In the first 34 games of Russell Westbrook‘s 2019-20 season, the All-Star guard averaged 4.9 3-point attempts per game for the Houston Rockets.
Over his most recent 19 games, which has coincided with Houston’s frequently discussed shift to a smaller lineup, Westbrook’s 3-point attempts have been cut by more than half to 1.9 per game.
The change has helped Westbrook become a significantly more efficient scorer, going from 24.8 points per game on 43.3% shooting in the first segment to 32.3 points on 53.7% shooting in the latter. His 32.3 scoring average ranks third in the entire NBA over that period.
According to GM Daryl Morey, who spoke Tuesday on the “Mason & Ireland” show on ESPN Los Angeles, the Rockets didn’t urge the former MVP to make such a drastic change to his shot profile.
When asked whether a directive was given, Morey said:
I can tell you for a fact, that never happened. From day one, and this is where I love Coach D’Antoni, coach said ‘Be great.’ That’s really all he said. Good thing he’s great all the time. The reality is, it’s our job to fit the players and scheme around him. We have no issues with him shooting threes. He just goes with what he thinks the game dictates is best. No one has asked him to do that.
He’s looking at the hoop, and there’s no one in the way, He’s like, ‘Should I do layups, or not?’ It’s not complicated.
For the 2019-20 season as a whole, Westbrook remains one of the league’s least efficient shooters from behind the arc at 25.4%, all on moderate volume at 3.8 attempts per game.
But that 3.8 total is actually lower than each of Westbrook’s final six seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It may appear an odd fit on paper with Mike D’Antoni and the always 3-point happy Rockets, but the shooting and floor spacing at other positions with the smaller lineup has unlocked more driving lanes — and Westbrook is taking full advantage.
