Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook is part of the problem

As the Oklahoma City Thunder suffer another first-round playoff elimination, it’s time to admit the obvious. Russell Westbrook is part of the problem

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is a great basketball player, and a future first ballot Hall of Fame player. Westbrook is a former NBA MVP, seven-time first and second team All-NBA player and a triple-double machine, unlike we have ever seen before in the history of the league.

Let’s be honest and say the NBA is full of good basketball players, about two dozen star basketball players and maybe 10-12 superstar basketball players. Westbrook is without a doubt a superstar basketball player and a star attraction that basketball fans around the world want to see.

He plays with the speed of a taller Allen Iverson and the Thunder can pretty much pencil in a triple-double stat line from him before the start of most games, but evidently what they can’t pencil in is playoff success. And that’s a problem.

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Over the last few weeks, the media has gone a bit overboard with the praise for Westbrook. He’s averaged a triple-double in three consecutive seasons while averaging 22-31 points in each season, but what is not being talked about is the lack of success the Thunder have had in the playoffs.

Since Kevin Durant left the Thunder, Westbrook and OKC has not advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs (even despite adding Paul George before the start of last season).

At the same time, this is not to say that Westbrook deserves all the blame for the lack of playoff success, but he is a big reason why they haven’t advanced beyond the first round too.

Too many times, during the Thunder’s series against the Portland Trail Blazers, it seemed like Westbrook was playing like he was trying to show the world that he was a better basketball player than Damian Lillard instead of doing what was best for the team.

Westbrook, at one point, nailed a 3-point shot over Lillard and started beating his chest as he ran down the court like he and Lillard were playing a game of 1-on-1. Instead of just trying to win the series, Westbrook was trying to out-duel Lillard.

Throughout the series, Lillard outplayed him to a point where several members of the media such as Chris Broussard were left to question whether a team could win a championship with him as the leading man.

"“Damian Lillard is better than Westbrook. It’s as simple as he’s a better basketball player. Westbrook is a better athlete”."

I don’t think it’s outlandish to suggest that Lillard is also a smarter player who knows his strengths and weaknesses.

Westbrook, on the other hand is an amazing athlete who can get to the rim with ease and plays better when he shoots within 20 feet of the basket, but for some reason he falls in love with the 3-point shot and long jumpers that, simply put, he can’t quite hit consistently.

For the series, Lillard averaged 33 points and six assists on 46 percent shooting from the field and 48 percent from 3-point range. His counterpart, Westbrook, averaged 23 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds on 36 percent shooting and 32 percent from 3-point range.

Westbrook’s shooting percentage for the series was well below what we should expect from a superstar player. The Thunder, at some point, must admit that Westbrook leading the team is not working.

He may very well be a great basketball player and keeps the Chesapeake Energy Arena sold out on a nightly basis, but over the past three seasons the Thunder have failed to advance to the second round of the playoffs with him leading the team.

Maybe, it’s time for the Oklahoma City Thunder to explore other options.