Do you think Westbrook is a good fit for Houston?

[Duderonomy]

Personally I think he's an improvement over CP3 and has taken over games when Harden has been cold.

[superduper]

CP3 was honestly a good player for the Rockets who clearly had winning impact and made everyone around him better. The one thing CP did much better than Harden was make a shooter hot and constantly find them over and over. CP's style was just way more encouraging and positive for his teammates.

However his style and the "fit" with Houston's style couldn't have been more opposite. CP is a mid range and playmaking assassin. His mid range strength was completely useless in Houston and he couldn't maximize his playmaking with how much Harden held the ball. They would also butt heads because of their different approaches to the game and they were both playing decision maker.

Westbrook is good in the sense that he will accept his #2 role and doesn't need to make a single decision as long as Harden is out on the floor with him. He can focus on rebounding/hustle/intangibles/finishing off cuts and somehow find a way to hide himself from the 3pt line.

[ImKobe]

He's alright, but CP3 has been better this season and he fit Houston better when he was healthy. He also has 1 less year left on his contract.

Paul could shoot and he played a lot more under control, his issue was being healthy in the Playoffs. Westbrook has an insane motor and he's only been injured for one Playoffs in his career, but he can't shoot the 3 to save his life and turns the ball over twice as much as Paul.

[StrongLurk]

Hard to say really.

I would trust CP3 more in the playoffs...but he is ALWAYS injured.

I would take Westbrook I guess at this point but I think Westbrook has had a bad season for his standards.

[DoctorP]

they both suck and Houston will go as far as Harden will take em

[superduper]

they both suck and Houston will go as far as Harden will take em

King James :rockon:

[JohnMax]

CP3 and Harden beat non-warriors teams in 5 games (wolves, jazz x 2). If they're not that dominant in playoffs, than cp3 > westbrook

[tontoz]

Westbrick is taking 5 3s per game shooting 23.5%.

:facepalm

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

CP3 was honestly a good player for the Rockets who clearly had winning impact and made everyone around him better. The one thing CP did much better than Harden was make a shooter hot and constantly find them over and over. CP's style was just way more encouraging and positive for his teammates.

However his style and the "fit" with Houston's style couldn't have been more opposite. CP is a mid range and playmaking assassin. His mid range strength was completely useless in Houston and he couldn't maximize his playmaking with how much Harden held the ball. They would also butt heads because of their different approaches to the game and they were both playing decision maker.

Westbrook is good in the sense that he will accept his #2 role and doesn't need to make a single decision as long as Harden is out on the floor with him. He can focus on rebounding/hustle/intangibles/finishing off cuts and somehow find a way to hide himself from the 3pt line.

Good post.

Time will tell, but for the most part Houston looks pretty good. A lot of credit to Russ for taking a step back.

[Duderonomy]

CP3 and Harden beat non-warriors teams in 5 games (wolves, jazz x 2). If they're not that dominant in playoffs, than cp3 > westbrook
Harden and Gordon aren't as good now than 3 years ago. Harden can't be asked to carry teams like he was.

[PP34Deuce]

I think due to the fact that James really likes Russell (real friends) Russell's energy forces James to match it.

CP3 was slower and more methodical which lulled everyone to sleep. He's cerebral but so is Harden.

Opposites attract. You've noticed James has picked it up defensively and pace more with Russell out there.

[LoneyROY7]

Harden and Gordon aren't as good now than 3 years ago. Harden can't be asked to carry teams like he was.

Are you retarded?

:oldlol: :oldlol:

[Akeem34TheDream]

Are you retarded?

:oldlol: :oldlol:
Yeah that dude is either drunk or completely clueless.

[imdaman99]

Yes. If anything he has brought out the best in Harden. Westbrook's inefficiency forces his star teammates to take better shots or they will get rekt. KD had his best years, PG had his best year and now James is goating and hitting crazy clutch shots every game. Closing games :pimp:

So yes, he's a good fit. Cp3 was pretty much harden-lite. Westbrook gives teams a different look. As their chemistry improves, they will only get better. Get it done Hardbrook :rockon:

[DoctorP]

As noted by ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry, Russell Westbrook has been the league's least efficient high-volume jump shooter this season with an effective field goal percentage of 36.4. The good news: Westbrook's shot selection has improved recently, as a significantly higher percentage of his field goal attempts have been inside the restricted area over the past month. He's averaging 27.8 points per game with a 54 true shooting percentage in that span, and the Rockets have won 10 of the past 12 games in which Westbrook played. He averaged 21.7 points with a 47.7 true shooting percentage before that. -- MacMahon

[HylianNightmare]

Not been watching a lot of Houston games this year but from what I have seen it seems like he hasn't clash with pardon as much as I thought he was going to before the beginning of the season

[PeroAntic]

Westbrook's inefficiency forces his star teammates to take better shots or they will get rekt.
:biggums:


Westbrook being bad makes his team good. Now I heard it all:facepalm

[Smoke117]

Westbrick has completely laid an egg his last two playoffs. When the game slows down in the playoffs he's useless as he's just a bad half court player. There is then the fact that he has THREE MORE SEASONS ON A SUPERMAX CONTRACT while he's clearly on the slide. It's going to be a really ugly slide, too, considering his entire game basically revolves around his athleticism.

[brooks_thompson]

I think he really could be. Think about it. You

[Smoke117]

CP3 was honestly a good player for the Rockets who clearly had winning impact and made everyone around him better. The one thing CP did much better than Harden was make a shooter hot and constantly find them over and over. CP's style was just way more encouraging and positive for his teammates.

However his style and the "fit" with Houston's style couldn't have been more opposite. CP is a mid range and playmaking assassin. His mid range strength was completely useless in Houston and he couldn't maximize his playmaking with how much Harden held the ball. They would also butt heads because of their different approaches to the game and they were both playing decision maker.

Westbrook is good in the sense that he will accept his #2 role and doesn't need to make a single decision as long as Harden is out on the floor with him. He can focus on rebounding/hustle/intangibles/finishing off cuts and somehow find a way to hide himself from the 3pt line.

The problem last season was that CP3 and others got injured and Harden just completely took over the offense. That was fine, of course, when CP3 was hurt, but Harden never stopped when he came back and the team got healthier. The argument they had in the playoffs was Chris Paul wanting the ball to move more and not just Harden dribbling and taking 15 step back 3pters a game. As I've posted before, Paul was great when Harden was off the court:

In the 727 minutes Chris Paul played without James Harden last season, Paul averaged 22.5 points, 12.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds on a 58.1 TS% per 36 minutes. Rockets had a +10.4 Net Rating in those minutes.

I don't see this Westbrook and Harden duo team being able to be as good as the 2018 Rockets were. Westbrook is much more of a gunner than Paul so him and Harden are just taking turns right now chucking up a bunch of shots, but once the playoffs roll around and the game slows down their flaws are going to be on full display.

[brooks_thompson]

The problem last season was that CP3 and others got injured and Harden just completely took over the offense. That was fine, of course, when CP3 was hurt, but Harden never stopped when he came back and the team got healthier. The argument they had in the playoffs was Chris Paul wanting the ball to move more and not just Harden dribbling and taking 15 step back 3pters a game. As I've posted before, Paul was great when Harden was off the court:

In the 727 minutes Chris Paul played without James Harden last season, Paul averaged 22.5 points, 12.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds on a 58.1 TS% per 36 minutes. Rockets had a +10.4 Net Rating in those minutes.

This is a great post. Houston truly turned into a freak show when Paul was out early last year and they never re-balanced. With Paul

[Smoke117]

I think he really could be. Think about it. You’re close friends with the other star player. Your coach is famously anti-confrontational. You’ve both been in the league for 10+ years now and should be at that title-winning stage. Why wouldn’t you put your minds together and come up with ways you both could change to become a better team?

Like, are you kidding me? If I worked with one of my best friends, we’d totally be bouncing ideas off one another to improve the efficiency of our department.

lol Uh...neither has changed in any way. Harden has just become more of a ball dominant ball hog and Westbrook is still just being Westbrook.

[brooks_thompson]

lol Uh...neither has changed in any way. Harden has just become more of a ball dominant ball hog and Westbrook is still just being Westbrook.

That’s my point. Say you get to work with your best friend doing something you both like doing. Wouldn’t you try to come up with a way to be better/more efficient?

I mean, the obvious answer is more Russ screening for Harden and more Russ cutting and playing secondary attacker/driver. When he’s done the latter they’ve looked really good.

[Smoke117]

That’s my point. Say you get to work with your best friend doing something you both like doing. Wouldn’t you try to come up with a way to be better/more efficient?

I mean, the obvious answer is more Russ screening for Harden and more Russ cutting and playing secondary attacker/driver. When he’s done the latter they’ve looked really good.

Oh okay, I see. I kind of skimmed over the last part of your post and didn't really take it in. Honestly, I don't think Westbrook can change. He's never striked me as an especially high BBIQ player. He knows one way to play and that's how he's going to play. Harden could change if he wanted to, but he clearly would rather just ISO his way into the record books instead. He is always going on that he's all about just doing what he has to to win, but that's bullshit. D'Antoni is also a clear problem as he apparently doesn't even run any kind of offense. His idea of an offense is to just let the players figure it out.

[LoneyROY7]

Russ and CP going head-to-head on Thursday in the OKC return.

Smoke gonna have to get his stomach pumped after the ensuing bender.

[Wally450]

Not been watching a lot of Houston games this year but from what I have seen it seems like he hasn't clash with pardon as much as I thought he was going to before the beginning of the season

This. I was pessimistic about Westbrook and Harden together and having their styles clashing, but I haven't heard any negative tensions, so I assume its working.

[bizil]

The TRICKY PART with Harden and Westbrook is the fact that Harden has BY FAR the more complete scoring skillset. AND he's the better floor general as well! Russ is still a great player! But the WAY he dominates games doesn't fit in seamlessly into any system. With that said it doesn't have to be the BEST FIT for a fit to work.

Harden and Westbrook are BOTH score first type of guards who ALSO can be great passers from that score first perspective. CP3 is an old school pass first PG who can ALSO be a very effective and efficient scorer. CP3 HANDS DOWN was a better fit alongside Harden. He could tailor his game to fit in better.

CP3's durability was the biggest issue with his run with the Rockets. They had GSW on the ropes big time. But his hamstring snapped. I think the Rockets biggest mistake was playing CP3 off the rock TOO MUCH! But CP3 was so skilled that he was able to adapt. However, the Rockets took away CP3's greatest strength too much. And that's being one of the best floor generals of all time.

[imdaman99]

:biggums:

Westbrook being bad makes his team good. Now I heard it all:facepalm
It was a joke post, thank you for taking it so seriously :facepalm

Maybe Westbrook should be a better teammate and disappear and not tell anyone where he is for a few days :lol

[Smoke117]

It was a joke post, thank you for taking it so seriously :facepalm

Maybe Westbrook should be a better teammate and disappear and not tell anyone where he is for a few days :lol

https://media.giphy.com/media/14ceV8wMLIGO6Q/giphy.gif

[brooks_thompson]

As another suggestion, Russ should play the nominal power forward and slide Tucker to center for most of their minutes.

[PeroAntic]

Maybe Westbrook should be a better teammate and disappear and not tell anyone where he is for a few days :lol
Yes the cardinal sin of not playing one regular season game against the Wizards. really unforgivable.

idiot

[insidehoops]

What are your updated views on this?