The scoop on Westbrook: why the heck is he so good?

Russel Westbrook has always been a good player. But being on the same team as Kevin Durant makes it hard to be noticed. Until, well, you get noticeable.

Kevin Durant got injured, and suddenly Russel is playing game that is MVP level. But how is he doing this? What's up? I believe it's his mentality and athleticism. Compared to other guys, Russ is a smaller man. But he uses his moves and swift changes to get past the big guys in the paint. Russel Westbrook is exactly clutch like Durant. You can't expect him to constantly do turn-around swishes like his team mate. But Russ has a different, as dangerous approach... his beastly, ferocious mentality.

Westbrook attacks viciously. That's what he does. He drives into the paint, unlocks his animal self, and scores. Repeat. You see, Russel Westbrook has it down to a science. A science which includes him in the paint... the defenders.... lots of twisting and ball-handling, and then just a plain, good ol' layup. Of course, like everyone else, he does miss. But there's a reason why he leads the NBA in scoring. He has one approach, but you can't get a bead on it. He does the same thing, but it's always unique...

Great basketball players are born and made. When the spotlight moved from injured MVP Kevin Durant to Westbrook, he stepped up, even with other critical injuries abroad, and helped his team get a chance to make the playoffs. In a way, his repetitiveness, his constant driving into the paint, is much harder to stop than someone who changes his shots up a lot because a defender always is prepared for the man with the ball to do something new. Even after scouting Russel before the games and understanding that he likes the paint, he has a way of just manipulating the defense into thinking he's going to do something else. Don't get me wrong he doesn't always shoot inside. He's a good outside shot as well, of course. And his game isn't all about scoring.

Russel is fourth in the NBA in assist (8.7) and second in steals (2.2), so clearly this guy is well-rounded. Either way, calling him good is an understatement. He is a beast, quite literally.

-WillowTalksBasketball