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Thunder-struck: Russell Westbrook, The NBA’s Fastest Player

By Tom West

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Dec 5, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives past Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook scores at a far higher rate than any other point guard, and makes an impact at the highest rate

I’m rarely one for using metaphors in sports, but ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC is probably the perfect song to represent Russell Westbrook’s game.

The seemingly never ending guitar riff; his relentless energy as he terrorizes his opponents all over the court. The sudden kick drum and ringing symbols; his explosive dunks or bursts past helpless defenders on a one man fast break. Mainly though, because ‘Thunder’ is in the title and this song gets a crowd going. Which is exactly what Russell Westbrook does.

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Simply put, Russell Westbrook is the NBA’s fastest player. Not just in terms of his ankle shattering speed, but because of the infinite ways he can impact a game in hardly any time at all.

In March last year he recorded the second fastest triple-double in NBA history, with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in only 21 minutes playing time. 21 minutes. The only player to record a triple double in less time than Westbrook was Jim Tucker on February 20th of 1955, who achieved the feat in 17 minutes.

His remarkable record stood the forces of time as it’s withstood every NBA Hall of Fame player and legend, from Michael Jordan to LeBron James. No one came close. That was until the Thunder’s point guard showed up.

Dec 12, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng (5) during the third quarter at Target Center. The Thunder defeated the Timberwolves 111-92. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder may have had a shaky start to the 2014 season as their two superstars, Westbrook and reigning MVP Kevin Durant, sat sidelined to watch Jeremy Lamb and Sebastian Telfair try and shoot their way to victory. Which wasn’t a pretty sight for anyone.

Since Westbrook’s return though, he’s played in spectacular fashion, and he has reminded everyone exactly why he’s the most athletic point guard in league history.

In his first game back from injury this year (after recovering from a broken hand) he couldn’t have done any more. The brace to protect his hand, or the normal need to return to form weren’t enough to prevent Westbrook from having one of the most electrifying 24 minute performances you’ll see.

In terms of actual straight line speed, John Wall of the Washington Wizards is probably the fastest point guard in the league right now, although that doesn’t make him the kind of energetic and athletic freak that Westbrook is. Yes, Wall can dunk and he’s exceptionally fast, especially on the fast break, but other than a healthy Derrick Rose (huge emphasis on the word healthy) there is no point guard on the level of Russell Westbrook.

The reason why he’s ahead of everyone else, in not just today’s NBA but probably anyone who’s ever played his position, is the tenacity and aggressiveness he plays with in every single quarter.

Dec 11, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson (13) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Lots of players are athletic. But it’s when you combine that athleticism with the kind of aggressiveness Westbrook has that is just becomes scary.

There was one play last year, in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, which perfectly epitomized Westbrook’s will to never give up on a play. As Durant fired an air ball from behind the arc Westbrook waited under the rim, rose above every Memphis player going for the rebound, and snatched the ball into his hands to slam the ball through the basket.

Point guards simply shouldn’t be grabbing shots that miss the basket and dunking them home that effortlessly.

Maybe Damian Lillard or John Wall could get the elevation to complete that play in practice, but I doubt you’ll see either of them do it like Westbrook. No one has the same level of aggression, and no point guard even thinks to try the kind of plays that Westbrook does on a nightly basis.

Wall has proved himself as an elite distributor this season, and to go along with his 18 points per game he’s now averaging double digit assists for the first time in his career (10.6 per game).

Dec 14, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) passes the ball as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) defends during the second half at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 93-84. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Despite Wall being more consistent in terms of his ability to set up his teammates, Westbrook can do more on the boards, just as much defensively, and can take over in an instant with his mid-range jumper or un-guardable drives to the basket.

So far this year, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard are two of the top few scoring point guards in the league, with them scoring 34.2 and 30.1 points per 100 possessions, respectively. That sounds impressive, until you see what Westbrook’s doing.

The Thunder’s star on the other hand, is scoring 46.2 points per 100 possessions. Twelve more than Curry (the best shooter in the game) and 21 more than Wall (a potential MVP candidate this year). If that doesn’t show how Westbrook can score at will, then nothing can.

If that wasn’t enough for you though, then here’s one last quick stat.

James Harden, the NBA’s current leading scorer, is averaging 25.5 points per 36 minutes. Westbrook in 36 minutes, however, is putting up 31.8 points per game.

December 18, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Westbrook’s efficiency can’t even be used as an argument against him here either. He’s shooting 47 percent from the floor and 34 percent from deep, both of those are noticeably higher than Harden (who’s making only 41 percent of his shots).

Regardless of everything he can contribute to a team, Westbrook’s decision-making is still his major flaw. With Durant on his team he shouldn’t be taking as many three pointers, or as many 4th quarter shots in close game situations as he does, no matter how good he is.

All you need to do is watch Westbrook to see that his only major flaws are mental. In terms of physicality, he’s really not far away from LeBron James as an athlete.

December 18, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0, right) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli (31) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Just because he shoots a lot though, doesn’t mean he can’t run the point at an elite level. He’s still averaging 8.2 assists per 36 minutes (I’m not using his stats per game as his playing time has been limited since returning from injury, so he’s not reached his full potential yet this year).

He may look to score too often instead of setting up his teammates, but when he wants to get everyone involved, rather than just dominating himself, he’s impossible to stop.

Westbrook’s rapid-fire mentality is what makes him fun. He may not always make the best decisions, and his shot frequency is sometimes higher than it should be. However, more often than not he’ll make a spectacular dunk, contort his body to finish a ridiculous layup, or play with such aggression to rack up a near triple-double in just over 20 minutes that he’ll leave his opponents looking helpless.

Now that their stars are back and healthy it’s time to watch the Thunder again. And as well as Durant taking over you can watch the Russell Westbrook show too; the fastest player in the NBA.

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