At the age of 36, regardless of the sport, it is generally considered to be the end of one's career. At this stage, players mainly focus on enjoying themselves. However, in Russell Westbrook's dictionary, the word "enjoyment" has never appeared. Despite a significant decline in his athletic abilities and living the life of a wandering player, his eyes are still filled with confidence. Even when fans point their fingers at him and shout insults, or when his family faces "death threats," Westbrook still believes that he can provide assistance to the team and play a crucial role.
Westbrook's historical status is unquestionable. He holds an MVP trophy, is both a scoring champion and assist leader, and is also the NBA's all-time triple-double king, having achieved an average triple-double for three consecutive seasons. Despite his partners leaving one by one, as long as Westbrook was there, the Thunder he led were always a strong playoff-level team. However, since leaving Oklahoma City, Westbrook's fortunes have taken a sharp turn for the worse, gradually declining from a top-tier star to a journeyman.
In the past five years, Westbrook has wandered through four cities, playing for the Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, and now the Nuggets. Except for the Wizards, his performance on the other three teams has not been ideal, and he has even been labeled a "ball hog" and "cancer."
It's difficult for Westbrook, who is accustomed to handling the ball, to exert his power without the ball. Therefore, he cannot integrate well with stars like Harden, James, and Paul George. Moreover, Westbrook's shooting and defense are weak points, and when his participation in the offense is insufficient, his shortcomings are naturally magnified.
The smart Westbrook, how could he not know where the problem lies?
In fact, every old star eliminated by the NBA is clear about this point, such as Carmelo Anthony. They just don't want to work hard for a minor role at this age. We originally thought Westbrook would stubbornly stick to his ways and then suddenly disappear at some point. But unexpectedly, he loves basketball and the court so much. This season, the 36-year-old Westbrook quietly completed his transformation and successfully embarked on the second peak of his career.
Let's look at a few sets of data to understand just how successful Westbrook's transformation has been.
In the past, Westbrook would keep the ball in his hands for a long time. Taking the 2013-14 season as an example, he could reach an average of 74.4 touches per game, with an average ball-handling time of 7 minutes, an average ball-holding time of 5.62 seconds per touch, and an average dribbling count of 5.56 times per touch. Up until the 2018-19 season, Westbrook's data remained among the highest in the league, reflecting his playing style. He is the type of player who needs time to observe, make decisions, and find rhythm.
Although his numbers decreased after leaving the Thunder, considering playing time and usage rate, he was still a long-term ball-handler. For instance, while playing for the Clippers, despite coming off the bench and reducing his playing time to 22 minutes, his average ball-holding time per touch was still as high as 4.41 seconds, and his average dribbling count per touch reached 3.95 times.
As his age increases and offensive efficiency decreases, Westbrook's ball possession conversion rate can no longer be described as "terrible." Therefore, persisting with this style of play could only harm the team rather than help it.
However, now under Malone's transformation, Westbrook has learned Jokic's "non-stick" approach, reducing isolation plays in set-piece battles and increasing the frequency of cuts and handoffs. Within the 0-3-foot range, Westbrook's finishing rate has reached a career-high of 66.1%. Why is it so high? Because most of his shots come from being off the ball. This season, Westbrook's assisted shooting rate is as high as 45.8%, also setting a new career record, whereas previously, his assisted shooting rate was only 20%.
In terms of passing, the Nuggets' extreme offensive space, coupled with Jokic's presence, allows Westbrook to find suitable passing opportunities without much thought. His average ball-holding time per touch has dropped to 3.88 seconds, and his average dribbling count after each touch is only 3.49 times, both career lows.
Additionally, there is another set of data that is quite exciting: when Westbrook and Jokic are on the court together, the Nuggets' net score differential reaches 10.7 points. In the 11 games he started, the Nuggets won 9 of them.
Now, no one should say that Westbrook is a "cancer" anymore. He has once again proven that he has the ability to help the team win. Congratulations to Westbrook, congratulations to this 36-year-old veteran who, after wandering for five years, has finally found a home.