Here come the i told you guys Before covid-19 took over the league, Russ was playing some of his most efficient ball in his career
Oh, I agree with this fully. The main reason is Durant has no issue standing in a spot and shooting. Both Westbrook and Harden are ball dominant AND Westbrook can't shoot so yeah... Also, it mentally worked too since Durant has his passive moments and that allowed Russ to be his wild self.
Go take a look at Russ in those series, back before all the surgeries, watch the highlights and/or look at the stats. I've never been a fan of Russ and don't think he was ever a winning player, but that version of Russ was SO MUCH better than this version of Russ. It's not even close. This year was by far the worst playoffs of his career. I think the rockets beat the lakers if we had any of the 2012-2015 versions of Russ.
If you like shooting Free throws and Step backs.... Harden. If you like height and shooting over anyone ..... Durant. And Harden is more durable, I'll go with Durant even though he is an a-hole. Luv me some height.
I agree, I think people are confusing my argument. I've said CP3 had a much better year than Russ, no one can deny that. I Was only responding to Russ being labled as a "Loser" that feels harsh to me and it was in response to me saying that people act like CP3 has this long history of winning, and he just doesn't. He never made those deep memorable playoff runs and a lot of his teams were first round exits. Also, the russ hate is strong @YOLO is making it seem like to me that Russ never had skill and could never play, clearly that isn't the case.
Give it time, people will come around on Russ when he is being that Energizer bunny again. It's just that bad taste in the mouth after a Playoff exit. But I do not want an 80% Russ in the Playoffs ever again, that said.
The player he has always trended toward and what he is now, has always been my concern. I've said that from day 1 about him since his acquisition. His game has always been widely dependent on off the chart athleticism. That's just reality. You can disagree if you want. That's fine.
I think a lot of the Russ hate is because it was a bad trade. Just because of the draft picks. Like, it's one thing to swap CP3 for Russ...it's another to give up all of our draft capital to do so. Now how do we even improve the team? I think for Russ he's hurting a lot because he doesn't have a big that can PNR like Adams could and he never really was able to get that with Capela since Capela was hurt and then traded. I think something like close to 50% of Russ assists have come through the PNR and that's been completely taken away from him. I think he could still be a great PNR player but that's the thing... Tucker can't finish or roll, Harden is Harden, you don't want your star guard setting picks like that....everyone else on this team is a guard or small wing lol. That's why I think he would have done well in Miami with Bam and Butler and their athletic players? I completely understand why Riley was after him.
Russ for all intents and purposes was supposed to be our best finisher at the rim. If he has that athleticism , some of those blocks by lebron and AD are posters . We needed nuclear russ at the rim , we got tentative russ. He threw down like 1-2 dunks the entire series. We needed 2-3 a game . We need russ to become a rich man's shaun livingston . He kinda already is , we just need an even better version of it. Hes gotta be able to yam it down
And because CP3 is having one of his best years. All true, thing is that is on them Rockets. It is really surprising how many still love Morey after this.......and say oh, it's all Tilman and Morey has done nothing bad.....lol. They are silent partners, true, Fertitta is harsher and direct while Morey is playing that hidden snake with his tweets.
He is dependent on that, I think he still has it. I think he showed that before the break. Then the team comes back, he has corona...team plays him hurt in meaningless bubble games because Rockets training staff... Then he comes here, has no roll guy which is big for him because if you're defending a pick and roll with a guy as Russ that means either Russ or the roll guy is getting an easy bucket or someone is going to be open for three. I think the Rockets should look to get an athletic big, not sure who is going to be out there like that though. I mean, if they are sticking with this team and just changing the coach they need more athletic finishers so Russ can run and Russ can attack the rim off of picks.
Yeah...I have major criticisms about Morey too but that is another thread. I'm still fine with him as GM though!
Career Postseason WS/48 Paul : .195 Westbrook : .125 That is a chasm of a difference. It’s a team sport. Paul’s teams may have lost but for the most part throughout his career he has been a significant producer in the playoffs. Paul’s two seasons here he was .193 and .132 His “terrible” year was better than Westbrook’s career average. Westbrook is the exact opposite. Outside of like 2-3 playoff runs he has been a garbage playoff performer. Always a significant reason for his teams demise. It’s not like everyone who hated the trade just had some personal vendetta against the guy. There is undeniable evidence to have had the very strong belief that this would be a disaster. Last 4 playoff runs WS/48 .103 .052 .026 -.041 This is garbage production. From one of the highest paid players in the game. You can’t win with it.
But also to be fair they lost. And we were competing with a team that was FAR and away better than that one. Westbrook coulndt get out of the first round despite being an MVP(he's not). Right, but some players are also just flat out better than others. Paul wasnt injured last year. He didnt perform up to par but he was still better than Westbrook this year. Well Cp was completely healthy this year, while playing heavy minutes in the playoffs. He was completely healthy last year. Russ was the one who wasnt "healthy" but then he came back and was still....a bad player. I dont buy the injury stuff because he's played like this the last three post seasons.
he still has some of it but the difference is it went from off the charts to actually somewhat normal and continues to decline. And the problem is the actual basketball skills and iq don't translate with it He has no roll guy because hes incredibly flawed and doesn't fit next to harden as a whole, where you can't put two non-shooters on the floor. you never have been able to. If they get a big that is able to shoot and play defense, that would be ideal but obviously that happening with 0 money and 0 assets is incredibly doubtful
Trust me, I know. But if the argument is that Westbrook loses then he'd contribute more to losing than Paul. When you called him an ultimate loser after I talked about CP3s career compared to Westbrook. You can't take away the big playoff games he's had that led his team over significant opponents. That is stuff people remember. No one is going to remember WS/48 stat or BPM or whatever. The truth is that Tmac played well in the playoffs but you know what his career legacy is? He never made it out of the first round, first round virgin, that's all people will remember and care about are the results. At the end of the day, stats are used after winning or losing. People want stats that correlate with winning, not losing, and Westbrook was a winner at one point in time. If you're argument is that he isn't now, that's fair. But I would not call him a 'loser' nor would I call Reggie Miller a loser or Stockton or anyone else that got close to a ring and just didn't pull it off.
I do not think it's losing. It's most moment in the clutch when he is sticking 100% to the play book or what D'Antoni said but CP3 is that thinker. Some player just adjusts better in the clutch. WB doesn't think, that's the gripe. He just acts. Most of the time it goes bad. So it looks like 'tunnel vision'. A jumper bails you out, he doesn't have that option.
Shawn Livingston was a knock down mid range shooter, Westbrook....has never been that good at mid range shooting.....or any kind of shooting tbh.
