I'm sat in a regular chair fyi. Anyway, you can be great in basketball as an athlete alone, that's how it goes. You don;t necessarily need good court vision, a good handle, shooting touch, passing ability. What does Westbrook do that would make you say he's talented? Been in the league about 10 years and still doesn't have a fuckin tear drop shot. Can't run a pick & roll well. His game is all about going coast to coast for a cheap assist or a layup -yeah, really talented.
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And don't get me started on triple doubles! He was 1 rebound shy of one in game 2 I think. He had 6 turnovers and shot 5/20, but oooh if he would have got that triple double it would have been wonderful. Lots of brain dead people following this sport.Comment -
One thing he does do well is constantly complain to the officials. Oh and going back to home court in OKC is a joke. I've never heard that place get even half as loud as the Boston Garden. Portland for the sweep.Comment -
To be fair Westbrook finishes very well around the basket. His athleticism may get him there but finishing requires skill
To say Westbrook isn't talented is a stretch to say the least. Less skilled than his superstar peers such as curry or harden would be more accurateComment -
His first step, his ability to get open and hit that mid-range J at the ft line, thats talent. I get your point, he’s not a pure basketball player like Chris Paul or Steph Curry, but He makes up for that with his athleticism.
With exception to the top tier guys in the NBA, he’s got as much talent as anyone. And amongst the top players in the game, he’s as athletic as any of them.
IQ, I’ll give ya that. He only knows how to play one way and that is like a bull in a china shop. He can be as unstoppable as KD or Steph but he’s know where near as consistent, too many TO’s. He’s not the best player, nor the best pg, but he’s way too good to say he has no talent. He just doesn't have the most talentComment -
Well "first step" falls under athleticism don't it? -I've already acknowledged he's athletic. If he could hit the mid range shot at a good rater that would be something - I like a high percentage mid range shot - but he hasn't been doing that this season. His FG% is way down. Even his FT% is down to 65%.
There's journeymen and Euroleague players with more basketball talent than him. Casual fans just don't realism just how important athleticism is in basketball.Comment -
No one thinks Westbrook isn't talented. They're just comparing him to the top players in the world.
Westbrook doesn't have near the talent as anyone in the top 10 in the world.
His jumper his flat and inconsistent.
His handle is weak for a pg.
His passing skills aren't elite.
His basketball IQ is one of the lowest you'll ever see in the history of the NBA from a superstar player
But the greatest talent of all, as a superstar in any sport, is finding ways to motivate your teammates. Westbrook hasn't done a good job of that over his career. And it explains his horrific playoff record without Kevin Durant.
Westbrook is one of the most athletic superstars in the history of sports, period. But athleticism matters very little in the NBA, because I have news for you, everyone in the NBA is athletic. With the exception of some bigs, everyone is fast, everyone can jump, everyone is strong as fukk, everyone has huge hands. We see time and time again that the ones who win rings are the superstars who have sky high basketball IQs.
I think Harden is closer to winning a ring than Westbrook is. But we'll see. This system OKC has of allowing Westbrook to get rebounds so he can start on the fast break, it's demoralizing to the rest of the group, and until he can look in the mirror and see that (just like Wade had to do when he played with Lebron, and Wade figured it out in 1 year), then Westbrook will never win.Cause Sleep is the Cousin of DeathComment -
I saw Scottie Wilbekin play a few weeks ago. If he had the size & athleticism of Westbrook he'd be flat out dominant. You could say the same about several hundred point guards. So no, I'm not comparing him to the top players in the world when I talk basketball talent, I'm talking about pro point guards all over the world.
Saying athleticism doesn't matter because every pro has it is reductive/ stupid.Last edited by IBetYou; 04-19-19, 02:31 AM.Comment -
I'm probably as athletic as some middle-of-the-pack NBA players. I'll put my vertical leap and 40 yard dash next to guys like Forbes, or Monte Morris, or Gary Harris, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if I jumped higher than a decent amount of NBA players (not counting bigs who can't jump obviously). Point is, they're better than me because they're just far, far more skilled. They know way more about basketball. There's no way I could shoot like these guys, or finish in traffic as well. You know how automatic NBA players are when shooting. You go to the gym and hit 10 3s in a row when you're wide open, you think you're on fire. NBA players swish jumpers in their sleep, even guys who you think are TERRIBLE shooters. Watch Drummond on the practice court at the free throw line. He'll make 23/25 easily, but in the game? Different story. Watch Westbrook shoot 3s in practice. The guy won't miss. I guarantee you, you would be shocked. Even a shiton that never sees the court, he'll drill everything in warmups.Cause Sleep is the Cousin of DeathComment -
But I'm not saying he's lacking talent relative to the average person, rather to the average pro pg.
Every summer size & athleticism are the reason very good ballers go undrafted. Athleticism is a HUGE part of basketball! It's why Fredette is a bust, and why Teodosic fell out of the Clippers' rotation this season.Comment -
Much talk of Thunder defensive adjustments coming into game 3. Saw what that was... they put Westbrook on Harkless -gave him the easiest defensive assignment and it paid off as George shut down McCollum while Schroder took up the challenge of making Lillard a driver.
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mccollum 21,7, and 7, 5-8 from 3 george 3-16, but its your thread so...Comment -
So Westbrook outplays Lilliard in game 3 and suddenly this conversation turns into a bunch of guys sitting at home on their keyboards breaking down Xs and Os and talking adjustments.
Maybe you guys should apply for the Lakers coaching job.Comment -
I would be willing to bet these three things...unless you’re handle is GOAT.
1. No one in this thread has played in the NBA.
2. No one in this thread has played D1 b-ball.
3. No one in this thread could avg. a triple double at the local rec. center.
Hell, most of you probably never even played JV.
Y’all act like it’s easy to just go get stats. Sure he chases rebounds but what he is doing isn’t easy. None of you could do it in a pickup game.
Please stop acting like you guys even know what talent is. You’ve never come close to playing in the Final Four at UCLA or winning an NBA MVP so you don’t have a clue.
There are plenty of things to get onto Westbrook about. Talent is pretty far down the list.Comment -
And why do I need to have done any of those 3 things. You think NBA talent scouts that study NCAA kids & Euro kids have it as mandatory that they have done any of those 3 things or even played pro basketball at all? You think professional sports bettors have to have played the sports they are betting on to make money on? Of course not. Stop talking nonsense.Comment -
westbrook chases rebounds because he can run the floor one of the quickiest in the league in transition for easy dunks / pull up mid ranges/ easy dishes
saying westbrook has no talent is just ignorant , hes not the best 3 point shooter but hes a big guard with huge heart and elite athleticism... people overreact in the media after every single game its a joke...
ben simmons and kyle lowry were jokes of the league and terrible 1 trick ponies after game 1 losses, 2 wins in a row later theyre amazing and contribute multiple ways to help the team win
so many skip baylesses in the world of sports its hilarious
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I didn't say he was devoid of talent. I said he lacks talent. Can't have a grown up conversation on here..Comment -
I know what devoid means lol. He lacks talent -his talent is lacking. When someone is said to be lacking something it doesn't mean they are without it. If you're lacking height that doesn't mean you're 2-dimensional.Comment -
not one player whos perfect
hes a top 20 player in the entire world .... his style of play is bound to have ugly games but he puts up huge stats and can single handily carry wins
couldnt name 5 pgs id rather have over Westbrook imo and i dont even love the guy, but you have to respect his sheer will which is also a talentComment -
Westbrook forces shots too often but without him, OKC doesn't even make the playoffs.Comment -
No player in the NBA lacks talent. Like I said, if you ever want to say Westbrook is less talented, you have to frame it with, you're comparing him to the top 10 players in the world. Because those are the only guys in the world, on a planet of 8 billion, that have more talent than him.
Westbrook played good last night. Him and Lillard are right around the same level imo. I think Lillard might be a little better, but the history books won't see it that way. Westbrook's inability to carry a team is the reason he's never been considered the best PG of this generation. If he loses in the first round to Portland who doesn't even have Nurkic, who is a legit 20 and 10 guy in the playoffs, then his legacy is tarnished. That'll be b2b years him and Paul George go home in round 1.
You can't sit here and tell me one instance in history where 2 out of the best 10 players in the world went home in the first round b2b years. I really can't think of 1 time it ever happened.Cause Sleep is the Cousin of DeathComment -
i bet you is a basketball savant
that's why he was claiming the bucks were the 4th best team in the east a couple months ago and ridiculing me for saying they were the bestComment -
Giannis gotta prove it. Everyone wants to put him so high up. All the top teams are gonna advance. Toronto, Mlk, Philly and Boston, and the best team will win, simple as that. Its like when everyone kept saying "this is the year Toronto is gonna beat Lebron." And Lebron just ends up winning the East. As a 2 seed, or 4 seed, or whatever, it didn't matter. Bucks are spanking a team right now that doesn't even have Blake Griffin. The Pistons second best player is not even a top 30 player in the NBA. So anyone looking at these games as a measuring stick needs to reasses.
In my view, Boston and Toronto are the best 2 teams. Followed by Mlkw and Philly. I think any of those teams can win the East, and a dick smack is in order during the finals, as usual.Cause Sleep is the Cousin of DeathComment -
THe thing that Westbrook lacks this year is missing 15 fters, he could be tired though
He still blows by everyone and gets shots real easy which is a talentComment -
He got paid by the people that know more about impact and talent than anyone
We can argue semantics all day ie talent v no talent, doesn’t matter. Plenty of talented guys never sniffed the nba. Westbrook is one of the best players in the nba, how he does it is a moot pointComment -
I remember you.. you got upset with me because I said the Bucks are the 4th best team in the East imo. What gives you the right boo-hoo you went or something along those lines
. Nothing has changed since then I might add, except you apparently wanting to pat yourself on the back. They had the best record then and they still do.
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I was skeptical about Milwaukee early on mainly due to budenholzer as a only great regular season coach with the Hawks but damn they look unstoppable right now
With cousins injury and perhaps some lucky breaks the bucks could very well win it allComment
