Derrick Rose vs. Russell Westbrook: Are They Comparable or am I Crazy?

jereima gilg — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:18:27 -0400

So, does Westbrook actually compare to Rose? This may be a little out there but I will explain later. First we will look at the intangibles, then we will look at the stats.

Derrick Rose lead his team to the championship but choked and missed some free throws.

Positives: Great size, advanced PG game and makes teammates better, he is a "World Class Athlete" and knows how to win. Gets to the basket and finishes. Makes good decisions and creates shots for his teammates. Good shot mechanics. Wants to make the big-play and takes it in his hand to win the games.

Negatives: Not a great shooter or free-throw shooter, needs to learn how to get through the pick and roll and is a shaky defender but it didn't show in college because he had such an advantage in athleticism it didn't show.

Russell Westbrook really took his game to the next level when it came March. That being said, Derrick Rose and co. stopped them despite Westbrook's best offensive game of the season.

Positives: The best on-ball defender in the NCAA, gets to the basket and finishes. He has a great upside, likes pressure situations, and is a very hard worker. His athleticism is right up there with Derrick Rose. He is a late bloomer. He's a good passer who lead his team in assists even though he was mostly playing SG.

Negatives: Not a great free throw shooter or shooter, (but a report from Portland said that he shot over 70 percent from the NBA three in their workouts). He needs to realize his upside and potential. Labeled a combo guard and needs to improve decision making and ball handling.

Edge: Even

Here is a quick look at their very comparable stats:

Derrick Rose

MIN

PTS

REB

AST

A/T

STL

BLK

FG%

FT%

3P%

29.2

14.9

4.5

4.7

2.7

1.77

1.2

1.7

.477

.712

.337

Russell Westbrook

MIN

PTS

REB

AST

A/T

STL

BLK

FG%

FT%

3P%

33.8

12.7

3.9

4.3

2.5

1.74

1.6

2.4

.465

.713

.338

They are almost identical except in points per game. This is probably because UCLA has more scorers on their team. It's just too close to call.

EDGE: Even

The "IT" factor

RW: Array of dunks against Cal. On the break he is a beast.

DR: He has the name Rose. He is a world class athlete, and you can’t argue with the No. 23.

Small edge: Derrick Rose

Offense

RW: Dunking and a decent pull up J. Great lateral movement.

DR: Dunking and absorbing contact and finishing after changing his shot. Great lateral movement.

Edge: Rose

Defense

RW: Defensive player of the year. He locked down everybody and stayed there with Derrick Rose in the Final Four. Gets to the ball and gets a lot of steals. He has long arms and keeps them in the passing lanes. He works hard and takes pride in his defense.

DR: Has great quickness and as a result gets a lot of steals. However, he doesn't know how to pull or get around screens albeit still works hard at it.

Big edge: Russell Westbrook

Athleticism

Everyone can see that Russell Westbrook is almost there but he just isn't used to his body yet.

Small edge: Rose

They are really close in all of these categories. The only distinct difference is in both of their defensive games. Westbrook pulls away from Rose in this category.

All the above being said, I believe both are going to be All-Stars. I think this justifies the Sonics' pick of Russell Westbrook at No. 4.

Russel Westbrook: Breaking Down the Sonics No. 1 Pick

jereima gilg — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:45:05 -0400

In the past, the Sonics have made many very debatable picks in the NBA draft. They chose Robert Swift out of high school. They took Sene because they heard he could touch the rim without jumping with the No. 11 pick. They also drafted Johan Petro from France.

All three of these players have gone in for knee surgery this year. All of them were unproven. Last year they picked KD and Jeff Green, so there was no possible way to mess up that class.

This year they chose Russell Westbrook over:

Kevin Love - He would have made a nice front court with Green and Durant, however, he may not succeed at the NBA level.

Jerryd Bayless - He is a combo that is extremely quick and will be a PG in the NBA in time.

Eric Gordon - Everyone underrates him because of his late performance. He will be a great scorer and is very, very, explosive.

Brook Lopez - He fitted a need and is a great scorer inside who will be solid.

Those four players will all be good in the NBA except for Kevin Love, who, I think, is too small and not long enough to succeed at the NBA. The other three will each have at least one All-Star year.

Russell Westbrook is like Jeff Green in that he may be an over pick but he was the guy the Sonics wanted and is at least a key role player. He is not used to his skills like O.J. Mayo, who has been an NBA player since middle school. In fact, Westbrook couldn't even dunk until his Senior year. He now has great athleticism and is the best on-ball defender in the NCAA.

The last guard the Sonics drafted in the top five out of the PAC-10 was Gary Payton. Gary was a lock-down defender who couldn't shoot at Oregon State.

Russell Westbrook is a far superior athlete than Payton, and a better defender who hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential. If anyone can reach his full potential it would be Westbrook, he is a gym rat that puts his time in the gym. Just ask O.J. Mayo.

He rarely scored 20 points and is called a combo guard but he just could be the best defender in the NBA. He could learn to shoot the three, he could be a great scorer and will work his hardest to be the best.

Who knows? He could be the best Pac-10 player selected in the top five by the Sonics.

Bleacher Report - Articles by jereima gilg

Derrick Rose vs. Russell Westbrook: Are They Comparable or am I Crazy?

Russel Westbrook: Breaking Down the Sonics No. 1 Pick