In an appearance on the ‘Gil’s Arena’ podcast, former NBA shooting guard Rashad McCants revealed why Russell Westbrook has a claim to being the greatest point guard ever. According to McCants, Westbrook is statistically ahead of the field even if he has yet to win a title.
“By that metric, it would make Westbrook the best guard of all time. Seeing that the double-double with points and assists is the one thing that is valued as much as anything from the point guard position. How many double-doubles can you get? Can you average a double-double? But Westbrook averaged a triple-double at the point guard position. He did it four times at the point guard position. So how can Westbrook not be all the way up here at 200 triple-doubles?”
For most point guards in NBA history, they were judged based on their assists and points. As the primary playmaker on the floor, point guards are responsible for running the offense and all of the best players at that position have excelled in these areas of the court.
Oscar Roberston was the first one to set a whole new standard for point guards after he averaged a triple-double in the 1961-62 season. It was an impressive feat at the time and he was the only point guard to pull it off for the next 40+ years.
In the case of Russell Westbrook, despite impressive numbers, his standing in NBA history is highly contested among the community. After being drafted 4th overall in 2008, Westbrook rose to stardom on the Thunder where he averaged 23.0 points, 8.4 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game on 43.4% shooting.
His first triple-double season was in the 2016-17 campaign when he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game on 42.5% shooting. He won the MVP that season but it was just a taste of what was coming.
Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the next two seasons after that and then once again during the 2020-21 campaign. He’s the only point guard in NBA history to average a triple-double in four separate seasons, meaning that he’s managed to do something that nobody else has done at his position.
Unfortunately for Westbrook, his resume doesn’t quite stack up to other NBA legends. Despite 16 years in the league and a stint with six different teams, Russ has yet to win a championship and he hasn’t been back to the Finals since 2012.
As good as the former MVP is at stuffing the stat sheet, his case as the greatest point guard ever falls apart when you consider his lack of playoff success. Westbrook’s flaws as a shooter and decision-maker seemingly always get exposed in the postseason and it’s limited the impact he’s had on the floor.
This season, at 36, Westbrook has one last chance to find his place on a championship team but the results have been mixed so far. With averages of 10.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game this season, he’s playing his role with humility but the Nuggets will need more if they are to move up in the standings.
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