Odds Westbrook Makes History Against the Grizzlies
By Ryan Murphy in NBA Basketball
Published:
- Russell Westbrook is 16 rebounds away from averaging a triple-double in back-to-back seasons. Can he pull it off?
- Will Billy Donovan give him enough playing time to make history?
- Will Westbrook’s teammates deliberately miss shots to help him pad his stats?
Imagine being 16 rebounds shy of immortality. That’s the quandary facing Russell Westbrook, who needs to haul down 16 boards against the Grizzlies on Wednesday night to become the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in multiple seasons.
16 rebounds is an exceptionally high number of caroms for most players, but Westbrook has a knack for crashing the glass. The seven-time All-Star has pulled down 16 or more rebounds in a game six times this season, and he posted a career-high 19 rebounds against the Magic in 2016.
In order to pull it off, Westbrook will need a little help. His teammates will have to box out harder than usual and create a safe space for Westbrook to swoop in and grab errant shots. They’ll also have to cede some easy rebounds that they would usually grab themselves. Fortunately, they seem more than willing to support Russ’ dogged pursuit of personal glory.
Carmelo Anthony on Russell Westbrook’s rebounding, if he “steals” rebounds and if the team cares or not: pic.twitter.com/rtkbAmQjaI
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 10, 2018
Billy Donovan will also have to agree to give Westbrook enough minutes to accomplish his milestone. The UCLA alum needed 37 minutes against the Heat on Monday to grab 18 rebounds, and it’s likely he’ll need another 30 minutes against the Grizzlies. That could be an issue since the Thunder have clinched a playoff berth and should be carefully monitoring Westbrook’s minutes rather than driving him into the ground.
Westbrook will also need a little assistance from the Grizzlies, who have to shoot enough bricks for him to corral.
Westbrook will also need a little assistance from the Grizzlies, who have to shoot enough bricks for him to corral. The good news is that Memphis’ shooters couldn’t hit the water if they fell out of a boat. The Grizz rank 28th in the league in effective field goal percentage at 49.9%, and 27th in the league in true shooting percentage at 53.8%. There should be more than missed shots if Westbrook is feeling frisky.
As an added bonus, Memphis is the worst defensive rebounding team in the NBA, so the lanes should be more open than a Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve.
Can he pull it off? We’ve come up with the odds for Wednesday night’s game along with a few more tantalizing props.
Russell Westbrook Triple-Double Odds
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| Odds Russell Westbrook has 16 or more rebounds against the Grizzlies | 1/1 |
| Odds Russell Westbrook averages a triple-double again in 2018-19 | 15/1 |
| Odds Russell Westbrook records a triple-double in the playoffs | 1/2 |
| Odds Russel Westbrook is named MVP | 30/1 |
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over/Under triple-doubles for Westbrook in the 2017-18 playoffs | 3.5 |
| Over/Under number of seasons Westbrook averages a triple-double | 2.5 |
| Over/Under career triple-doubles for Westbrook | 190.5 |
Former Sports Writer
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
