Is Westbrook Averaging a Triple Double Again
Marc Stein on Basketball
Russell Westbrook Makes Triple-Doubles Look Easy. They're Not.
Westbrook, the Washington Wizards baby-sit, is on track to average a triple-double for the fourth fourth dimension in five seasons, making it seem nearly routine. So why doesn't anybody practice it?
Russell Westbrook and Scott Brooks huddled by phone late Sunday. After the Washington Wizards' eighth consecutive victory, and with the 2nd half of a back-to-dorsum looming Mon dark against San Antonio, Westbrook wanted to do some extra strategizing with his autobus.
It was only a few months earlier that vi sequent Washington games were postponed because the Wizards had been ravaged past a coronavirus outbreak. Their U-plough has been so dramatic, with Westbrook's play reminiscent of his Oklahoma City all-time, that Brooks couldn't resist interrupting the serious tone by needling his star guard.
"I told him: 'You've got to commencement rebounding the brawl — only five this evening?'" Brooks said. "But busting his chops."
Those five rebounds Westbrook managed in Sun's victory over Cleveland, to go with 14 points and xi assists in 36 minutes, were indeed an anomaly. In ix of his previous ten games, thirteen of the previous 15 and xvi of the previous xx, Westbrook reached double figures in points, assists and rebounds.
In his start flavor as a Wizard, at age 32, Westbrook is averaging 21.8 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists per game — with a league-leading 29 triple-doubles to hike his career total to 175. Denver'southward Nikola Jokic, with xv triple-doubles, is his closest pursuer this flavour. With seven more triple-doubles, Westbrook will laissez passer Oscar Robertson as the North.B.A.'s career leader.
This is where it's important to note that Westbrook, who is on a course to average more than than 10 rebounds per game for the quaternary time in 5 seasons, stands half dozen-human foot-three.
The official stance of this newsletter is that Westbrook'south forthcoming achievement should be celebrated heartily, at the very least for his relentless rebounding at that size, but information technology'south hard to say how much fanfare awaits him when he eclipses the Big O. This isn't even a record that Robertson knew he gear up at the time, since the term "triple-double" didn't come into faddy until the 1980s.
Some other tricky variable: In my 28 seasons of full-time Due north.B.A. reporting, Westbrook is right there with Allen Iverson when it comes to the most polarizing players I accept covered. Considering of Westbrook'south brawl-dominant style, fickle bound shot, high turnover rate, occasionally brusque demeanor and, well-nigh of all, zero championships, it is often easier to find his critics than his admirers.
Prototype
Every bit Westbrook closes in on Robertson, in that location is as well a rising tendency to dismiss triple-doubles as empty calories because they happen so oft in the broad-open modern game. (Example: On March 17, Westbrook was ane of vi players to tape a triple-double that day.) Westbrook'southward triple-doubles in particular tend to exist discounted in a mode that others aren't, which he brought up in a video session with reporters after Monday's overtime loss to the Spurs.
"I think it'southward very interesting that it's not useful now that I'm doing it," Westbrook said.
Every bit covered in a recent piece by my colleague Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, in that location were only 18 triple-doubles leaguewide as recently as the 2011-12 regular season. This flavour's full has already topped 100, for the fifth season in a row, pointing to the various offensive advantages enjoyed in today's N.B.A. The faster pace of play creates more possessions, and thus more statistical opportunities, and restrictions on defenders have been designed to promote more than liberty of movement on offense. Players are too encouraged to shoot three-pointers at tape rates, boosting scoring numbers and leading to more than long rebounds. Onetime schoolers resistant to the 3-point revolution, in response, are prone to scoff at some of the gaudy stuff nosotros run across in box scores these days.
Yet this is where I feel compelled to repeat that part well-nigh Westbrook standing just vi-iii. He is the merely thespian in league history at that size or smaller to average at to the lowest degree 10 rebounds a game over a full season.
"It's a lot harder at half-dozen-three," said Lafayette Lever, who went by the nickname Fat and amassed 43 triple-doubles from 1982-83 through 1993-94.
Lever understands Westbrook'southward claiming as well as anyone. He was a half-dozen-3, 170-pound guard who rang up a league-leading 16 triple-doubles in 1986-87, alee of both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and he didn't accept Westbrook'south explosion.
"Russell is then much more able-bodied than I was at any indicate in fourth dimension," Lever said in a phone interview, "probably from the day he was born."
Lever, though, had an exceptional knack for rebounding, which he credited to playing on a high school squad with no one taller than vi-iii. He notwithstanding ranks 10th in career triple-doubles. It wasn't until Johnson joined the Lakers, 5 seasons afterward Robertson'due south retirement, that triple-doubles were seriously tracked and discussed, but among my N.B.A.-obsessed high school friends in the 1980s, we associated triple-doubles with Lever every bit much as with Magic or Bird, since he seemed like such an unlikely source for them.
Lever accrued all 43 of his triple-doubles in a six-season span with the Denver Nuggets from 1984-85 to 1989-xc as 1 of the driving forces on a team that, like Westbrook, wasn't always appreciated. Detractors at the time took upshot with the freewheeling style those Nuggets played under Coach Doug Moe — and the wild scores and stats their games produced.
Paradigm
Turbocharged statistical lines are a staple now in a league where 13 teams out of 30, entering Tuesday's play, were attempting at least 40 percent of their shots from 3-bespeak range. Cries of stat padding became commonplace in Westbrook's later on years with the Thunder, and the hyper-awareness of triple-doubles — and a corresponding urge to chase them — is another perceived reward for the Westbrook generation. But Lever insisted that achieving the consistency of Westbrook's lath work is far harder than information technology looks.
"It's still a large bargain," Lever said, "considering not everyone is able to do it."
Westbrook made similar statements after the Wizards' winning streak was snapped by the 146-143 loss to the Spurs. Asked virtually his latest triple-double, which included 22 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists — albeit on nine-for-26 shooting — Westbrook said: "I honestly believe in that location is no player like myself. And if people desire to take information technology for granted, sorry for them. But I'm pretty certain if everybody could do it, they would do it."
It's difficult to argue with that logic, although many try. In 2016-17, Westbrook became the first player since the 6-five Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double for an entire season. That feat helped Westbrook, starring for the 47-win Thunder, become the N.B.A.'s first Most Valuable Player Award winner from a sub-50-win team since Moses Malone in 1981-82.
With a boost from his recent surge, Westbrook is on a form to average a triple-double for the 4th time in five seasons, which in theory should position him every bit an M.VP. candidate. The reality is much colder: Westbrook has seemingly normalized averaging a triple-double and has been traded twice during that run, suggesting to some that triple-doubles aren't especially valuable. Or, worse, that he is not a role player to build effectually.
Washington acquired him from Houston on Dec. 2 in a swap of disgruntled backcourt stars that sent John Wall to the Rockets. In January and February, Westbrook's play was alarmingly inefficient and turnover-laden, with noticeably fewer rushes to the rim. Since the All-Star break, Westbrook has consistently played at a top-30 level, and Washington has a net rating of plus-four.4 points per 100 possessions with both Westbrook and Bradley Beal on the flooring.
Concern persists over Westbrook's five turnovers per game, and his curious slippage at the costless-throw line to a career-low 62.8 percent from 76.3 percent last season, only the constant thrust Westbrook plays with has made the Wizards difficult to guard. His presence has not hindered Beal'due south scoring, as some surmised when the trade went down; Beal is locked in an almighty battle with Aureate State's Stephen Curry for the league'due south scoring title.
In March and April, Westbrook became the commencement histrion to register at least 300 points, 150 assists and 150 rebounds in sequent agenda months since Wilt Chamberlain in Feb and March of 1968, according to inquiry from the statistician Justin Kubatko. Westbrook will never be for everybody, especially without a band, just Brooks couldn't have lobbied harder for the Wizards to reunite them when the trade opportunity arose. He coached him through nearly all of Westbrook's outset vii seasons in Oklahoma City,
"The rebounding is the most incredible thing," Brooks said. "He goes and gets them. He just has that knack. Information technology doesn't matter who's in front of him; he e'er has one more than step on his ladder. The volition, the athleticism the competitive drive — I knew what our team needed.
"Eleven rebounds a game for guy 6-iii? We'll never see a player like him ever again, not in my generation or my kids' generation."
Corner Three
Epitome
You ask; I answer. Every week in this infinite, I'll field three questions posed via email at marcstein-newsletter@nytimes.com . Please include your offset and last proper noun, also as the city you're writing in from, and brand sure "Corner Three" is in the subject field line.
(Questions may be condensed or lightly edited for clarity.)
Q: The Knicks accept overperformed this flavor. The front end office did not brand any splashes at the merchandise deadline. Jeff Van Gundy recently mentioned on idiot box that the Knicks were "still incredibly limited" talent-wise. Their all-time player is Julius Randle , but the N.B.A. has been a perimeter-based league for some time. How will Leon Rose accost this? — Wallace Leeth (Paterson, N.J.)
Stein: April has been a month for Knicks fans to relish. Genuine optimism and joy are tangible at Madison Square Garden for the starting time time in years. I suppose it was inevitable that someone would inject a sober dose of pragmatism into the conversation, simply it's as well difficult to quibble with the patient approach — so far.
The Knicks are ahead of schedule and well positioned to pursue signings and trades to bolster an offensively challenged roster, with considerable salary-cap space and two first-circular picks forthcoming in the off-flavor. Squad officials know they still have plenty of work to do to upgrade the overall talent, but that wasn't imperative at the merchandise deadline in March. It's not like there was a departure-maker they missed out on.
It's truthful that this front part will ultimately be judged on its power to sign or trade for at to the lowest degree i certifiable star to pair with Randle, which means persuading an established player to embrace the challenge of playing in New York as heartily equally Randle did. Rose and his management team also have to brace for ongoing second-guessing about their first draft selection if the rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton continues to flower in Sacramento, since they could have drafted Haliburton at No. eight rather than Obi Toppin.
The Rose regime, though, has done many skillful things in its first yr. The Knicks announced to have hired the right coach in Tom Thibodeau, helped conductor Randle to All-Star status and can point to promising development from RJ Barrett and the rookie Immanuel Quickley to first the injuries that have derailed Mitchell Robinson's 3rd season.
There take been whispers for weeks that the Knicks' amour with the E's No. 4 seed has helped restore their reputation to the point that star players are finally prepared to consider them a destination franchise over again. If that proves truthful, they will have multiple pathways to address the concerns yous raised, whether information technology'south by trying to sign a savvy former All-Star like Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan on a short-term deal as a span to free-amanuensis classes more star-laden than this summer's, or by using futurity draft picks (perhaps packaged with Toppin) to construct a meaningful trade.
Things could always get askew if the Knicks rush into the wrong deal, equally they have been known to do over the years, or if the team'south possessor, James L. Dolan, decides he needs to get involved afterwards abiding by the arrangement'due south plan to let Thibodeau and on-court results do all the talking. Merely I would say that the Knicks have certainly earned a grace period through the end of this surprising season. This is a time for Knicks fans, surely, to revel in what's going right.
Q: Do they really become the Oscar itself? Kobe Bryant was very involved in co-creating his film, which is why he was given an Oscar . Executive producers oftentimes provide financing and aren't involved as hands-on producers. In whatever example, practiced for them. — @FromMeadows from Twitter
Stein: In my exuberance Sunday night, I tweeted that Kevin Durant, Mike Conley Jr. and Rich Kleiman, Durant's business manager, joined Bryant as Oscar winners from the Northward.B.A. because they were listed every bit executive producers for "Ii Distant Strangers," which won the all-time live activeness short moving picture category at Sunday'due south Academy Awards. That's incorrect.
They were part of an Oscar-winning motion-picture show, but did not get awards themselves. Kobe took dwelling an Oscar bays in 2018 for the animated short picture "Love Basketball game," which was based on a verse form Bryant wrote in 2015 to denote his retirement at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Q: I've never seen and so many tweets and stories nigh a team signing a guy to a 10-day contract. We've seen posts most Mike James almost 50 times over the past week. — @MrWright1218 from Twitter
Stein: In that location are some good reasons for that.
Information technology's partially a function of where we are on the regular-season agenda. At that place just aren't equally many roster moves happening this close to the postseason, especially involving title contenders, so the ones that do happen generate extra coverage.
Withal it'south also a byproduct of the circumstances. James was one of the about prominent Americans playing abroad, with a high-profile European club (CSKA Moscow), and he had a complicated contractual situation to negotiate — likewise as six days' worth of health and condom protocols to complete — earlier he could actually bring together the Nets on Friday. The fluidity of James's status led to more frequent updates.
Numbers Game
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l
Recording 50 wins in an 82-game season is a traditional marker for N.B.A. excellence. Winning 50 games in a 72-game season is evidently harder, just six teams still have a chance to do so with 19 days remaining in the regular season: Utah (44-17), Phoenix (43-18), the Los Angeles Clippers (43-xx), the Nets (42-xx), Philadelphia (40-21) and Denver (40-21). Of those six, only the Jazz (52) and the Suns (51) are currently on a pace to do so.
61
Nikola Jokic'southward M.V.P. case volition undoubtedly be bolstered by his durability in this pandemic season. Jokic has played in all 61 of Denver's games and has led the Nuggets to a vi-i record since Jamal Murray's flavor-ending knee joint injury on Apr 12. Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, widely regarded every bit Jokic'south closest pursuer in the Thou.Five.P. race, has played in 42 of the 76ers' 61 games.
9
Monday's home loss to the Suns, the No. 2 seed in the West, brought a halt to the Knicks' nine-game winning streak. The Knicks have had just one longer unbeaten run in the 21st century, winning 13 consecutive games late in the 2012-13 season, which featured the club'due south final playoff berth.
37.five
The Knicks' Julius Randle leads the league at 37.5 minutes per game. Coach Tom Thibodeau has faced criticism for years well-nigh overplaying his all-time players; Thibodeau almost probable would counter that Randle, at 26, is young enough to handle the workload.
13
This is Seattle's 13th flavour without an N.B.A. team. The West.N.B.A.'s Seattle Storm take won iii championships in that time, but the expect for a new franchise to supersede the SuperSonics will soon take on a new dynamic when the Seattle Kraken join the Due north.H.L. adjacent flavor. We're less than iii months away from the Kraken's expansion draft on July 21.
Hit me up anytime on Twitter ( @TheSteinLine ) or Facebook ( @MarcSteinNBA ) or Instagram (@thesteinline). Send whatsoever other feedback to marcstein-newsletter@nytimes.com .
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/28/sports/basketball/russell-westbrook-triple-double.html
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