RADIO
Russell Westbrook 2019 Player Outlook
5 years agoAfter more than a decade of dominance with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook takes his talent to Houston in 2019-20, aiming to claim an NBA Championship alongside James Harden. More important to fantasy owners is whether or not Westbrook will be able to average a triple-double for the fourth consecutive campaign. For those concerned that playing alongside another superstar might slow Westbrook, it’s worth noting that the eight-time All-Star has led the NBA in assists per game in each of the last two seasons. Now, he’ll have Harden and Eric Gordon to pass to on the wings, with potential All-Star center Clint Capela running to the rim. Westbrook excelled statistically playing alongside Paul George last season, so while Harden figures to cut into Westbrook’s time handling the ball in some capacity, it seems unlikely that he would move off the ball with any modicum of frequency in his 12th season. Westbrook shot a woeful 31.5 percent on jump shots last year, the lowest mark of his career, furthering the thought that Houston would avoid utilizing him as a spot-up shooter. There’s little doubt that despite concerns, Westbrook is once again a first-round option, even if there are more questions surrounding his fantasy outlook than in past seasons.
