LeBron believes Westbrook can average triple-double
The All-Star caliber guard that's currently dominating NBA stat sheets by averaging a triple-double through 22 games, has made a believer out of someone familiar with that level of greatness.
That believer is reigning Finals MVP Lebron James. As for the guard playing at an all-world level?
Enter Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook has been on an absolute rampage to start the season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 9th-year guard sits second in the league in scoring with 31 points per game, to go along with 11.3 assists, and 10.9 rebounds. He has registered a triple-double in six straight contests - a feat only Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Wilt Chamberlain can lay claim to.
James believes that this isn't just early season momentum, he thinks it's sustainable.
"Westbrook can do it," James said, according to ESPN. "He's capable of doing it. He's showing it. He's like the Energizer Bunny, man. He just doesn't get tired. He doesn't get tired, and when you have that passion for the game, too, as well, it's very doable."
James is no stranger to the art of the triple-double.
The four-time league MVP is now seventh on the all-time list with 45 career triple-doubles - three behind Westbrook who recently passed him. James believes the style of play in the modern NBA caters well to Westbrook's game, leading him to put up big numbers in the box score.
"The game has definitely changed a little bit. It's more, it's almost feeling like back in, like, the 80s, you know, when teams were putting up 145 and 135 and more possessions and more shot attempts - obviously, they weren't shooting as many 3s, but it was a lot of possessions. So with that being said, with his athleticism, him being able to get those rebounds, he handles the ball for the majority of the game for OKC so he's gonna get the assists and I think he's averaging nine free throws a game. He's going to make seven or eight of those a game and obviously he's going to get one bucket - he's going to get 10 points. That's the easy thing for him. So it's very doable."
The usage rate and opportunity is there, it will just come down to whether or not the 6-foot-3 point guard can maintain the absurd rebounding numbers he's currently posting.