Russell Westbrook setting his sights on All-NBA defensive team next season

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is one of, if not the most athletic players in the NBA.

Standing at 6-foot-3, weighing 200 pounds, Westbrook leverages his superlative athleticism into becoming a menace on defense. He recklessly intercepts passes, puts tremendous pressure on ball-handlers and is always a threat for the occasional chasedown block.

In an interview with Jeff Caplan of NBA.com, Westbrook talked about his intention to qualify for an All-NBA defensive team next season.

Coming out of college, I take it personally, coming in and defending every night based on who I’m guarding. And obviously through the playoffs you can see it a lot more through [each] series. You can see how much it can impact the game, and I’m definitely going to make more of an effort. That has to start next year to go throughout the season

During the regular season, Westbrook averaged 1.9 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. His Thunder ranked fifth in defensive rating, and Westbrook himself posted a robust mark of 102 for himself.

As denoted from his stats, Westbrook isn't far off the mark. If he manages to stay healthy and post some more buzz for himself by inflating his block and steal totals, it's just a matter of time before he finds himself on an All-NBA squad sometime.