Can Russell Westbrook Sustain His Historic Level of Play?

November 8th, 2016 by Jon Hamm Leave a reply »

Russell Westbrook was expected to carry a heavy load this season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but through the first seven games, his burden would make an 18-wheeler struggle.

While Westbrook is on the floor 33.1 minutes per night, he’s using 41.0 percent of the team’s plays, per NBA.com. In English, a player “uses” a possession when it ends with his attempting a field goal, drawing a foul or a turning the ball over.

The highest single-season usage rate in NBA history is 38.7 percent, logged by Kobe Bryant in 2005-06. The second-highest mark belongs to Westbrook at 38.4 percent, from his injury-marred 2014-15 campaign.

Is Westbrook rumbling toward a similar effort?

“I look at it a little bit differently from the perspective of: Russell’s a unique player in that he can affect the game in so many different ways,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “I want him to be who he is. If we can generate good shots and he can help generate shots, we’re going to utilize him.”



But what about the physical toll this could take on Westbrook?& ...

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