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NBA Betting – Examining the Westbrook-Durant Dynamic

  • Updated: March 10, 2015
    • NBA Betting Examining the Westbrook Durant Dynamic

    By Charles Jay

    Yes, we realize this has probably been done to death, but it is worth taking a look at the chemistry that might exist between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, and how it may be affected once Durant comes back to the lineup after what was termed a “minor” procedure that was done on his foot.

    This issue has really come to the forefront, since Westbrook has literally gone off to new levels of production since Durant went on the shelf. In a five-game period, Westbrook had four straight triple-doubles, and then failed to make it five in a row, although he did score 43 points in that effort against Chicago.

    NBA Betting Examining the Westbrook Durant Dynamic

    But here’s the funny thing that NBA betting patrons at BetAnySports may or may not realize – the Thunder lost three of those games. And they are just 16-19 straight-up without Durant. So while what Westbrook is doing might be “out of this world” from the standpoint of a fantasy team owner, they are not guaranteed to result in a lot of victories.

    It is clear that when both Durant and Westbrook are in the lineup at the same time, the Thunder are a formidable crew. In fact, they have fought their way back into the playoff picture, currently positioned in eighth place in the West.

    But how far can they go from there? Westbrook goes off on these binges, but if and when Durant gets back into action, he has to dial it down just a bit. Can he? Or is he on his own MVP campaign, to match what Durant did last season? You know, Westbrook has now taken over the top spot in the NBA scoring statistics, and there is always that question as to whether a guy is willing to relinquish his role as the “top dog.”

    And BetAnySports patrons should not ignore the fact that there have been precious few teams in the history of the NBA that have won a championship with a shoot-first point guard. Say all you want about Westbrook’s raw assist numbers, but those are going to be there when you always have the ball in your hands. Westbrook is a shoot-first player, and is probably better suited to the shooting guard spot, if the Thunder had a pure point guard (the acquisition of DJ Augustin may bring about some interesting combinations).

    Look at the list of NBA champions through the years. Isiah Thomas was more of a hybrid guard, but he was certainly a playmaker. He wouldn’t have been able to play for Bob Knight at Indiana if he was anything but that. Tony Parker is pass-first most of the time, as is everyone else at San Antonio. You could go on and on. At the point, you have to be able to create. Westbrook scores a lot of points, and may have more talent than anyone in the NBA. But he is going to have to make a priority to find players other than himself to score.

    Most importantly, he’ll have to find Durant, if Oklahoma City is to have a chance to go all the way.

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    Summary
    NBA Betting Examining the Westbrook Durant Dynamic
    Article Name
    NBA Betting - Examining the Westbrook-Durant Dynamic
    Description
    An NBA Betting discussion about OKC's Russell Westbrook and his recent exploits without Kevin Durant in the lineup, and what will happen when Durant returns
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