBA7]

He was 3 wins away from an NBA title, so it's possible.

[TrueBlue89]

He was 3 wins away from an NBA title, so it's possible.

They haven't been back to the finals since Harden left though.

[Mr. Jabbar]

He is Dumb as a rock. You don't win titles being dumb as a rock.

[DaSeba5]

Westbrook is a blind lion. Meaning, he has all this power and strength, however he doesn't know exactly where and when to use it. When I watch him play, he's like a wild man.

On the other hand, when I watch Curry play he's like a calculated ring master. He knows how to control the lion while the crowd thinks the lion will devour him.

In the end, the lion goes back into its cage and the ring master locks it.

Will Westbrook ever learn how to control his wild side and play like the ring master? We'll have to wait and see.

He's been in the league for 7 years now. You would think he would have shown some signs of progress in that area if that was going to be part of his game. I just don't think it ever will be.

[catch24]

Westbrook is a blind lion. Meaning, he has all this power and strength, however he doesn't know exactly where and when to use it. When I watch him play, he's like a wild man.

On the other hand, when I watch Curry play he's like a calculated ring master. He knows how to control the lion while the crowd thinks the lion will devour him.

In the end, the lion goes back into its cage and the ring master locks it.

Will Westbrook ever learn how to control his wild side and play like the ring master? We'll have to wait and see.

Needs more lions, tbh

[SpecialQue]

He is Dumb as a rock. You don't win titles being dumb as a rock.

http://i.imgur.com/2GOrX5H.gif

inb4 some ph@gg0t says "rent free"

[Bay Area Baller]

I as well think the Westbrooks is overated as he is ball dominant shoot first pG in as much his defense is solid but overated. Insert other Westbrook insult here.

[Mr. Jabbar]

http://i.imgur.com/2GOrX5H.gif

inb4 some ph@gg0t says "rent free"

:roll: damn

I stand corrected

[3ball]

Westie's high production + bad efficiency + ball-dominant, stat-pad losing style + no team hopping = 0/1

Lebron's high production + good efficiency + ball-dominant stat-pad losing style + team-hopping = 2/6

Jordan's high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 6/6

:confusedshrug:

[Foster5k]

Westie's high production + bad efficiency + ball-dominant, stat-pad losing style + no team hopping = 0/1

Lebron's high production + good efficiency + ball-dominant stat-pad losing style + team-hopping = 2/6

Jordan's high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 6/6

:confusedshrug:
:oldlol:

[TrueBlue89]

Westie's high production + bad efficiency + ball-dominant, stat-pad losing style + no team hopping = 0/1

Lebron's high production + good efficiency + ball-dominant stat-pad losing style + team-hopping = 2/6

Jordan's high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 6/6

:confusedshrug:
What about Curry?

[PsychoBe]

i could give an entire psychological breakdown of westbrook and what's holding him back but that would be a waste....

okay fine.

he suffers from cognitive dissonance.

what's that?

"In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas or values, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values."

so what does that man?

when a deeply held belief is challenged, one must then commit an act to allow themselves to confirm that their deeply held belief was in fact, true.

what does this have to do with westbrook?

i see it all the time.

he runs down the court, stops, pops, pulls-up for a two-pointer.

he misses.

now he knows he can make that shot. it's a shot that he's practiced a hundred times. he should have made that shot. but he didn't.

now he has to try it again. he has to make it. or else it throws away all the hard work he put into perfecting that shot.

next play.

he runs down the court, stops, pops, pulls-up for a two-pointer.

he makes it.

now that he's reconfirmed how "great" of a player he is, it opens the door for him to do other things.

next play.

he runs down the court, attempts a no-look fancy behind the back pass to durant.

the pass was too strong, durant fumbles it out of bounce.

turnover.

and the cycle continues.

westbrook has such a strong belief in himself and such a high motor and intensity that it's detrimental to everyone around him. once he's on he can't turn off.

durant is the opposite.

his confidence can be shaken, and he knows it, that's why when he sees his teammate go all out every single out, keep shooting despite his make or misses, he envies that. and because he's envious of it, and has a deep-seated respect for players who are cut from that same mold, he wouldn't mind deferring to him.

why should he take the shot if he doesn't believe that he can make it when he has a teammate with unshakeable confidence? it makes no sense to him. he believes in westbrook to a fault, because he can't see past his flaws. he sees the intensity, the motor, the drive, and the will to win, and he knows he doesn't have that.

they are bad for each other. plain and simple.

blow it up.

[Foster5k]

Curry's. high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 1/1
Jordan's high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 6/6
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Curry and Jordan... Off-ball players, goat shooters from midrange and 3 + winning style = 7/7


Curry is remarkable for the 3-point era and his time of possession is pretty low for PG's - I consider him to be a hybrid off-ball/on-ball player, just like Jordan.

When you can shoot like those guys (MJ from midrange, Curry from 3), you MUST to be off-ball player to maximize your shooting ability.. Shooting ability and off-ball play go together, and they go with winning too.
From a pure Xs and Os perspective, even if every shot was worth 1 point, the spacing Curry would provide still gives his team the advantage.

[3ball]

What about Curry?


Curry's. high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 1/1
Jordan's high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 6/6
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Curry and Jordan... Off-ball players, goat shooters from midrange and 3 + winning style = 7/7


Curry is remarkable for the 3-point era and his time of possession is pretty low for PG's - I consider him to be a hybrid off-ball/on-ball player, just like Jordan.

When you can shoot like those guys (MJ from midrange, Curry from 3), you MUST to be off-ball player to maximize your shooting ability.. Shooting ability and off-ball play go together, and they go with winning too.. Otoh, Westbrook and Lebron are the antithesis of these things - they are ball-dominant, bad shooters.. lol

[3ball]

whoops bad timing on the repost

[GIF REACTION]

Lebron was actually an elite spot up shooter in 2013

[LoneyROY7]

Michael Jordan's career usage percentage: 33.3

LeBron James' career usage percentage: 31.7

Stephen Curry's career usage percentage: 25.9

:oldlol:

[PsychoBe]

i could give an entire psychological breakdown of westbrook and what's holding him back but that would be a waste....

okay fine.

he suffers from cognitive dissonance.

what's that?

"In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas or values, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values."

so what does that man?

when a deeply held belief is challenged, one must then commit an act to allow themselves to confirm that their deeply held belief was in fact, true.

what does this have to do with westbrook?

i see it all the time.

he runs down the court, stops, pops, pulls-up for a two-pointer.

he misses.

now he knows he can make that shot. it's a shot that he's practiced a hundred times. he should have made that shot. but he didn't.

now he has to try it again. he has to make it. or else it throws away all the hard work he put into perfecting that shot.

next play.

he runs down the court, stops, pops, pulls-up for a two-pointer.

he makes it.

now that he's reconfirmed how "great" of a player he is, it opens the door for him to do other things.

next play.

he runs down the court, attempts a no-look fancy behind the back pass to durant.

the pass was too strong, durant fumbles it out of bounce.

turnover.

and the cycle continues.

westbrook has such a strong belief in himself and such a high motor and intensity that it's detrimental to everyone around him. once he's on he can't turn off.

durant is the opposite.

his confidence can be shaken, and he knows it, that's why when he sees his teammate go all out every single out, keep shooting despite his make or misses, he envies that. and because he's envious of it, and has a deep-seated respect for players who are cut from that same mold, he wouldn't mind deferring to him.

why should he take the shot if he doesn't believe that he can make it when he has a teammate with unshakeable confidence? it makes no sense to him. he believes in westbrook to a fault, because he can't see past his flaws. he sees the intensity, the motor, the drive, and the will to win, and he knows he doesn't have that.

they are bad for each other. plain and simple.

blow it up.

in case it was missed

[Foster5k]

in case it was missed
:oldlol:

These internet shrinks are hilarious. Maybe Westbrook needs to visit Dr. PyschoBe and get an evaluation. Maybe, just maybe, it'll help him listen to the coach and do what he is told. Then again, probably not.

[PsychoBe]

:oldlol:

These internet shrinks are hilarious. Maybe Westbrook needs to visit Dr. PyschoBe and get an evaluation. Maybe, just maybe, it'll help him listen to the coach and do what he is told. Then again, probably not.

i'm seeing a therapist myself i can tell these things

[imdaman99]

Oh yeah? Which was the series they should have won? They lost to a better Lakers team in 2010 (Lakers won the title), they lost to the Mavs in 2011 (Mavs won title), they lost to the Heat in 2012 in the Finals, Westbrook got hurt in the 2013 playoffs, they lost to the 2014 Spurs (Spurs won the title). Last year was a wash because everyone on the team was hurt.

Where are the championships that they were a lock to win? Which ones did he blow?

[Cocaine80s]

Michael Jordan's career usage percentage: 33.3

LeBron James' career usage percentage: 31.7

Stephen Curry's career usage percentage: 25.9

:oldlol:
:roll:

[90sgoat]

Westbrook and Durant are going to split and Westbrook will be Kobe 2.0 after Shaq left. Hopefully that will teach him to pass the ball in the 4th.

[AintNoSunshine]

He is Dumb as a rock. You don't win titles being dumb as a rock.


Kobe did. Just gotta find the right teammates to carry your azz

[nathanjizzle]

Westbrook plays at a high rate, and it throws his teammates out of rhythm, especially durant. he needs to slow down and allow his teammates to read what hes doing and not feel rushed. The offense should revolve around durants speed and rhythm, not westbrooks.

[keep-itreal]

He has low BBIQ. It's stated many times

[Monta Ellis MVP]

Curry's. high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 1/1
Jordan's high production + great efficiency + off-ball, winning style + no team-hopping = 6/6
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Curry and Jordan... Off-ball players, goat shooters from midrange and 3 + winning style = 7/7


Curry is remarkable for the 3-point era and his time of possession is pretty low for PG's - I consider him to be a hybrid off-ball/on-ball player, just like Jordan.

When you can shoot like those guys (MJ from midrange, Curry from 3), you MUST to be off-ball player to maximize your shooting ability.. Shooting ability and off-ball play go together, and they go with winning too.. Otoh, Westbrook and Lebron are the antithesis of these things - they are ball-dominant, bad shooters.. lol


I must say, the math checks out.

[CarlosBoozer]

Westbrook is part of my thesis paper I'm writing for college, the title is 'Retard strength in professional basketball'

[ArbitraryWater]

Look, everybody hates Russ again... at least we dont have SAKOTXA saying he's the best in the World :oldlol:

[imdaman99]

Don't worry, when Westbrook does a 40-14-8 game, everyone will be back on his wagon. Fickle.