No one man is going to stop Oklahoma City Thunderdyno-guard Russell Westbrook as the Orlando Magic take on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight.
It is no small task to stop Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook, who seized the moment with Kevin Durant out most of last season. Westbrook led the NBA in scoring and is entirely capable of taking over games.
How does Scott Skiles implement his guards to slow the always aggressive Westbrook?
Elfrid Payton knows it starts with energy, something Westbrook is never short of.
“He’s always on 100,” Payton said. “You have to try to match his intensity because if you don’t, you’ve already lost.”
That is the thing about Westbrook. It is a very real battle and, as Payton said, not coming with the proper energy guarantees defeat at the hands of a guy whose athleticism combined with his energy makes him one of the most difficult to defend. Payton cited his advantages in quickness, but can Payton be physical enough with Westbrook?
Whether he can or cannot, it is going to take a lot of help from Victor Oladipo, who realizes his importance in curbing Westbrook’s dominance. Oladipo said he realizes it will be his strength and physicality that (hopefully) can be responsible for slowing Westbrook down some.
“You got to show him a lot of bodies,” Oladipo said. “You got to mix it up with him. He’s playing really well right now and he is attacking full throttle like he always does. You have got to slow guys like him down. You have to go out there with the mentality that it’s not just going to take one person to stop him, we all need to stop him.”
Time/TV:
7 p.m./FSFlorida
Line:
Thunder by 8
Tickets:Season Series:
Tonight in Orlando; Feb. 3 in Oklahoma City
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | 104.2 | 108.0 | 101.2 | 52.9 | 27.5 | 18.3 | 25.6 |
| Orlando | 101.1 | 83.4 | 89.8 | 39.5 | 33.3 | 15.3 | 12.0 |
So, it begins with Payton and Oladipo is a key too, but to slow a guy like Westbrook it really takes a team. Where that becomes problematic is the Thunder literally have another No. 1 option in Kevin Durant.
If Westbrook is drawing excessive attention, that leaves Kevin Durant all by his lonesome to wreck the Magic.
Orlando’s worse of the two losses last season to Oklahoma City came with both a healthy Durant and Westbrook. The Thunder defeated the Magic 127-99 on Jan. 18 as Durant scored 21 points on 10 field goal attempts and Westbrook scored another 17 points with his six assists.
The Magic kept it closer on Feb. 2 in Oklahoma City, but still lost as Westbrook scored 25 points as part of a triple-double. The Magic lost by seven, even with Durant unable to go for the Thunder.
Is the takeaway that the Thunder are still pretty easy winners without Durant? Well, yes, it kind of is.
But to slow the machine it begins with slowing Westbrook, and that is far from all Payton’s responsibility.
Expect Oladipo to see some time directly matched up with Westbrook, who has the potential to wear Payton entirely out if Payton does not get proper help from his temmates tonight.
Philip Rossman-Reich contributed to this report.