Russell Westbrook just tied the triple-double mark with one of the greatest players of all-time, Oscar Robertson. I think that we will never really realize how good Oscar was because none of us saw him play, but he was a stat machine. With only a few games left Russell Westbrook will most likely beat the record, too. The only reason that Oscar did it was because he was the originator of a shooting guard, a fast 6'5" guard that could shoot was still not a thing until he got to the NBA.
Oscar Robertson in a different time
The main difference between the two is that Oscar Robertson didn't hunt for stats.
In this era of the NBA, you really had to put effort into getting 41 triple-doubles during a season. Oscar got it done on his way to multiple deep runs in the playoffs, making his team better. Russell Westbrook isn't really bringing anything to the table with this historic run. This was supposed to be Russell Westbrook's time to shine this year.
Russell Westbrook getting all the help from his teammates
Now you can see just how out of wack these stats are by looking at his shooting percentage which ranks 26th in the league. Also, he is shooting 34% from long range. The question is how does a guy that can't shoot making a triple double half the time he steps on the floor? The only way you carry this is by team involvement.
I'm actually surprised that more teams haven't done this. Just feed their best player the ball, stand back, and watch the fireworks. The only bad thing is no one else is scoring.
If Russell Westbrook was more likable the @NBA would have a superstar #nba #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/PwrPvXcSN2
— GreatLakesGRO (@GreatLakesGRO) April 5, 2017
Billy Donovan is trying to make sense of this: "I do really feel like tonight was a team moment, too," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.
"Obviously Russell was the one that scored and assisted and rebounded, no question, but you have to be part of a team for that to happen. And that was the really great part too. I think Russell was really humbled and the guys were great and the fans were awesome." (ESPN).
To put it in perspective, he will need just 16 assists to average a triple double for the rest of the year. If they win just one game they will secure the sixth seed in the West.