5 players who need to raise their game for their team to be a title contender
The current NBA champions San Antonio Spurs showed everyone how the title is to be won with team work. However, an eternal tradition in the league involves one or two more gifted players leading their team and calling all the shots. More recently teams have been found feeling more confident building teams led by a Big 3 which consist of three All-Stars coming together for a common cause to win the championship.These players are expected to put up big numbers and at the same time carry their team to victory in clutch situations.While some players rise to the occasion and use the opportunity of being the team leader, others fail to deliver under pressure and take their team down with them. Some players become a superstar and lead the team from a young age, some evolve into a player much greater than they were at the beginning before they start leading their team.The NBA is the most competitive basketball league in the world and only the best of the best taste success. It is all about being that one team that remains standing in June as champions; the important word there being “team”. There is a reason why rarely the team with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the season wins the title. Here are the top 5 players in the league that are must up their game further to make their teams legitimate title contenders:
#5 Russell Westbrook
The reason Russell Westbrook is at the bottom of the list is cause of how great a player he is even with the potential that he has still left to utilise. His speed and quickness equips him with the agility to play defense that will force the opponents into making turnovers. He uses the same quickness on the offensive end to blow past his defender and lay the ball in or dunk it. He is the best combo guard in the league right now, so what does Westbrook need to work on?
Passing?
In the last full NBA season that he played he averaged 7.4 assists a game, which is not bad considering how many points he scores himself. During the Thunder’s most recent post-season, he averaged 8.8 assists per game over 19 games. So its certainly not his passing.
Then what?
It’s his decision making and maturity. It has happened more than once when his team has just got an offensive rebound and instead of using the newly acquired 24 seconds, Westbrook simply tosses up a wild shot in haste which misses its mark. His skill set allows him to drive past the defense to the basket which should ideally make him avoid unnecssary long shots however he continues to throw up long balls at questionable moments in the game.
Once he brings maturity to his game, it will make things easier for him to help his team win some silverware.