Not that any of this will happen, but to get Westbrook---and it isn't happening---you'd have to part with other players, and those players would be the bench firepower.
Do you even watch the Thunder? James Harden is their scoring off the bench. If I were the Thunder I'd try to move Westbrook for a pass 1st PG that can score a little and play good defense and a scorer at another position in return.This will make Durant the clear cut #1 option make Harden the #2 and have decent scoring from other positions. The problem with Westbrook is that he doesn't make his teammates better. The most important job for a PG is to run the team and get easy buckets for your teammates. If I were the Thunder and Hornets I would work out a trade like this. OKC trades: Westbrook NO trades: Jarret Jack, Carl Landry, Trevor Ariza NO receives a "superstar" name to replace CP3. This will also allow them to rebuild around a backcourt of Westbrook/Gordon. Westbrook will be happy because he can try to show that he's the man and continue to put up big numbers while his team goes nowhere. For OKC this move improves their overall depth and they get a very capable PG in Jack who looks to pass 1st, plays solid D and makes good decisions while being able to score a little too. Think Kyle Lowry (but not quite as good). Landry will give them legit scoring from the PF position which they lack really bad. Ariza will provide defense, scoring and depth. I can see him being valuable guarding the other teams best wing players and taking pressure off of Durant on the defensive end. His services would best be used in the Playoffs. OKC's starting lineup. Jack Harden Durant Ibaka Perkins Having the luxury of bringing Landry and Ariza off the bench would be huge. This move would also make them much deeper so you can interchange Ariza for Harden or Landry for Ibaka depending on whether you need more offense or defense.
I really question ur bbiq and the amount of game u watch of okc. Who else is going to score on that team especially starting 5? Are u going to tell me thabo,ibaka, or perkins? The fact he was 2nd team all nba and they went to the wc finals and he's what 22,23? He's one of the top 12 or 13 best players in the entire league. He's probably top 10.
Westbrook hasn't signed an extension yet....I think? I'm going by other web sites. So, OKC needs to decide on him pretty soon. Isn't he due for the extension? He's gonna keep pressing and it's gonna get in his head if he believes himself unappreciated. EDIT: Also, matching salaries in a trade (which won't happen) would be tough, tough.
Move Harden into the starting lineup like I mentioned. Harden is way too good to be coming off the bench. Durant should also be getting more shots instead of Westbrook jacking up random shots. Also Ibaka, Thabo and Perkins are not getting easy buckets because you know who isn't creating easy buckets for them like a good PG should be doing. Westbrook as a top 12 or 13 player is debatable but it's not always about being the best player but the best fit.
Asian Sensation, I usually agree with you, but you've lost your mind with that last post. Clueless. You need to watch the Thunder some more. If you don't think KD who, by the way, has won the scoring title twice in-a-row isn't their clear #1 option, I don't know what to say. Again, if WB holds KD back so much, why is he the two-time defending scoring champ? I challenge you to really get to know the team a little bit instead of going by a couple of playoff games you saw. WB MUST score for them to succeed. I'll leave it at that. It would take too long to blow up your amazing trade idea.
Huh? I said KD is their #1 scoring option and he should ALWAYS be first in terms of pecking order of getting shots. However, with the way things are going I doubt Durant repeats as scoring champion. WB MUST score for them to succeed because they lack offensive depth to an extent but he WB lacks the ability to create easy buckets for his teammates. Durant is 4th in the league in scoring right now. He should be 1st. By a lot. Westbrook IS HOLDING HIM BACK. Durant won back to back scoring titles inspite of WB not because of him. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
They would want that plus the Minny pick. Although I'm sure not how a Westbrook and Gordon backcourt would work out.
I actually share both of your opinions as contradictory as that may seem. The Thunders do need WB to score and "take over" for as great as Durant is, he still occasionally has trouble simply getting open and is primarily still a perimeter shooter. However as evident in last years playoffs, Westbrook has shown an inability to reign in scoring mentality when it was obvious to everyone else he should have been passing more. So while the Thunders do need Westbrook to succeed, he was/is also one of the main reason they struggle to reach their potential. IMO is Westbrook is a great athlete, with an elite ability to penetrate, score and defend at the PG position, however he also isnt a natural PG, is a poor game manager, turnover prone and not a very good distributor. Much like Marbury and Francis in their prime, Westbrook is a great playmaker (something the Thunders lack aside from Harden) but below average decision maker, constantly struggling with being aggressive, scoring, making plays and distributing. He is below avg at making the right passes, the simple ones, the ones which doesnt involve him dribbling for an extended period of time or penetrating. He is also average at passing out of the Pick and roll and pick and pop, which great passers like Nash/Cp3 excel in. Despite his flaws, Westbrook is still easily a top 20 player and is one of the reasons OKC is one of the best teams in the NBA. The playoff series vs the Lakers in 2010 and much of the 2011 season showed Westbrook to be at times, OKC's best player. He covers up alot of OKC and Durants weakness, namely lack of playmaking, lack of penetrating and a lack of superior athleticism. Trading Westbrook shouldn't be a ridiculous idea, because this is the NBA, where Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem and Shaq has been traded. Furthermore with Westbrooks current weakness and Durants improvement, a trade for a better fit/match may even be rational. But any such trade has to be for approx equal talent, IMO any GM would be crazy to trade him for Landry, Jack & Ariza. If i were OKC, I'd offer Westbrook/Ibaka for Howard/Anderson (assuming Howard extends). Westbrook for Rondo seems like a good trade fitwise, but I would need more from Boston, perhaps Ray Allen. Westbrook for Lowry & Martin + picks would probably be the lowest value acceptable.
Maybe you should have read the other messages i KNOW harden is their spark off the bench. someone was saying that okc should trade harden for lowry, and then i said that they wouldn't have any fire power from the bench if that trade happened. learn to read.
After tonight's game the Thunder are now 10-2 and have the best record in the NBA. Westbrook is not a perfect PG but he is a supremely talented player and has been playing very good the last 4 games (go check the results). No way the Thunder trade Westbrook. Specially since they had their chance to trade him this ofseason and get someone like Rondo. They are committed to him now.
So how many points should KD be scoring per game, in your opinion? How much is WB holding him back? Is it a good thing to be so dependent on one player for offense or is it better to spread things out and be more diverse? LeBron is at 30 PPG so "a lot" more is what, 35? With the condensed schedule and Harden's emergence, that just isn't going to happen. KD needs help, not to score more points.
Last night, KD and Harden were both off their game. If WB hadn't dropped 30 on Memphis, no way OKC wins. Tonight, Harden was off again and WB supported KD's 29 with 22.
There are too many posters who get stuck in roles. Westbrook is a high end player. He's a great defender, great penetrator, very explosive playmaking guard. Again, what is he 22,23. If ok city made him availible, they could get almost anything they want. Last yr, durant goes down and he keeps them on course. Now, I'm not saying I won't trade him, but it will take a lot. If they were to lose him for a few games, people would see how vital he is.
What a difference one offseason makes. LAST YEAR: Code: [B]MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS[/B] DERRICK ROSE 37.4 8.8 19.7 .445 1.6 4.8 .332 5.9 6.9 .858 1.0 3.1 4.1 7.7 1.0 0.6 3.4 1.7 25.0 WESTBROOK 34.7 7.5 17.0 .442 0.4 1.3 .330 6.5 7.7 .842 1.5 3.1 4.6 8.2 1.9 0.4 3.9 2.5 21.9 Westbrook MORE assists, more STEALS, more REBOUNDS, more FREE throws in LESS MINUTES than the MVP of the league. I know stats can be hollow like Steve Francis/Stephon Marbury/Tyreke Evans etc...but there's good reason Westbrook was 2nd team NBA. This year Westbrook has regressed a little. But Thunder this year so far are almost like Shaq/Kobe Lakers - LITE in having to do ALL THE PLAYMAKING and hoping a guy or 2 steps up every once in a while.
Westbrook for Ariza, Jack, Landry? OKC GM would get killed the same day by angry fans. This trade is garbage.
this whole thread is r****ded.. lol @ a team with the best record in the league trading away their second best player who is also one of the top YOUNG PLAYERS yet to reach his potential. thank god none of you are GMs
