6. Russell Westbrook
Stats: 27.1 points, 9.7 assists, 31.0 PER
There are people that believe Russell Westbrook, not Kevin Durant, is the best player on the Oklahoma City Thunder right now. He’s improved, especially with his offensive efficiency, and is distributing at a career-best level.
The narrative with Westbrook often circles around him not being a “true” point guard, that he’d rather take a shot than to setup a teammate. But his statistics would suggest otherwise. He ranks second in the NBA in assists per game, only behind Rajon Rondo. As for the “chucking” theory, Westbrook is shooting at a career-best level as well. He’s shooting 47 percent from the field and is sporting a 51 percent effective field goal percentage.
Perhaps the biggest reason why I can’t place Westbrook higher on this list is because of what he didn’t do last season, when Kevin Durant was out due to injury. In a moment in which he could’ve put to bed all the narratives while leading his team to the postseason, he didn’t. With Durant back, Westbrook looks great again. Surprise surprise.
I believe Durant’s presence makes Westbrook’s life a tad more easier on the court. That’s the real difference between KD and RW right now. Durant’s presence is slightly more helpful to Westbrook, than Westbrook’s to Durant.
Next: Paul George