[Highlight] Russell Westbrook Defensive Showcase | 2024-2025
Westbrook is one of the guys where you can’t tell if it’s gonna be a highlight or low-light reel until you actually watch it.
Lmao this was my exact thoughts coming into this thread and I’m a diehard Brodie fan
Brodie and drose forever đź’Ż but same lmaooo
I rmr something to the effect of “Live by Bestbrook, die by Worstbrook” was popular during his prime on here
Highlights are good. But he was usually obsessed with spamming unnecessary mid-range jumpers or rushed 3s, sometimes attempted team-high over Jokic/Jamal even on limited minutes coming off the bench. Always wanted to be a super hero by stealing or blocking so he was always a ball-watcher, which allowed his man to backcut or sneak inside for an easy offensive rebound/putback. That mentality also led to that disaster foul on 3-pointer vs. Wolves when he could’ve just solidly contested.
Everybody loved and appreciated him when these flashy plays happened, though.
I can understand why people hate him, but also why people love him.
One of the most polarizing players ever.
And he without a doubt has his moments.
noticed it says defensive showcase but no mention of assists or turnovers
I know he has his bonehead moments but I was bummed when the nuggets let him go, probably wouldn’t have been the difference maker with our collapse last year but we could have used him
I mean you guys needed some energy. I’m not sure there’s a better energy guy in the league than Russ
I thought it was one of the few stops that he’s had since OKC where he fit and added value. He isn’t getting paid much and can get you some buckets and playmaking off the bench. What’s there to lose?
He’s an old guard who’s inefficient
Most blocks of his entire career this season as well as the most steals of his career post-OKC.
See all you gotta do is bend your knees and slide left and right guys
Any of y’all can do it
-KD
Triple double cocaine bear
This cropping is ridiculous đź‘Ž
Clamping up Wemby, totally forgot about that haha.
I was reminiscing a little bit then I remembered his DEN season lowlights đź«Ş
I mean it wouldn’t have been if you weren’t relying on a bench guy to be the closer. You were depleted and relying on a vet min guy to carry the load.
i can’t remember who it was against, i wanna say wolves… where he cost them in the last like 20 seconds that i was like yeah… the same turn lakers fan had with him, nuggets fans are about to experience it
i think jokic was having a crazy game too
it was the wolves double overtime with jokic 60pt triple double, traumatized an entire generation of denver fans, missed a layup and fouled on the 3
Wemby steal into the Shai chase down chefs kiss
A day will come when people truly appreciate just how special this dude was. He gets shit on constantly, but he’s one of the best guards to ever touch a basketball.
I still don’t understand how the people tried to convince fans Bruce Brown was better as a player.
The great majority of players see a drastic drop in athleticism in their mid 30s but age 38 Westbrook is STILL more athletic than half the point guards in the league. You can very well argue that he doesn’t deserve a roster spot for his boneheaded plays or for his inability to shoot but citing his age/athleticism is not a valid argument at all.
2008 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Russell Westbrook, has always been a good defender… when he’s incentivized to do so. Most of his career he was told to take it easy on defense though.
Russ please don’t try on defense. We don’t want to win every game do we?
-his coaches apparently
Pretty sure the discussion was more like, “Russ go put up historic numbers on offense and whatever happens on the other end, happens.”
You’re arguing against yourself.
How does this have barely 100 upvotes wtf
In the few moments he wanted to play defense, he looked amazing. When he clamped up Shai during a possession in game 4, I thought for a second that we would make history… That thought died shortly.
He’s good on ball. His issue is he’ll be ball watching and give up a wide open layup to a guy cutting behind him.
“Westbrook took his[Randell] cornbread” Lmao
With his athleticism he should have been the best defensive point guard in the league for his whole career.
Loved him with my Nuggets that season. Damn shame they let him go, I’ll never forgive FO for that decision.
He can defend all he wants but still choke away an obvious game winning play in the clutch to ruin Jokic’s 61 point triple double.
Jokic has ruined his own nights plenty lol
You probably care more about it than Jokic.