JVG: "I Coached Russell Westbrook. His Name Was Steve Francis"

[CavaliersFTW]

Westbrook is 3 inches taller tho

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/steve-francis-2466/
Steve Francis: 6-2.5

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/...estbrook-5062/
Russell Westbrook: 6-2.25

If you had taken two seconds to look it up you'd have learned that Westbrook is 1/4 inch shorter than Francis.

[CavaliersFTW]

This. He doesn't always have to blow by defenders because of his height advantage.

See above post dumb ass.

[tpols]

Complete load of crap. Francis matches him on EVERY SINGLE front athletically. Go watch more footage. Francis was the Shawn Kemp of the PG position athletically. He didn't dunk around people like Westbrook but he dunked ON people with power and went through defenders when he dunked. He has some posters Westbrook can't fu** with.

In terms of speed.. again Francis is just as fast and explosive. Just like Westbrook is arguably the most athletic PG ever... so is Francis.

Francis had similar straight line speed, and he had style to go along with his ups which made his dunks look great. His handles were a lot more smooth than Westbrook's though which is why I see Westbrook as being a lot more explosive. Westbrook has the quickest first, second, and third step I've ever seen. His explosive ability is unmatched.. he never has to rely on lulling defenders to sleep because he could much easier run around them.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Francis had similar straight line speed, and he had style to go along with his ups which made his dunks look great. His handles were a lot more smooth than Westbrook's though which is why I see Westbrook as being a lot more explosive. Westbrook has the quickest first, second, and third step I've ever seen. His explosive ability is unmatched.. he never has to rely on lulling defenders to sleep because he could much easier run around them.

His first step isn't amazing - if it were, you would see him just blow by his initial defender more often, the way MJ or AI used to do. But his second and third step acceleration and speed is definitely all-time level. Dude just turns it up to another gear after that first step or two when he sees a lane.