Oklahoma City Thunder: Why Russell Westbrook Is Becoming the Best PG in the NBA

Russell Westbrook is quickly becoming one of the most entertaining players in the NBA to watch. While it's still early in the season, Westbrook is off to an amazing start and is quickly establishing himself as one of the best point guards in the league.

While Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo are generally considered as the top point guards in the league, Westbrook is not only entering himself into the conversation for the best at his position this year, but he is blowing past the competition.

Through the first 19 games of the season, Westbrook has posted averages of 24.6 points, 8.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.

His averages of 24.6 points and 2.2 steals per game are both good for fifth best in the league in each category. Along with teammate Kevin Durant, who is leading the league in scoring with 27.3 points per game, Westbrook gives the Thunder two of the top five scorers in the NBA.

Westbrook is also one of the most explosive guards in the league when it comes to finishing at the rim, as he has been featured on more than a few highlights this season for some of his thunderous (no pun intended) dunks.

If Westbrook can continue scoring at such a high rate for the rest of the season, it will make Durant even more dangerous and more of a scoring threat when the two are on the floor together.

Teams already have enough trouble trying to hold Durant in check, but with Westbrook stepping up his game offensively, it makes it almost impossible for most teams to contain them both.

Westbrook has been particularly hot as of late, averaging 28.4 points, 9.6 assists and seven rebounds per game over Oklahoma City's last five games.

The Thunder are 3-2 during that stretch, with both losses coming in Westbrook's two "worst" games during that period. However, neither game was particularly bad, as he finished with a double-double in both games.

In the Thunder's 123-120 triple-overtime win over the New Jersey Nets last night, Westbrook was dominant for Oklahoma City and single-handedly took down the Nets in the final overtime by scoring all 13 of the Thunder points in the period.

His final stat line against New Jersey last night: 38 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and three steals.

Did I mention the Thunder didn't even have Durant for the game? The Nets still couldn't find an answer for Westbrook.

New Jersey isn't the only team struggling to contain Westbrook. He has scored over 30 points in five games so far this season, including a 43-point outburst against the Indiana Pacers last month.

Westbrook is in the midst of a career season, and if he continues playing at the level he has been at recently, the Thunder could be in for a very special year ending with a surprisingly deep run in the postseason.