If Westbrook averages a Triple Double for a Season

[HurricaneKid]

Please don't give us a phoney stat like reb/36. It is meaningless. It even includes players that played 5.9 mpg and in only 58 games.

Oscar was SECOND on his team in rebounding in 61-62, at 12.5 rpg, and the leader was only at 13.0 rpg.

As for total rebounds, if you take basketball reference's team totals for the Royals at face value, they had a total of 5665, and an average of 70.8 rpg. HOWEVER, before the 68-69 season, TEAM REBOUNDS were included. Since 667-68, they have not. The Royals actually had a total of 4800 rebounds in '62, and an average of 60.0 rpg. BTW, the league average was about 62.0 rpg, and not the 71,4 that is listed.

So, in '62 the league average per team was 62.0 rpg. This year it is 44.0 rpg.

You can do the math. Today's NBA is rebounding at about 71% of what the NBA averaged in '62. Oscar's 12.5 rpg would be at 8.9 rpg in today's NBA.

Now, you can argue Westbrick's mpg, which is 35.4 mpg, compared to Oscar's 44.3 mpg. Clearly Westbrick is rebounding at a higher rate. BUT, do you honestly believe that Westbrick could sustain his level play for another 9 mpg? That is what is often loss in the Wilt discussions. Chamberlain was playing 47-48 mpg. Let him play 40 mpg, and his TRB% and eFG%'s rates would surely have been higher.

Another point. Oscar took 22.9 FGAs per game in '62, on a .478 eFG%, in a league that shot an eFG% of .426. He scored 30.8 ppg. Westbrick is taking 23.7 FGAs per game, and shooting a .471 eFG%, in a league that is shooting an eFG% of .502. His ppg average is 30.9 ppg.

Oscar was FAR more efficient in his era, than Westbrick has been in his.

How is the rate at which you rebound immaterial? You want to take out guys that played 58 and 60 games? Fine. He was 5th on the team in rebounding rate. Westbrook is 2nd, just behind Kanter.

I actually hate it. I think the Cavs could provide LeBron the 1.6 reb/gm (what he is deficient to be avg a triple double) the way the Thunder provide RWB his rebounds. But its not conducive to maximizing your chances of winning. He is a blast to watch but you know its not winning basketball.

[ClipperRevival]

Baylor's peak was 19.8 rpg, playing 42.9 mpg, in a league that averaged about 63 rpg per team. This 6-8 guy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7TnbhJr8iY

LED the NBA in rpg at 15.2 rpg, in 35.8 mpg, and in a league that averaged 41.4 rpg per team.

No reasonable poster is going to claim that the players of the 60's would rebound at their rates in today's NBA, but clearly, when a guy like Love can grab 15.2 rpg, and in only 36 mpg...well, what would an athletic Baylor average? BTW, the 6-5 Barkley LED the NBA in rpg, at 14.6 rpg, in the 80's.

Dude, when is the last time a SG/SF at 6'5" peak at 19.8 rpg in the modern era? Or put up 16.7 over a 5 year span? Those are video game numbers for the modern era and amazing numbers for centers, let along a SG/SF.

Rebounding numbers are clearly inflated for that era due to pace AND lack of efficiency (more rebounding opportunities) for that era.

[imdaman99]

I actually hate it. I think the Cavs could provide LeBron the 1.6 reb/gm (what he is deficient to be avg a triple double) the way the Thunder provide RWB his rebounds. But its not conducive to maximizing your chances of winning. He is a blast to watch but you know its not winning basketball.

Actually, with no Durant, Westbrook getting the rebound and pushing the ball might be their best chance at scoring. Westbrook stealing rebounds from his own teammates is good for their team, as crazy as that sounds

[Rocketswin2013]

Give me a break, idiot OP and whoever agrees with him. Oscar didn't have an entire team try to cater to him in order to get him the best stats he can get just because he's got supposedly no help. Oscar's stats came naturally to him, he didn't chase down, with the help of his teammates, defensive rebound after defensive rebound to pad his rebounding numbers, with his offensive rebounding stats only rising by a bit (2.3 now vs 1.7 for his career), which shows what a statmonger he is. Heck, Jerry Lucas would do no rebounding favors to anyone. He was the one chasing rebounds. Neither were all shots taken after a pass by Oscar just to give him easy assists.

Oscar had a 9.7 apg season and a 9.9 rpg season and he could have made these numbers 10+ very easily if he had decided to. He could have had 5-6 triple double seasons in a row if he cared. But why do so? Nobody was noticing anything special with having particular number combinations, unlike today, so it wasn't ever a big deal for him to chase specific milestones. The term "triple double" wasn't even coined until the early 80's or so. Before that 30/10/10 wasn't seen by anyone as any different from 40/10/5 - and that's among stat heads, because lots of casual fans would only care about scoring.

Not to mention that Oscar was the Curry/Durant of his day, the most efficient scoring small man, unlike Russell.

People like to mention pace, but they never consider stuff like this, they think the mentality of players, teams and fans was the same back then as it is now and that a simple pace adjustment gets the job done when it comes to stat comparisons across eras.

I just don't get how you can value offensive rebounds, yet turn around and not value defensive ones.

Unless you mean ORebs are harder to get but even then Westbrook is top 20 in offensive rebounds this season. He's the only guard in the top 60.

[aj1987]

What Westbrick is accomplishing this season is truly historic. But, I was just trying to put everything into perspective. I have seen those that have come up with some ridiculous formula claiming that Westbrick would have averaged something like 45-16-15 in '62.

The man is shot-jacking at an incredible rate. Again, Oscar averaged 22.9 FGA in 44.3 mpg in his '62 season. WB is at 23.7 FGA in 35.4 mpg this season.

Furthermore, move Oscar into the current era, and his FGAs are not going to go down. He averaged 22.9 FGA in '62 because that is what was called for. Does anyone honestly believe he couldn't take 22.9 FGAs in today's NBA?

So, I believe that Oscar would probably play around 40 mpg, and put up a 30-8-10 season in today's NBA. and on a considerably higher efficiency that WB has.

He could take 23 shots a game, but he'd be shooting in the low 30's in the modern era. So, he'd average 15/5/5 at best while playing 45 minutes a game.

[Marchesk]

He could take 23 shots a game, but he'd be shooting in the low 30's in the modern era. So, he'd average 15/5/5 at best while playing 45 minutes a game.

Look at how powerful those legs were:



Now look at Nash:

[aj1987]

This dude never topped 50 in a game ever:





This skinny beta mental midget hit 100:

[LAZERUSS]

The MODERN ERA...

This borderline six-footer, who weighed 165 lbs was routinely leading the NBA in scoring...




This 6-3 dork STARTS in the current NBA, and is a career .368 shooter...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=993UTozPECc





This 6-8 stumble-bum RAN AWAY with the RPG title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7TnbhJr8iY




This 5-10 guy completely shut-down the Jester in the Finals...




How about this TWO-TIME MVP?




How about this TWO-TIME MVP?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3yMXJSfHS8




Yep...we are truly blessed to witness such physical marvels in the current NBA.

[aj1987]

All of them make the mental midget look like a freaking twig. That literally proves how shit the '60's were. Pathetic.

Lets also not forget that the choker averaged 18 PPG in the Finals on shit efficiency and was shut down up 140lb janitors and car salesmen. Barea would drop over 150 in that garbage ass era.

[HurricaneKid]

Actually, with no Durant, Westbrook getting the rebound and pushing the ball might be their best chance at scoring. Westbrook stealing rebounds from his own teammates is good for their team, as crazy as that sounds

On ESPN's NBA show they showed clips of him just leaving his guy to go to the basket to steal rebounds. Only to watch his guy hit open shots. And it happens a lot. His chasing this milestone is making the Thunder a worse team.

[TiagoSimoes]

On ESPN's NBA show they showed clips of him just leaving his guy to go to the basket to steal rebounds. Only to watch his guy hit open shots. And it happens a lot. His chasing this milestone is making the Thunder a worse team.

You realize the thunder are 6-2 this season and 39-6 for his career when westbrook has a triple double? Very debatable if it will lead to playoff wins, but there his no debate on his impact during the regular season.