Why Russell Westbrook Is the NBA's Next Dwyane Wade

The comparison may seem a bit far-fetched at first reading, but keep in mind that the key word in the title is "Next," as in "Not Quite But Will Be Soon."

I am not by any stretch of the imagination saying Russell Westbrook is on Dwyane Wade's level right now. Wade is far and away more accomplished with seven consecutive All-Star games, a scoring title and an NBA Finals MVP to go along with the championship ring he earned in 2006.

But, given their similar playing style, athletic abilities and career numbers through their first three complete seasons (Westbrook was drafted in 2008, Wade in 2003), you can't help but to begin to connect some of the dots.

While it may be a bit early still, let's begin to make the case for one of the league's brightest young stars as he works to become one of the league's overall best players.

All-Around Production

Russell Westbrook got a lot of negative attention during last season's playoff run because, according to media members who had never watched a Thunder game before the Western Conference finals, he shoots too much.

The "shooting too much" thing only becomes a gripe when the shots don't fall, however. Russell is a streaky shooter who can go 0-13 from the field just as easily as he can go 12-20. In fact, he did just that in consecutive road games in Memphis this season, scheduled only 13 days apart.

But to score a lot of points, something each of their coaches ask of them each night, you have to take a lot of shots. Dwyane Wade is fully aware of this fact himself, ranking in the top 10 in field goal attempts each of the last three seasons. For the record, last year, the two guards finished six shots apart.

The only difference (after three seasons) is that Wade was shooting 48 percent, while Westbrook is at 42 percent. Wade also skipped out on a well-publicized 31-shot meltdown during his first conference finals—a moment Westbrook would surely love to forget.

It's not just about points with these two, though. Last year, both players ranked top 20 in the league in steals, assists, free throws, PER and points. They both average about five rebounds per game—an impressive number for a perimeter player.

While Wade is a slightly more efficient shooter, both players regularly fill the stat sheet with effort on both ends of the floor.

Fearless, Unstoppable Athlete

One thing Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade undoubtedly have in common is that they're both fearless, unstoppable athletes. If these guys want to get to the rim, they're going to do just that...no matter who is there.

During his first career playoff series (2010 first round vs. Lakers), Russell displayed his no-nonsense attitude when he easily beat Derek Fisher with a crossover and didn't even hesitate to sky for a dunk when Andrew Bynum and Pao Gasol, 14-plus feet of combined stopping power, rotated over to help.

The shot didn't fall, but the So-Cal native made quite an impression on the Staples Center, sending a well-deserved "ooohhhhh" through the crowd.

Wade delivered one of the most unstoppable performances in recent memory in Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Finals, putting his team on his back with 36 points and willing them to victory with a series of gutsy plays in crunch time.

What makes both of these stars fun to watch is their ability to do what they want, when they want. If the Heat need a bucket, Dwyane is getting the ball. If Russell wants to drive to the hoop, just do yourself a favor and get out of the way.

Never-Ending Motor

My personal favorite characteristic shared by Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook is the fact that they seem to never, ever get tired. No matter if it's the first quarter of a preseason exhibition for overtime in a hard-fought playoff series, these two are giving everything they have every play.

Russell averaged 33.8 minutes-per-game during his first three seasons with the Thunder while playing in all 82 regular-season games each time. After three grueling battles with the Grizzlies in last year's conference semifinals, Russell logged 51 minutes and 40 points in Game 4—a thrilling triple-overtime victory in Memphis, fighting until the very end.

Wade, due to injury or rest, has yet to log a full 82 games in a season but is averaging 40.5 minutes-per-game in his team's seven playoff appearances over the last eight seasons with no signs of slowing up.

His never-stop moment came in the aforementioned Game 6 of the 2006 finals when, after two 40-point performances in previous games, he played 46.5 of 48 possible minutes in the series-clenching game, never letting up for a second.

Despite their high mileage each season, these two never give up and never quit giving 100 percent on every play, valuable traits that not all NBA players share.

Superstar Sidekick

While fans and owners of small-market teams bemoan the current star-hoarding culture of the NBA's top teams, history has shown us that you can't win championships with just one great player. Stars wanting to play with other stars is not a new concept and has proven time and time again to be the winning concept.

The great runs by the Spurs, Bulls, Lakers and Celtics of past decades were made by teams with at least two Hall of Fame players on the roster.

For Dwyane Wade in 2006, it took one last great season from Shaquille O'Neal to push his team over the top for a championship. It took another future Hall of Famer, LeBron James, to help Wade reach the NBA Finals for the second time last season.

Westbrook, the NBA's next Wade, has the perfect sidekick in two-time scoring champ Kevin Durant. Despite the occasional overblown rift, the two get along extremely well on and off the court, sticking up for each other every chance they get. Together, they represent the cornerstone in what looks like a dynasty in the making. 

This is not a knock on either player, however. Even the NBA's undisputed greatest player His Airness Micheal Jordan needed some help. After three first-round playoff exits in his first three seasons, it was Scottie Pippen, drafted in 1987, who helped trigger a run of 11 straight seasons making it past the first round.

If Wade and Westbrook continue to get the support they're receiving right now, the two All-Stars could easily go on a similar playoff runs themselves.

The Final Step

As stated in the initial slide, Russell is not there yet. He has struggled with night-to-night consistency as well as his role as point guard for the Thunder.

His decision-making skills haven't improved much over his three seasons at the point, as evidenced by the fact that literally no one has produced more turnovers since he came into the league.

This is not Dwyane's strong point either, having finished top 10 in turnovers in the NBA in four of his eight seasons.

For both of these guys, however, their high-turnover margin is due in part to their high usage. The more you have the ball in your hands, the more chances you have to make a mistake. While this fact explains most of Wade's high-turnover numbers, it does not save the day for Westbrook.

The youngster has all the physical tools to become truly great. The mental portion of the game is what is going to decide his future in the NBA.

If Russell wishes to jump from Top 25 player and occasional All-Star (current form) to Top 10 player and year-to-year MVP candidate (Wade's form), he will have to improve his decision-making, ball-protection and ability to harness his emotions.

These steps are tough ones to make but are steps that all great players have made in their maturation.

For more words from Eric Pennell on Westbrook, check out this article.

For more words from Eric Pennell on other stuff, check out his B/R Profile.