Russell Westbrook is having a confounding season. His box score stats are gaudy (21.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and a league-high 11.2 assists per game) and he’s the clear leader for a team that has won 13 of its last 16 games to cling to the final Eastern Conference play-in spot, but his advanced metrics are lousy. As ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry writes, Westbrook is the least efficient jump-shooter in the NBA.
Advanced metrics may be the key to understanding the game but good old box score stats are fun to gawk at, which is what makes Westbrook an enjoyable player to follow.