Steven Adams has 2 seasons with more offensive than defensive rebounds...

[ralph_i_el]

...then he stopped playing with Russell Westbrook. Seriously, go look this up.

Has any other player played significant minutes and had more offensive boards than defensive for a season?

[Im Still Ballin]

I'm not sure. A pretty cool outlier. It made sense for their team as Westbrook getting the defensive rebound helped their offense significantly. There was a big difference in OKC's offensive rating when Russ got the defensive rebound vs. someone else. I'll try to find the number.

[ImKobe]

I'm not sure. A pretty cool outlier. It made sense for their team as Westbrook getting the defensive rebound helped their offense significantly. There was a big difference in OKC's offensive rating when Russ got the defensive rebound vs. someone else. I'll try to find the number.

That's the correct take. It was by design to push the pace.

[j3lademaster]

Not trying to take away from his ability, but it helps your offensive rebound numbers when you play with guys like Westbrook and Ja who get to the rim at will, draw a lot of attention when they do, and are inconsistent finishers.

[Im Still Ballin]

I'm not sure. A pretty cool outlier. It made sense for their team as Westbrook getting the defensive rebound helped their offense significantly. There was a big difference in OKC's offensive rating when Russ got the defensive rebound vs. someone else. I'll try to find the number.


That's the correct take. It was by design to push the pace.

...


But just because the stars are aligning toward gaudy individual numbers doesn’t mean the collective good is compromised. Sometimes, it has value to the team. In a recent TrueHoop podcast, Royce Young hypothesized that Westbrook’s rebounds are welcomed because of their potential benefits:


"If you watch Thunder games — and I can’t confirm this — but it certainly appears that Russell Westbrook’s teammates are kind of in on this, because there are times where they see Russ going for a rebound and they say, “Russ, you go get that rebound.”[…]They want Westbrook rebounding the ball because they see that as one of their best chances to turn defense into offense. You get the ball into Westbrook’s hands as quickly as possible and… he can turn just an ordinary defensive rebound into a fastbreak opportunity."

Fastbreak opportunities are desirable for teams like the Thunder, whose halfcourt offense is mediocre at best and must be supplemented by more dynamic options. Oklahoma City dedicates 17 percent of its possessions to offensive transitions, the highest rate in the NBA. Its effective field goal percentage of 63 ranks in the top 10. While turnovers can be reduced, the fact remains that pushing the ball up the court is a good strategy overall, especially when you consider the alternatives.

There’s some evidence that offensive benefits are enhanced when Westbrook himself collects the defensive rebound:

https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Ffa4a6cdb5f5be16108924d6eb3 e7241ae93bf15f976864632217581006be3943.jpg

This table captures all of the Thunder’s field goal attempts after defensive rebounds while Westbrook is on the floor. When he takes the rebound, they have a higher effective field goal percentage than when a teammate does. They also attack a tad more quickly. Granted, the sample size is small, and there are many other variables (free throws, turnovers, etc.) that a deeper analysis would consider before sweeping conclusions are drawn. But, intuitively, these preliminary numbers make sense.

A Westbrook defensive rebound eliminates at least one pass and, in cases where possession is guaranteed, perhaps gives the Thunder big men a running start. It puts Oklahoma City in position to generate additional offensive transitions. It has enough potential upside to make the idea worth trying, so you can understand why Billy Donovan might, in Young’s words, “push for” it. Here’s a case where Westbrook’s distinctively aggressive play can be leveraged to advance team concepts.


If several Thunder players can grab the ball, why is Westbrook always the one who does? It may be a matter of scheme or coaching rather than selfishness. Whether they’ve been told to clear the runway for Westbrook or not, Westbrook’s teammates are certainly on board. “We’d rather it be him [getting the rebound],” Steven Adams told ESPN’s Royce Young earlier this year.

Might this be a smart strategic choice? Westbrook is an offensive dynamo, so getting the ball in his hands as quickly as possible could help create fast-break opportunities and open shots. The numbers, though, don’t suggest that Westbrook’s defensive boards are especially valuable. In general, we know that uncontested boards are worth about half as much to an NBA team as contested ones. With regard to Westbrook specifically, the Thunder averages 1.079 points per possession after he grabs a defensive rebound. When someone else on the team gets the rebound with Westbrook on the floor, the team gets 1.065 points per possession.


Thunder have 121.8 offensive rating after Russell Westbrook defensive rebounds - Apr 14, 2018


Note that the league average offensive rating after missed FGs is 110.9 and OKCs average is 112.6

[ralph_i_el]

Not trying to take away from his ability, but it helps your offensive rebound numbers when you play with guys like Westbrook and Ja who get to the rim at will, draw a lot of attention when they do, and are inconsistent finishers.



Helps when they're clanking Js too.

[ralph_i_el]

Good find Still Ballin, but I'm still of the opinion that the outlet pass is usually better than a guard sprinting it up. Adams is actually a really good outlet passer now.

[j3lademaster]

Helps when they're clanking Js too.
Yeah, but rebounding jumpshots is more sporadic. On a missed layup, the rebound's going to be at the rim so if the driver draws your man over to help you don't have anyone boxing you out.