Russell Westbrook has matured as a basketball player, and the Washington Wizards are reaping the rewards.
Russell Westbrook has always been NBA’s enigma.
He’s always been maddeningly frustrating and incredibly exciting to watch on the basketball court. From jaw-dropping athleticism to bone-headed shots early in the shot clock, the full Westbrook experience has been one of the rarest things to see in the history of the NBA. What’s been the most fun thing about Russell Westbrook of late has been his ability to battle back just when you’re ready to count him out.
The Washington Wizards were on the brink of tanking the rest of the regular season away. Bradley Beal went down with an injury and hope for the play-in tournament seemed lost. Since Beal’s return, the dynamic duo has ignited an incredible stretch for Wizards basketball. They’ve won 10 of their last 12, including an eight-game winning streak to move into the top 10 of the Eastern Conference.
Westbrook has hit new heights during this stretch. He’s averaged 21.7 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 11.9 assists per game in his last 15 games while increasing his true shooting percentage back to over 50 percent. In a year when it seemed like he was washed up, Westbrook is still out to prove there’s a whole lot of basketball to be played.
Two things Westbrook has been able to do are work off the ball and attack the basket. After dealing with a quad injury early in the season, Westbrook was settling for long-range jumpers more than he should. His three-point attempts were up over five per game this season, the most since his Oklahoma City Thunder days, but now are back down to 3.5 in April. He’s back to moving with the reckless abandon we’ve come to love out of Westbrook’s game.
With his lowest usage rate since 2010, Westbrook has ceded more control of the offense to Beal. The freedom of movement allows him to find the gaps and defense and use his athleticism to his advantage. Once the double team arrives for Beal, Westbrook takes advantage for an easy dunk.
Later in that same game, Westbrook gets another chance out of the corner. For 99 percent of the league in 2021, this is a three-point shot. Mitchell plays it as such, not even trying to catch up to the play. Even with almost 12 feet of space, Westbrook can attack the basket and get an easy look at the rim.
It’s all become a noticeable adjustment to Westbrook and his approach on the court. He’s more concerned about his effort to get to the rim and settles for bad shots less. The bad shots and mistakes still come in spurts, but it’s now a smarter, more refined Westbrook. Here’s a look at his shot charts from two years ago compared to now.
With fewer games means fewer shots, but it’s obvious there’s more effort into less bad jump shots. Even those frustrating midrange shots are down. 11 percent of Westbrook’s shots have come from 10 to 16 feet in 2021, by far his lowest of his career.
It’s never perfect and there will be times you can’t stand watching him play, but Russell Westbrook does not care. He’s only focused on playing his game and leading his team to the postseason.
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