It’s the most wonderful time of the year — the time where everyone starts arguing about ESPN’s Top 100 player rankings, why their favorite player is ranked too low and their rivals are ranked too high.
Oklahoma City Thunder fans can be content with Shai Gilgeous Alexander’s placement, but there’s a former Thunder star who may have cause for an outcry.
Russell Westbrook, who was traded to the Washington Wizards this offseason, was ranked No. 36. That’s only two spots ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander.
Has Westbrook really fallen so mightily?
Young wrote that the placement is partly about health. That’s logical, as these rankings are projections of how the player will perform next season:
“For the Wizards’ new point guard, it has always been his health. Westbrook’s knees have been operated on each offseason for the last seven years; he’s not the same athlete he once was.”
With that said, after a slow start with the Houston Rockets, Westbrook was incredible over his final two months of the regular season. From Jan. 9 to March 10, he posted 32.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 53.1% from the field.
Now in a system in which he’ll play with Bradley Beal, who is less ball-dominant than James Harden, it’s not hard to imagine Westbrook will be at an All-Star level again.
Young wrote:
“Westbrook was still an All-NBA player last season and, for all the analysis of his supposed decline, produced two of the best, most efficient months of his career before the season shut down.”
It’s tough to fathom that there will be 37 guys next year who are better than Westbrook.
Thunder fans are rightfully excited about Gilgeous-Alexander, and as the sole proven playmaker on Oklahoma City, he’s going to have his name called upon just as much as Westbrook, who has to share the ball with Beal. But the third-year pro would have to take quite the leap — or Westbrook a big step back — for their seasons to be roughly equal.
From 38 to 31 is, in descending order:
38. Gilgeous-Alexander
37. Marcus Smart
36. Westbrook
35. Khris Middleton
34. De’Aaron Fox
33. Jrue Holiday
32. Jaylen Brown
31. Ja Morant
As electric as these young players are, Westbrook’s rank feels too low. As long as his health isn’t a substantial issue, he’ll have a fresh start with a Washington team that should be in the hunt for the playoffs.
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