In a summer that’s been packed with one history-altering move after another, one of the biggest of all went down on Thursday night when the Thunder and Rockets completed a deal to send Russell Westbrook to the Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul. Westbrook getting move has been rumored since Paul George unexpectedly asked to be traded to Clippers, and this trade once again stands to change the perception of the pecking order in the West.
In the immediate aftermath, we’ve learned a lot about why and how it went down. Russ apparently wanted to reunite with his former teammate James Harden, and the two had reportedly discussed that possibility in detail after the George trade. Basketball-wise, there are plenty of questions about fit, given both players’ high-volume usage and Mike D’Antoni’s three-point-laden system.
Just don’t tell that to Westbrook. According to the latest reports, playing in D’Antoni’s system was one of the many draws for him when considering his next move.
Via Brett Dawson and Michael Lee of The Athletic:
Westbrook, a source said, is intrigued by the possibilities in Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense, by the way Houston spreads the floor and often plays without a center clogging the paint. Westbrook’s expectation is that he’ll have more open driving lanes and that he’ll be surrounded by more shooting than he has been in Oklahoma City. He’s excited, the source said, by the challenges he and Harden can create together for a defense.
The open driving lanes could certainly be a boon for Westbrook, who has long been one of the most aggressive players in the NBA at attacking the rim, notwithstanding questions about his efficiency when finishing around it. Still, the 29 percent shooting from three over the past two seasons (and just under 31 percent the past five seasons) should be more than enough to give Rockets fans pause given their devotion to the long ball.
And piggy-backing on the topic of usage is the question of who will have the ball in their hands at the end of games. That would presumably be the incumbent Harden, though Russ has never been eager to defer to anyone, including Kevin Durant. Yet, as age and shifting dynamics continue to reshape the league, it’s certainly possible that Russ will see the writing on the wall and adjust his game accordingly.
(Via The Athletic)
