NBA: Thunder coach defends Russell Westbrook from ‘easy to defend’ claims
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook celebrates after hitting a buzzer beating three-point shot to win the game against the Denver Nuggets Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Denver. Oklahoma City defeated Denver 106-105. Westbrook also broke the NBA record for triple doubles with 42 for the season. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook filled out the stat-sheet last season, en route to his first NBA Most Valuable Player award.
But despite his dominance on the court, some members of the defending champions Golden State Warriors reportedly thought his aggressive style was “easy to defend.”
READ: Warriors think Westbrook’s style is ‘easy to defend’—report
However, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan believes otherwise, claiming his star point guard is quite the handful for elite defenses in the league.
“Russell to me is one of the best players in the world. He’s done it at a very high level for a long period of time,” Donovan told the Oklahoman’s Erik Horne.
“Just because somebody says that, I think you’ve got to look at what Russell’s been able to do, and Russell’s been very good for us,” he added.
“Obviously last year, our team was totally different than it was the first year, and the first year there it was a heck of a series that went seven games where we had a great opportunity being up 3-1. I think Russell was a huge part of that.”
The criticism comes after the Dubs swept the Thunder in four games in the regular season, with Westbrook only converting 37.5 percent of his field goal attempts and averaging eight turnovers against their stifling defense.
Still, the two-time NCAA champion coach remains adamant of his superstar’s explosive skill set.
“I think Russell’s done a great job, and I think Russell is a hard guy to guard, and he’s very difficult and challenging because of his speed, his smarts and his intelligence,” he explained. “Whether or not he plays in the half court or the open court, I think he’s very difficult to guard.” Khristian Ibarrola /ra
