Stephen A. Smith says Dame should "demand to be traded"

[BrianFromWA]

I thought you were smarter than this, but you seem to have bought into the Westbrook triple-double fanboi hype.

Who do you think will go down in history as the better player. Russell Westbrook or Michael Jordan? That's a serious question, and your answer will tell me whether I should continue to take you seriously as a poster. Jordan never averaged a triple-double. Neither has Bird or Magic or LeBron. Is Westbrook better than all of those guys?

Ok, it's already been explained how Westbrook pads his rebounding stats (leaving his man unguarded to hunt rebounds and stealing rebounds from his own teammates), but how can a player who averages 10 assists per game be considered selfish?

First, in order for Westbrook to average a triple-double, he had to absolutely shatter the all time USG% record last season. If you don't know what USG% means, in simple terms it's a measure of how many of his team's possessions a players uses up. Last year, Westbrook "used up" 41.65% of his team's total possessions. The previous record was 38.74% by Kobe Bryant. There have only been five USG% > 37 seasons in the history of the league. Westbrook owns two of them, Kobe, Jordan and Iverson one each. Westbrook dominates the ball more than any other player in NBA history.

As such, he gets to decide when his teammates get shots and when he gets shots. If you look at the way Westbrook doles out assists, you'll see he racks them up at the beginning of the game, to insure he gets his triple-double and then as the game progresses, he starts freezing out his teammates - this is especially true in close games and most of all, in the payoffs. I started noticing this all the way back in the 2011 playoffs, that in the 4th quarter of any close game, Westbrook would freeze out his more efficient scoring teammates (at that time, Kevin Durant and James Harden) and start calling his own number WAY too often.

To illustrate this, here are Westbrook's quarter-by-quarter assists and filed goal attempt numbers for his historic triple-double season:

1st Quarter: FGA = 5.3, Assists = 3.2
2nd Quarter: FGA = 5.8, Assists = 2.9
3rd Quarter: FGA = 6.4, Assists = 2.6
4th Quarter: FGA = 7.9, Assists = 1.9

Notice anything? Every single quarter, Westbrook's field goal attempts go up and his assists go down. He becomes especially ball hoggy in the 4th quarter, when he busts into hero mode and costs his team countless close games.

If Westbrook was actually a good shooter, and didn't turn the ball over so much, this might not be a bad thing. After all, you want the ball in your best players hands with the game on the line. The problem is Westbrook forces up a ton of bad shots and commits countless unforced turnovers. The more he tries to do, the more it hurts his team. Durant's last season in OKC, they lost 15 games that they had led in the 4th quarter. Think about that... A team with a 4-time scoring champ, one past and one future MVP blowing FIFTEEN 4th quarter leads. How is that even possible? Easy, Westbrook hero ball.

Last year's playoffs were a prime example of how Westbrook's stat padding, hero ball style of play hurts his team. Same exercise as before, but this time, add in team scoring by quarter:

1st Quarter: FGA = 7.2, Assists = 3.2, Team Scoring = 29.2
2nd Quarter: FGA = 5.8, Assists = 4.2, Team Scoring = 28.6
3rd Quarter: FGA = 7.6, Assists = 2.2, Team Scoring = 24.2
4th Quarter: FGA = 9.8, Assists = 1.2, Team Scoring = 22.2

When Westbrook tries to be the hero, stops passing to his teammates and starts forcing up bad shots, it kills his team's chances of winning.

Again, I first noticed it back in the 2011 playoffs, but it has never changed. And that's the real reason Russell Westbrook should never be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan when it comes to discussing all-time greats, even though Westbrook averaged a triple double and Jordan (and Bird, Magic, LeBron) never did. Those guys all valued winning over individual stats. They got their stats in the normal flow of the game, while making their teammates better and increasing their teams' chances of winning.

Westbrook is a great athlete, no denying that. Perhaps, pound-for-pound, the most amazing athlete to ever play the game. But, he's also a stupid, selfish player who values his own personal stats, records and awards over winning and team success.

BNM

Times infinity. This post gets better and more detailed and more descriptive every time you write it. looking forward to John's response, actually.

 

[crandc]

May I demand that Stephen A. Smith STFU?

 

[Boob-No-More]

May I demand that Stephen A. Smith STFU?

Stephen A. Smith is the reason god invented the mute button.

BNM

 

[BBert]

May I demand that Stephen A. Smith STFU?

I demand he be traded to Siberia.

 

[ripcityboy]

Hey, are you all bashing Stepehen A Smith?! Need I tell you that STEPHEN A SMITH IS A CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND OF MINE!

 

[BonesJones]

Yeah, he's a very good player. I do care about value added, though, not just raw numbers. I saw a statistical analysis last season that suggested that despite his incredible rebounding numbers for a point guard, he actually wasn't improving their rebounding numbers when he was on the court, he was largely just taking rebounds that teammates would normally get. That doesn't make him a bad person or a worse player, it just goes to show that some types of stat accumulation doesn't add a ton of value to the team's chances of winning games.

Exactly. His 30+10 game from having a historically high usage percentage. He dominated the ball more than any other player in league history, so he was bound to get 30+10. Not saying he's not a very good player, but this, plus getting 10 of a stat being completely trivial, were reasons why the whole "triple double" phenomenon was overhyped and overrated.

 

[handiman]

There's two separate factors here...

Exactly. His 30+10 game from having a historically high usage percentage. He dominated the ball more than any other player in league history, so he was bound to get 30+10.

1) I think most will agree that Westrbook is a stats whore.

Not saying he's not a very good player, but this, plus getting 10 of a stat being completely trivial, were reasons why the whole "triple double" phenomenon was overhyped and overrated.

2a) Calling the triple double a trivial stat greatly undermines your point. It's one of the most appreciated and respected statistical accomplishments in the sport. Probably the most. You must go postal when you hear double double stats?

2b) It's not over-hyped and/or overrated, other than in the biased, jaded opinion of some people like yourself. No one else in the league can do it, other than possibly LeBron, and I don't think he has the relentless drive to do it game after game to keep the averages up.

You have to be able to separate your dislike for the player (and his approach) and the accomplishment.

 

[BonesJones]

There's two separate factors here...



1) I think most will agree that Westrbook is a stats whore.



2a) Calling the triple double a trivial stat greatly undermines your point. It's one of the most appreciated and respected statistical accomplishments in the sport. Probably the most. You must go postal when you hear double double stats?

2b) It's not over-hyped and/or overrated, other than in the biased, jaded opinion of some people like yourself. No one else in the league can do it, other than possibly LeBron, and I don't think he has the relentless drive to do it game after game to keep the averages up.

You have to be able to separate your dislike for the player (and his approach) and the accomplishment.

It's trivial in terms of form. Getting 10 instead of 9 on a statistical category is no more valuable than getting 11 instead of 10, however it is so "aappreciated and reflect" thus making 10 instead of 9 more valuable.
Putting up numbers isn't the overjoyed part of it, it's achieving that magical combination of 3 double digit stats. What if 11 was the first number with double digits? Suddenly getting what would be 30, 10, and 10 is less impressive than before, all due to our counting system...

 

[H.C.]

None of you would have an issue with this if it was a white guy who said it.
You MFers just don't like it when a black person is loud. Can't handle it.

 

[handiman]

What if 11 was the first number with double digits? Suddenly getting what would be 30, 10, and 10 is less impressive than before, all due to our counting system...

You're blaming the numerical system now?

If 11 were the beginning of double digits, that selfish prick would have upped his usage rate even more to hit that threshold, drawing even more of your ire.

 

[roroyo]

None of you would have an issue with this if it was a white guy who said it.
You MFers just don't like it when a black person is loud. Can't handle it.

One don't have to be loud to be heard, if one is smart and talking sense. Nothing to do with BS you selling.

 

[BonesJones]

You're blaming the numerical system now?

If 11 were the beginning of double digits, that selfish prick would have upped his usage rate even more to hit that threshold, drawing even more of your ire.

I think you missed the point.

 

[H.C.]

One don't have to be loud to be heard, if one is smart and talking sense. Nothing to do with BS you selling.

After being a member of this forum for a year. You still haven't seen how s2 treats green font?

If it's green font it's sarcasm.

 

[roroyo]

Rite. It's almost black on my screen. My bad. I was just trying to be smartass god knows why

 

[handiman]

I think you missed the point.

No triple double for me. 9-10-10, damn it.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Step[hen A Blowhard. Didn't need to read any further. Biggest sports dramas queen out there.

Lets see, what if I said... Dame needs to be traded. .. I bet that will keep me exposed and mass up the hits.....

 

[stampedehero]

His speech is like a info commercial for Dame. Unfortunately, the market size he speaks of, is true.

 

[dviss1]

His speech is like a info commercial for Dame. Unfortunately, the market size he speaks of, is true.

San Antonio is a smaller market. So is OKC. Pelicans are smaller but AD is still getting votes...

Steven A is an idiot for saying Dame should demand a trade because he doesn't get All Star votes???

That's a reason to demand a trade???? G... T... F... O...