The only emotion that equals my love for Russell Westbrook is my hate for Chris Paul. So today is Christmas, my birthday, and thanksgiving all wrapped into one at the Sauls house. Point God my arse. He really is amazing at dribbling out 19 seconds of the shot clock then being ticked when someone else doesn’t get done exactly what he wants with the remaining 5 seconds…that and getting hurt in the playoffs every single year when everything is on the line.
Ohh…and he’s good at being so good he ships out old teammates that automatically win rings somewhere else. You’re gone. It’s over…you’re another alsoran CP3. This is all the ink you get from me.
Now let’s talk about a real basketball player, Russell mother effing Westbrook. When Russ takes off on the fast break even I’m scared, and I’m not playing defense…or am I even in the same state. In the history of the NBA the three most intimidating men on the fast break are…
Charles Barkley
Shawn Kemp
Russell Westbook
Yes, others are amazing…but these three tried to end your life at the rim.
Just watch…this will be the best 4 minutes of your day
Ok…I can’t mention Shawn Kemp and not show some highlights…dudes didn’t stand a chance. Reign On.
Now…back to Russ.
The criticism, he’s a ball hog. Sure he is at times. But, he also led the NBA in assists for the past two seasons. And, he’s averaged over 10 dimes per game for the past four seasons. That’s a helluva lot more than what’s his face we mentioned earlier. In fact…here are the totals from 2016-2019 for assists
Russ: 3,278
CP3: 2,231
Over 1,000 more assists. One…thousand. But Chris Paul is a better point guard?
Steals
Russ: 584
CP3: 481
But CP3 is an elite defender?????
Enough, I know…But I feel like I still need to defend the only man to ever average a triple double for three straight seasons. I will repeat. Russell Westbrook averaged a triple double for three straight seasons.
He lead his Kevin Durantless team to the playoffs for three straight seasons.
He led his “the only other star on the team needs two shoulder surgeries” squad to the playoffs for three straight seasons. Think about that. Yes, the Thunder got routed, but as soon as it was over Paul George…their best shooter…had rotator cuff surgery.
After Durant left, the Thunder won 47, 48, and 49 games. They got a little better every year. But he isn’t a team player? He was THE TEAM. Who should he defer to? Andre Roberson? Paul George just averaged a career high in points after a decade of being the undisputed #1 option in Indy. But Russ is a ball hog? Screw you and the advanced analytics you rode in on.
But Russ and Harden?
The furthest Harden has even gotten is to the finals. And he was with Russ and KD. With Chris Paul he got embarrassed in the playoffs every year.
So, let’s run it back.
Russ to James
James to Russ
As Sydney Deane would say, “It’s so pretty.”
What you’re not thinking of.
Eric Gordon is going to be wiiiiiiiiddddddddeeeeeeeeeee oooooooooopppppppppppeeeeeeeen.
Like a linebacker trying to cover Randy Moss open. He hit around 3.2 threes a game last year on almost 9 attempts. If he doesn’t hit 5-6 a game this year I will be shocked.
Clint Cappella will get 4-6 alley-oops a game. Russ and Harden breaking ankles, defenders coming to help, over the top, throw down. Rinse and repeat.
Mike D’antoni is in heaven. I imagine it is his dream to have two guys on one squad break every single offensive record there is to break. He wants each dude to average 30. He wants each to average a triple double. He wants every single camera in America on the Rockets. He wants to average more possessions per game than every other team combined. That is what is in the recesses of Mike D’s mind. He finally has his MonStar squad to plug and play.
Yao Ming will come back. I know he won’t, but a guy can dream…right???
Look, this is the gist of it. Russ and James can make this work in 2019-20. Maybe not anything beyond that, but this is a fling…a romance…it ain’t gonna be a marriage. I know that. You know that. Russ and Harden know that. So let’s enjoy it. As the great Jesse Malin once wrote, “I don’t care about tomorrow tonight.”
So until the season tips…long live the rage of Russell Westbrook
