Regular readers know that I’m no fan of Westbrook’s performance in the Playoffs. He posts gaudy numbers in virtually every game, but when it comes down to crunch time, he has been inconsistent.
Take Game 6 in Memphis. Westbrook finished with 27 points (on 11-for-22 shooting), four assists and three rebounds. Great, right? Not quite.
A closer look at Westbrook’s performance in crunch time reveals an entirely different story. After entering the game with 9:04 to play, he turns the ball over on three of the next four OKC possessions. The Grizzlies capitalize with a pair of Zach Randolph buckets. The four-point lead swells to seven.
Trailing by that margin with 3:29 to play, Westbrook misses a layup. On the next Memphis possession, Westbrook closes on an O.J. Mayo catch too quickly and Mayo goes by him for a 19-foot stop-and-pop to push the lead to nine. When Westbrook misses a 17-foot jumper with 2:23 to play, the Thunder are all but done.
He went 3-of-7 (0-2 from 3PT) with zero assists and three turnovers in the final 9:04, and his team was -8 during that span.
Can the Thunder win a title with Russell Westbrook at the point? Unless he finds a way to suddenly become much more efficient, I’d say no. He’s young, but he’s been in the league for three years and is still playing inconsistent ball in crunch time.
