Westbrook is a Victim of the Derrick Rose Effect

When you imagine the all time great point guards, what names pop up in your head?   Maybe Magic Johnson or John Stockton?  Steve Nash perhaps?  What about Jerry West (the LOGO!)?  Pistol Pete?  Bob Cousy?  Some might make the argument for Jason Kidd.  Anyone of these individuals in the prime of their careers would be an ideal point guard for any team.  Now, why do we think of these players when we imagine our prototypical point guards?  Because of their ability to run an offense, and to create opportunities with the ball.  They were (or are, depending on which name you like) masters of the game of basketball, and understand that its the sum of the parts that make up the whole.  If you have a player that is touching the ball nearly 100% of the time on every offensive play, then you need to have a player that is unselfish, with incredible court vision and an ability to create plays off of the dribble.  That's what guys like Nash, Magic, Stockton and the other great ones all possessed.  Sure, they could score if they wanted/needed to.  But their understanding of the game allowed them to fulfill the needs of their position.

Recently, OKC point guard Russell Westbrook has been catching a ton of flack due to his shooting woes and overall play throughout the postseason.  His shot totals have been unbelievable in some instances, taking over 30 shots in a game while accounting for less than ten assists.  His most recent benching during Game 2 has had the blogosphere and media buzzing about how he will respond for the rest of the playoffs.  Many are calling for Westbrook to change his game, and become a more traditional point guard by distributing the ball and creating more opportunities for his teammates.  But there is an inherent flaw in that way of thinking.  Westbrook can't all of a sudden change the way he plays the game.  He is a scoring guard, he uses his athleticism and blinding speed to create instant offense.  It is one of the main factors that has allowed the Thunder to be so successful throughout the year.  Westbrook isn't the problem, he's the victim of the Derrick Rose effect.



Derrick Rose


The Derrick Rose effect is a problem faced by several teams right now.  It basically boils down to a team's best offensive player/scorer being their point guard.  It causes his teammates to become bystanders rather than participants in the game.  The Milwaukee Bucks have this problem with Brandon Jennings, the Washington Wizards are going to experience this even more next year with John Wall, and more teams in the future will experience this effect.  Rose is the quintessential athlete at the point guard position.  His abilities are unbelievable at the point of attack in the lane and he brings a dimension to the court that is a nightmare for defenses to handle.  Westbrook is the exact same type of players.  The problem is that Westbrook is not the best player on his team, Kevin Durant is.  Derrick Rose is the best player on the Chicago Bulls, which is why no one bats an eye when he tosses up +25 shots at the rim.  That's the expectation of your star, to take the most shots.  Westbrook is the second fiddle to KD, no matter how you slice it.

The D-Rose Effect will end up costing the Thunder in this series, because you can't ask Westbrook to change who he is as a player.  It's what has made him an all star and what has gotten his team to the Western Conference finals.  But, when the game is on the line, you want your best player to either take the shot or make the decision with the ball.  Chicago will always put the ball in Rose's hand and they know they will live and die with his decisions.  Teams like the Thunder or the Miami Heat......well, they're not so sure. 

And that's why Chicago and Dallas will advance.