Russell Westbrook thriving at Houston Rockets now he's playing as 'best version of himself'
Watch NBA Sunday Primetime basketball as the Houston Rockets take on the Denver Nuggets live on Sky Sports Mix from 8.30pm
Sunday 26 January 2020 19:14, UK
After an uncertain start to life in Houston, Rockets guard Russell Westbrook is back to playing some of his best basketball.
The trade which took Russell Westbrook to Texas to reunite with former Oklahoma City Thunder team-mate James Harden was truly blockbuster and a sure sign of intend from Rockets GM Daryl Morey but the immediate fit to begin the season didn't look great.
Westbrook shot a lot from beyond the arc – very much not his forte – and deferred playmaking duties to Harden as he tried to assimilate into Mike D'Antoni's team.
In the last 10 games, though, Westbrook has looked back to his best form, averaging 29.4 points per game on a 48.6 field goal percentage whilst dishing 7.7 assists.
On Friday in Minnesota, he dropped a season-high 45 on the Timberwolves with 10 assists and head coach D'Antoni claimed Westbrook was the kind of form that won him MVP-calibre in the 2016-17 season.
He's now playing with the pace and tenacity that epitomises his best basketball and NBA Gametime pundit Earl Watson has been impressed.
"He has been the best version of himself," said Watson. "At the beginning he was trying to fit in, he was shooting a lot of threes, he was playing off the ball, kind of being passive-aggressive. Russ knows one speed: it's all-out or nothing!
"Another great thing – I'm going to give opponents a tip – don't talk to him! Do not talk trash, he thrives off of confrontation so if the fans talk, if he's engaging with fans, getting them kicked out or pointing them out and the other team starts to talk, you're putting Russ right into his comfort zone."
Live NBA: Houston @ Denver
James Harden on the other hand, is currently suffering from a real dip in form. In particular, he's seen a very uncharacteristic regression from beyond the arc.
Over the last 10 games, he's posting 35.6 percent field goal percentage and just 25.2 on three-pointers with a plus-minus of -2.5 (Westbrook is +4.7). Those are staggering numbers from a man who has led the league in scoring the last two years.
For reference, the 2017-18 MVP averaged at least 36.8 points per game in each of the first three months of the season. Harden suffered a thigh bruise in Houston's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Watson's NBA Gametime colleague Wes Wilcox reckons Westbrook's bounce has come at a good time and says there's no doubt he should be selected as an All-Star but worries about fatigue is perhaps catching up with his backcourt colleague.
"They need [Westbrook's form due to] the struggles with Harden," said Wilcox.
"This has to be some level of a build-up with all that he has done for this team. The usage, the games, he's durable, he plays a ton.
"Everybody goes through a dip, but this is a significant shooting slump for a guy who was averaging 39 or 40 a game. Now, he's down to 30 and just had his lowest scoring game of the year [against the Timberwolves on Friday].
"These numbers, not that we needed another justification for Russ to be an All-Star, but this is a Western Conference reserve. I know he's a bubble name right now, he absolutely belongs on that All-Star team."
On Sunday, Houston head to Mile High City in a game you can watch live on Sky Sports from 8.30pm to face the 31-14 Denver Nuggets who sit 2.5 games ahead of Rockets in Western Conference.
Nikola Jokic continues to lead the way for Denver, averaging 24.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game over the last 10 games, with the Nuggets going 7-3 in that span – but are they genuinely contenders?
"I like their chances," said Wilcox. "[There was] a lot of talk early that Jokic was not the MVP candidate that we know [from] two years ago. This January he's playing much better!
"This Denver team is dealing with all sorts of injuries right now," said Watson. "They've had guys in and out. This team gets healthy, they've got a chance."
Indeed, despite their lofty position, Denver continues to deal with several key injuries to Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap and Mason Plumlee. All three are projected to miss more time, although the Nuggets received a boost from Gary Harris and Michael Porter Jr on Friday when both returned from injury, and Porter Jr has excelled after a long wait to make his debut in the league following surgery.
Watson added: "He is doing the best he can to be efficient in limited minutes and he's balling in limited minutes so kudos to him for being mentally prepared, which a lot of young players are not ready to play right away at that high level."
