Westbrook has officially arrived and has established himself as a top five point guard in the NBA. During this phenomenal playoff run for the Thunder, Westbrook is averaging close to 22 points per game. Second only to teammate Kevin Durant, who is averaging right around 28 points per game this postseason.
Like Kevin Durant, Westbrook has been through it all during the rebuilding process in OKC. In his first season with the Thunder, both he and Durant endured a 23-59 season together. P.J. Carlesimo was in his second season as head coach, but was axed early in the '08-'09 inaugural campaign in OKC and was replaced by current head coach Scott Brooks.
Soon after he took control, Brooks quickly decided to go with Westbrook at the point. Westbrook would start in 65 games and end up averaging 15 points and 5 assists per game as a rookie. Respectable numbers for a young rookie in the NBA, but Westbrook still had a long way to go to earn the respect of being a high caliber producer around the league.
The lack of respect for Westbrook around the league was not shared by the Thunder organization. This past offseason trade talks began to swirl around Westbrook, but the Thunder stood firm on their belief that Westbrook is and could continue to be a special player in the NBA. OKC said no to a Rajon Rondo deal and distanced themselves from Chris Paul talk. They knew very well what they had in Russell Westbrook and are now witnessing his full potential as a productive point guard.
Westbrook has become an athletic freak. His ability to defend, attack the basket, and shoot puts him on a higher level then many of his opponents. His aggressive style of play mixed in with his bread and butter jump shots have helped lift his team into the NBA Finals. There is no doubt that the Thunder are lead by Kevin Durant (regular season scoring champion), but Westbrook is his sidekick. Without Westbrook, the Thunder machine does not find themselves in their current situation; the situation being present for the NBA Finals.
The Thunder are now just four wins away from raising a banner in their own arena. They face a daunting opponent though. Westbrook will more then likely be matched-up against Heat guard Dwyane Wade. Their styles and athletic ability are similar, so it should make for an exciting match-up to watch. Westbrook now has the opportunity on basketball's biggest stage to make an even bigger name for himself. With an NBA title at stake, Westbrook will have to lead the Thunder early on by being aggressive on both ends of the floor while allowing for Kevin Durant to get his looks and do the same.
The offense will be running through Westbrook's floor leadership and his team will be counting on him to defend one of the best guards in the league. His time is now.
Westbrook showing off his freak attack in game six of the WCF. (Via YouTube)
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