Let's take a moment today to realize the greatness that is Russell Westbrook right now. I mean, he has been unleashed, and he is absolutely going off.

I know that the Thunder are 11-8, good enough for 6th in the West, and most teams have only played 20 games, at most, but he is currently averaging a triple double. Let me say that again, HE IS AVERAGING A TRIPLE DOUBLE! There is probably no way he keeps this up all season, but if there is one player that could do it in the modern NBA, it has to be Westbrook. I read a ton of stuff, listened to a lot of sports writers and media members say that Westbrook was going to put up big numbers now that KD is a Warrior, but this is just ridiculous. No one has averaged a triple double for a full season since Oscar Robertson did it in the 60's.

I definitely do not think he is going to finish the season with these same numbers, but as I already stated, he is the one guy that could. First reason, KD is gone. KD left, and now the Thunder are fully Westbrook's team. He is the alpha, the go-to guy, the man, whatever cliché you want to call him. Sure, Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams and Andre Roberson are good, but they are not Westbrook, and Billy Donovan knows this. Everything runs through Westbrook. He is the coach on the floor, he calls the plays and he ultimately decides what he wants to do with the ball. He can pull up and shoot, get to the rim, drive and kick, he can do whatever he wants to get the points and assists. He may also be the best rebounding guard in the NBA. He can jump so high, he sometimes grabs defensive rebounds away from 7 footers. He is also just as ferocious attacking the offensive glass as he is going to the basket, so he gets his rebounds.

Second reason, he wants to do this. He knows his stats every game, I would almost guarantee this. I bet he knows exactly how many rebounds he needs if he already has the points and assists. Same goes for all the other stats. He will chase this down. He will get as many triple doubles as he can, no matter what. This is a good and a bad thing. It is good because he is a wonder to watch because he puts up some great numbers, but he also hurts his teams chances at wins sometimes, chasing the stats. That is one of the main reasons they are 11-8.

Third reason, as I already kind of mentioned, Billy Donovan has no other real options. They have threats, but none are the threat that Westbrook is. Westbrook has become a super duper star in the NBA. He is one of the 5, scratch that, 3 best players in the league. He is way more athletic than Steph Curry. He plays harder than anyone, including LeBron James. He has no fear, which cannot be said for a lot of other stars in the NBA, And he is the alpha, something KD could not handle, hence his move to the Warriors. Billy Donovan knows, and hopefully, appreciates this, so Westbrook has carte blanche when he is on the floor. He will get his, come hell or high water.

And fourth, he wants to prove that the Thunder do not need KD to be a threat in the playoffs. He wants everyone to know that this team will be competitive, even though they lost a great, great player. He wants the OKC fans to know that they are in good hands for, at least, the next 2 years. He wants his teammates to know that he can do whatever they need him to do, so they can still win, most of the time. He wants to prove management right by giving him the extension he rightfully deserved. And he wants the rest of the NBA to know that he is a force to be reckoned with.

This first quarter of the season from Westbrook has been one of the best things to happen so far. I think his quest to average a triple double has been a better story than the Clippers hot start. I like Westbrook's story more than the Warriors 15-2 record because, people, myself included, expect the Warriors to be dominant. Westbrook's triple double story is better than any halfway decent start from James Harden, the baby Lakers or any other team over or underachieving. This is something that has not happened in a long, long, long time, and no one thought it would ever happen again. I still do not think he will finish the year with these crazy averages, but to average a triple double for the first quarter of the season is incredible. I think he is the clear cut favorite, and it should not even be close, that he is the undisputed MVP. He doesn't have a supporting cast like the Warriors, Clippers or Spurs, and I picked Kawhi Leonard as my preseason MVP. Westbrook is doing this without KD, and the next best player on his team is probably either Steven Adams, who is not much of a scorer, or Victor Oladipo, who is more known for his defensive ability.

I just think it is tremendous what he is doing, and I wanted to take my time today to point this out. Russell Westbrook is on pace for a historical season, and I think anyone that watches the NBA would agree with me.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once had a quadruple double in his rec league, if you count 11 turnovers as part of the stats. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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