Russ has been bad - but he also hasn't been given a chance

Yep, but I want to be a championship contender - and we just aren't - hard to get worked up over a win - when you know the team can't win in the playoffs.

DD

 

Yeah but thank goodness Gasol can't jump and was playing at the end instead of Ibaka in the lane!! Ibaka would have fed Russ those last 2 layups if Gasol wasn't in the way

 

Westbrick’s last 2 games where he went for a triple-double in both.

14/57 FG 25%
1/12 3PT 8%
13 TO’s

When you shoot sub 30% from deep for your career and you’re at less than 22% on the year a player with even a hint of common sense would realize damn maybe I should stop attempting nearly 6 threes a game cause that’s just not one of my strengths.

 

But he is offended because he is WIDE OPEN when he shoots......consider that he is shooting 22% on WIDE OPEN 3pt shots.

LOL - he is terrible.

DD

 

Continuously referring to them (TOR) as the World Champs isn't going to make anyone here forget that Kawhi Leonard is not on the team anymore lol.

 

Westbrook’s offensive rating is currently 99...while having a 32% usage rate and shooting 20 times a night

he really needs to focus on passing and rebounding...limit shot attempts to 12-14 a night with the majority at the rim

this can’t continue...Harden is overcoming his negative play, but in the playoffs this will be certain death

Russ doesn’t need to be a 20 ppg scorer...16, 8, and 10 on slightly below average efficiency would be enough

 

An illustration of how moves at the margins can make a big impact to the roster.

 

Exactly. That is all we need from him. Now who is going to tell him that? Isn't that what MDA is supposed to be doing?

Maybe Harden can take on the role of coach and take care of this issue too.

 

This post assumes that Westbrook has ever not taken a bunch of shots that he shouldn’t be taking,

He has ALWAYS done this.

Are we assuming it’s because no one has ever told him “hey man you suck at shooting. Shoot less”?

I’m quite positive he’s heard it before. I’m confident Westbrook has an understanding of math. He knows he is one of the worst shooters.

Every single basketball fan with any kind of brain knows Westbrook shouldn’t shoot much.

How you can think this is an MDA problem and not a Westbrook problem is so wild.

 

i thought this was common sense. apparently, we have a select few that think this is some kind of coaching task

 

He was asked be a reporter if he would make adjustments after shooting his team out of a playoff series and he snapped back at the reporter and made it clear he doesn't believe he needs to.

I'm not sure he does understand math though. He has said repeatedly that the mid range pull up is his best shot.

 

Touché

I’m probably giving him too much credit.

 

Even tho his shooting is off he still finds ways to help the team out whether it be grabbing key boards or making the right pass

 

I wanna see how many second chance points we get when Westbrook on the floor

 

Yeah, this is definitely where we disagree. I do think it's the head coach's job to set the game plan and get the players to execute it.

It's MDA's job to draw up the plays and define the types of shots he expects Westbrook to take and the shots he expects Westbrook to avoid. It's up to Westbrook to take those shots and make them. That's the responsibility matrix. Westbrook shouldn't be taking shots that aren't within the framework laid out by the coach. If he is then coach has to stop it by whatever means necessary because he's the ultimate authority on the court. Period.

As far as assuming goes, I'm not assuming anything. I don't know if coach wanted Westbrook or not. I don't know if coach is telling him to stop shooting or telling him to just shoot through it. I don't know if coach has defined the shot selection for Westbrook. We don't know any of that.

All we know is Westbrook is taking bad shots and it's hurting the team. The only person with the authority to stop it is the head coach. It isn't easy but that's his job.

How you don't see it this way is wild to me. I guess we all have our own perspectives.

 

Wiling passer Westbrook will be even more effective once EG is back to 100%....Everything will begin to fit like a glove once the floor opens up a little more. Can't wait..... Westbrook is a Superstar, and superstars take time to align and incorporate...it is still too early. But I KNOW it is going to work for the best.

 

Haha. Westbrook is going to be on an updated version of this article soon.

https://www.thesportster.com/basketball/top-12-hardest-players-to-coach-in-the-nba/

 

So essentially what you are saying is that Westbrook is uncoachable.

Because he has always taken bad shots.

He has never been benched for it.

MDA is not the only coach he has ever had.

And I trust you understand that benching Westbrook essentially is asking to be fired? Nothing would make me happier than seeing Westbrook with a bunch of DNPs, but that’s not reality.

Reports and simple logic say this was Harden and Tillman’s decision. He’s making 30+ million. He’s playing,

There is not one coach that has ever existed that could do anything with this.

 

I like your optimism. It's been a bit of a rough start but I'm still hoping they find a way to make it work too!!!

 

Right. I just can't help but laugh at the suggestion that any coach is going to tell Harden's best friend making $30 million a year who has been the same way for a decade despite limited success that he needs to change or be benched. Let alone a coach that is a lame duck.

This isn't high school or college. DAntoni can't "coach" Westbrook into being a different player.