NBA: Russell Westbrook is a true freak of nature

Westbrook shows no signs of pressure in Durant’s absenceWith Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant out once again with a hamstring injury, fellow superstar Russell Westbrook had to transform himself into “do EVERYTHING” mode, and for NBA fans worldwide, there aren’t many things much better to watch than that.LeBron James might still be the best, most dominant player in the league and Stephen Curry is the reigning MVP and best player through 12 games so far, but if you ever wanted to see what it’s like to have an NFL free safety play basketball, I imagine Westbrook is the closest you'll get.He may be out of control sometimes and he may take some poor shots (actually he definitely does both), but nobody in the league can match his relentlessness to attack or his ability to will his team to victory every night. In the last two games, Westbrook has matched this relentlessness with sublime production and some patented turnovers – 12 in the last two games. However, to focus on that would be to miss just how truly amazing Russ is.Just let this two-game stat line sink in: 83 points (27-44 fgs, 5-11 threes, 24-33 free throws), 22 assists, 13 rebounds, and four steals. I mean, to score that much, that efficiently and still have time to dish out over 10 assists a game is something only LeBron and Steph can do, and I’ve already said they are the best two players running the show right now.So where does that leave Russ? I’d say right up there with them in terms of sheer dominance on the court, especially when it comes to offensive production. Now arbitrary end points (he shot 5-20 in the game immediately preceeding these last two) and small sample sizes abound, but if you want to get hung up on those things, that’s your problem.Here's a quick breakdown of why he’s been so good.

Also read: Top 10 of Russell Westbrook's Triple Doubles

#1 Shooting

Westbrook has answered criticisms of his shooting with improved numbers

One of the biggest knocks on Westbrook has always been that he shoots too much and doesn’t make enough to back it up. Even last year when he had his crazy run of triple doubles, all people could talk about was the fact that he went 13-33 or something and he was actually below-average and making the Thunder lose.

Well guess what, this season he is sticking it to the haters and shooting a cool 47%, including a respectable 35% from three on 5.5 attempts a game.

In the last two, he’s upped that to 61% and 45% from three, and now all you hear is crickets from the critics. He’s doing this by being a little more judicious with what shots he shoots. He is also just looking more and more comfortable with controlling his speed while driving, helping him kiss the ball softly off the glass on layups and stay balanced for his patented off the dribble mid range jumper.

People forget that he’s only 27 and is maybe in the second year of his prime, so it was definitely possibly for him to improve and fine tune his game to make him an unstoppable force.

#2 Free throws

Westbrook shot 15 of 20 fts in the last game against the Pelicans

This is where Russell has always shown he has the ability to shoot under control, and he’s right back shooting around his career 81%. The great thing about Russ is that even when the field goal attempts aren’t falling like you want them to, the guy is so freaking athletic that he can just will himself to the free throw line and knock the shots down consistently to buoy his efficiency.

For example, last night against the Pelicans, he got to the line a whopping 20 times, knocking down 15. Combine that with shooting 56% from the field and you have an unstoppable scoring machine that defences have to pray will just miss more, because there is nothing they are actually going to do to stop him.

Russell’s combination of strength, quickness, energy and undying relentlessness transforms him into this Tasmanian Devil-type freak of nature that has opposing point guards and paint protectors just hoping he heads to the bench so they can have a little reprieve from his onslaughts.

There is also a cost-benefit for Russ getting to the free throw line so much, as it gives him a little time to slow down and catch his breath, while allowing his team to set up in more half court defense. The defensive help is truly important for the Thunder as they have been only an average defensive team this year, and any extra time they get to set up can only be for the good.

#3 Assists

Westbrook’s assists are an underappreciated part of his game

This is an area where Westbrook has really grown, yet people continue to overlook his raw assists numbers and assist percentage simply because he also shoots a lot. Westbrook’s relentlessness doesn’t just lead to him scoring a lot of points, it also draws the defense’s attention to him constantly, allowing him to find the open Thunder and set his teammates up for easy buckets.

His constant attacking bends the defense every possession, and he has become very adept at dropping off pocket passes on pick and rolls to big men, while also finding shooters all around the perimeter, the mark of a great passer.

It’s telling that when he is averaging 28 points per game this season, he also leads the league in points accounted for when you take into consideration how many points have come off his assists as well. That’s right, the selfish guy who shoots all the time, gets his teammates over 22 points a game with his passing.

#4 Passion

One play that captures how Russ plays on a nightly basis happened last night. New Orleans Pelicans center Alex Ajinca, all 7’2” of him, grabbed a defensive rebound, only to have Russ strip the ball from him and proceed to put it in the hoop and get fouled.

If you don’t think witnessing one of their smallest guys go toe-to-toe with the biggest guy on the court during crunch time and win fires up a team, I don’t know what to tell you. Just let this be my call to everyone who watches the NBA to appreciate having someone like Russ bring his passion and energy every night.

Because before long, all you will have are YouTube clips and memories.