Russell Westbrook: Shot Selection Holding Thunder, Durant Back?

With the Oklahoma City Thunder reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time under their current name this year, and the franchise's first appearance since the Sonics did it in 1996, it is hard to criticize the season and playoff run they have had.

However, if you were looking for something to nitpick, the play of starting point guard Russell Westbrook could be the first thing to be pointed out.

Granted, Westbrook has had a couple monster games in this year's playoffs, tallying 30 or more points three times (including 40 points in the Thunder's thrilling triple-OT win against the Grizzlies), and a triple-double in the clinching game of the same series. However, that increased scoring (and shooting) has taken away opportunities from Kevin Durant, and far too often with both of them on the court, Westbrook dominates possessions without even looking Durant's way.

This fact was never more evident than in Game 1 against Dallas, where Durant was effective from the opening tip, opening the game 6-for-6 shooting and finishing with 40 points. However, Durant hit a cold streak after his hot start, running into a 1-for-7 stretch that had many Thunder fans upset that Westbrook didn't make a better effort to get the ball to Durant while he was hot. Westbrook started the game 1-for-11 shooting and finished an unimpressive 3-for-15. Although he did have several strong drives, en route to 18 free throws, he peppered out of control attempts and sloppy shot selection in there and had (arguably) his most disappointing game of the playoffs. 

His final stat line: 3-15 FG (14-18 FT), 20 points, three assists and four turnovers was not what Thunder fans wanted to see in a game that could potentially set the tone for the whole series.

The most alarming statistic there was his assist total; it simply isn't acceptable for a point guard whose shot isn't falling, to only have three assists. Sure, you can place some of the blame on teammates whose shots weren't falling, but Westbrook just didn't do a very good job of getting his teammates the ball in positions to capitalize. Even Durant had more assists (five) than Westbrook, mainly from situations where he recognized the pressure and made the easy pass to a cutting teammate. 

For the playoffs, Westbrook's attempts are up (17 to 19.9), percentage is down (44.2 to 39.8), assists are down (8.2 to 6.7) and his turnovers are up (3.9 to 4.5). While it COULD be argued that some of these drops or jumps are too marginal to notice, the fact is that the drop off is there, and for the Thunder to be successful, Westbrook needs to be playing his best basketball.

Basically, Westbrook plays best as the Thunders' second option, capitalizing off of the defense's insistence to pay more attention to Durant when he has the ball. The second that Westbrook starts playing with a score-first mentality, the Thunder hurt their chances of being as offensively efficient as possible. In the past two seasons, Westbrook really seemed to grow into himself as a player and a point guard, including developing an improved long-range jump shot. To see him revert back to his rookie-season mentality that he has to carry a bigger scoring load on his back is disheartening.

In fact, the numbers are easy to digest in these playoffs if you take the time to consult them. The Thunder are just 2-4 in games that Westbrook takes 22 shots or more, and 6-1 in games where he attempts less than 22 shots. On the other side of this statistic, you guessed it, the Thunder play much better when Durant shoots more, going 4-1 when Durant takes 22 or more shots, but only 4-4 when he takes less. 

Of course, the Thunder do not want Durant just forcing shots all game, which is why it is important for Westbrook to set the tempo and look to get Durant, as well as the rest of the team involved. If he works on driving the ball consistently, and is effective in doing so, the defense will be more likely to converge on him and allow him to kick it out to the open man. In Game 1 against the Mavericks, even though he was driving, he was doing a poor job of kicking it back outside, evident by his three assists.  

Although, all criticism with no praise would be unfair to a player the caliber of Westbrook. After struggling with his three-point shot during the first two rounds of the playoffs, Westbrook has made a conscious effort to drive the ball more. After averaging 3.5 attempts from beyond the arc during the first 11 games of the playoffs (and hitting only 31%), Westbrook hasn't attempted a single three in the past two games. However, since Westbrook did work on his perimeter game during the offseason in order to develop a consistent outside shot, so it wasn't the shots themselves that were troublesome, it was their placement within the possessions.

Nobody is going to criticize a capable shooter for taking a shot that can he can hit. However, Westbrook's outside shots were coming early in possessions where he was the only player touching the ball. He has a much better job of working his way closer to the basket as of late, and stopped relying on long jumpers for the bulk of his scoring.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best one/two, hero/sidekick offensive combinations in the NBA. When they are playing at their most efficient, they are tough to beat, especially when you look at the other pieces on their team. However, Kevin Durant is the superstar on the team, and his play the past few seasons has solidified that. That being said, Russell Westbrook has hurt the team in the playoffs by trying to play the role of Batman when he is perfectly suited to be Robin.

If I were a Thunder fan, I would be very upset every time I see Westbrook taking more shots than Durant (barring certain circumstances). Don't get me wrong, Durant can't do everything by himself, which is why Westbrook needs to step up now and be the facilitator. The better job that Westbrook does dishing out assists and giving his teammates good looks, the less pressure will be on him when he drives to the basket. If the Thunder was looking to play a high-volume shooter who has a score first mentality at the point guard position, they would be starting Nate Robinson.

Somebody needs to remind Russell Westbrook that he has the back-to-back NBA scoring champion on his team. After all, when the hero wins, the sidekick does as well.