The dissection of Kevin Durant by the writer Henry Abbott
Obviously, you can read for yourself, but I found this part that had nothing to do with KD particularly interesting:
Of particular interest here is Russell Westbrook. The Thunder are very good when Westbrook’s on the court, and generally pretty bad when he’s off. (Wayne Winston says this effect is so pronounced he could build a strong case that Westbrook should have been rookie of the year over Derrick Rose.)
How does Westbrook do it?
In some ways, he’s the opposite of Durant. He is not a gaudy scorer — in fact, he’s a pretty bad shooter. He also has a high turnover rate, which is typically murder on team efficiency.
Yet Westbrook is a good defender. He draws a ridiculous number of fouls on both ends of the floor. He gets the team in the bonus, which in turn earns all of his teammates free throws. He rebounds well for his position, particularly at the offensive end, which can often lead to easy baskets.
Emphasis mine on the bold. This topic has been covered around these parts as well. Now go read it. You’ll be a better person for it. And come back ’round here and we can talk.
