[ESPN/Goldsberry] Three key questions about Houston's Westbrook experiment

What Jumps Out??

The teams with Harden and Harden 2.0 are leading the league in offensive efficiency.

 

We need to take it to another level. I feel like offensively, we can still get better. Call me crazy, but we need to let Westbrook shoot more from the corner. We need to make teams respect his jumper more, in any way possible.

 

Lakers are not good at Offense? But rooms to improve.

Wow those Suns.

 

The Lakers force alot of AD post ups, even when Lebron is on the floor, its weird.

 

Well it hasn't been an unmitigated disaster and I really do not question whether Harden and Westbrook can flourish offensively together and as a team. That is quite an accomplishment in my eyes because I really questioned whether that is the case. The offense has a chance to be better as the ceiling is quite high. The Rockets are still having spacing issues with Gordon struggling as a shooter. The tandem of Westbrook and Capela on the floor together is not very good either. Still this offense is capable of improving and being able to run other teams off the court, including very good teams.

Defensively, they have personnel issues. They can get to where they are solid but to win a title they have to add on the defensive side.

 

From the same article.

This can be digested though.

 

87 minutes so far with Westbrook on and Harden off: NEGATIVE 18.8 net rating

That has to get better

 

I'm interested to see who's one the floor with Russ during those 87 minutes. If it includes ColdMan Gordon then that really doesn't help Westbrook's cause. I'd say this is more of an indictment that our depth sucks.

 

WB alone can't carry the load no more.

 

So I answered my own question. This is the lineups we've played thus far without Harden:

1st. 12 total minutes: Westbrook, Gordon, Rivers, Tucker, House. Netrating: -6.5
2nd. 9 total minutes: Westbrook, Thabo, Gordon, Rivers, Capela Netrating: -12.8
3rd. 7 total minutes: Westbrook, Tucker, Rivers, McLemore, House Netrating: -38.5
4th. 7 total minutes: Westbrook, Chandler, Thabo, Gordon, Rivers Netrating: -47.9
5th. 6 total minutes: Westbrook, Tucker, Gordon, Rivers, Mclemore Netrating: -66

4 out of the top 5 Westbrook-centric lineups that have been thrown out there Eric Gordon and his artic freezing shooting as of late.
3 out of the top 5 Westbrook-centric lineups that have been thrown out there don't have a player taller than 6'9"
2 out of the top 5 Wsetbrook-centric lineups have have been thrown out there somehow has both Mclemore AND Rivers on the court at the same time

Russ has his warts but I don't think the personnel that is going out there on the floor with him is setting the team (and, by extension, him) up for success.