Warriors Westbrook Easy to Defend and Dont Fear Him

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 10: Russell Westbrook

Golden State Warriors think Russell Westbrook is easy to guard

Even though Russell Westbrook earned the MVP award last year, he has still not earned the respect of the defending champs. The Golden State Warriors think his style of play is easy to guard.

The Golden State Warriors apparently think that Russell Westbrook is easy to guard. In a podcast by ESPN's Zach Lowe, he says that according to Sports Illustrated legend Jack McCallum's book:

"Jack McCallum's new book ["Golden Days: West's Lakers, Steph's Warriors, and the California Dreamers Who Reinvented Basketball"] about the Warriors has a bunch of anonymous Warriors talking about Russ and how they don't fear Russ. How [Kevin Durant] left partly 'cause of Russ. How Russ' style of play is so easy for them to defend it's like cake to them," Lowe said.

McCallum is well known for covering the famous Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtics rivalry in the '80s and Lowe backs what he is saying because he says he has had talks with the Warriors players and they echo McCallum's statements.

Lowe said:

"I've talked to the Warriors about this kind of stuff. What's in Jack's book is 100 percent what they say when you ask them about Russ."

It is clear Russell Westbrook still doesn't have the respect that he deserves when it comes to his championship peers in the Western Conference. Durant told the world the reason why he left OKC on Twitter last month. The Durant-Westbrook feud will go on this season with even more fuel to the fire added by Durant and the Warriors.

Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the season last year. He was the first person to do it since Oscar Roberson in 1961-62. He was also able to average 30 points in that triple-double, which Robertson did too.

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Westbrook led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a playoff berth and ended the season winning MVP. All those accomplishments were still not enough. The Warriors are talking about their record against the Thunder ever since they have acquired Kevin Durant. They haven't lost a game.

Last season, the Thunder were good enough to make it to the playoffs with Westbrook being the only main threat on the team, but against the Warriors they were 0-4 last year. In the four games the lost by 26, 21,16 and 16 points. None of the games were close. The Warriors had the Thunder pretty much handled in those games.

You can't blame the Dubs. They are just going by what they have seen in live action in games against the Thunder. This year's OKC team is different though because of the additions of Carmelo Anthony and Paul George, so there is more for the Warriors to worry about. Their smothering defense would leave Westbrook with no options before, but this year he has help.

Also, the Thunder have help on the bench this season with young options like Dakari Johnson, Terrance Ferguson and Jerami Grant, who can develop and shoulder the load on the bench. Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton are the experienced veterans on the bench. Alex Abrines can be a 3-point shooting threat.

This year Westbrook isn't the end-all, be-all. The Thunder have put offensive pieces around him — both big and small — that will do their part. The Warriors roster is still a juggernaut with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry at the helm, but this Thunder team could take two games in the season series just off the talent they have alone.

In a long 82-game season, the Thunder may catch the Warriors on cruise control. Look for the Feb. 6 game because it is before the All Star break. The second game is Apr. 3, right before the playoffs are about to start.

courtneywhoustinity99.blogspot.com

Source: https://hoopshabit.com/2017/10/13/golden-state-warriors-think-russell-westbrook-easy-guard/

Share this post