Rumor that Perkins was hard on Russell Westbrook

[Eja117]

I think this reflects very poorly on Westbrook and OKC, and has little to no effect on Perkins.

Westbrook didn't leave the playoffs smelling like roses, and he's supposed to be their second best player. He was outplayed by Harden as well as Durant, and was benched late in a playoff game.

Perkins' play wasn't very good down the stretch, but he was injured, and he isn't half as talented as Westbrook. saying Perkins should be ashamed of his play and should not have attacked Westbrook is like saying Kurt Thomas should be ashamed of his play, and shouldn't criticize Derrick Rose.

On top of that, Perkins went after Westbrook privately, within the circle of the team. It obviously shook Westbrook, who tattled to the team, and someone with the team tattled to the press, which was utterly idiotic. If they thought Perkins was surly before, just wait til someone starts telling him the team is playing politics games through the press. Big fella ain't gonna like that.

This is borderline genius stuff. I never would have thought of the media thing.

It kinda shows how far modern sports has fallen. Can you imagine this happening in the past. I mean HOFer Bill Walton said on his first day Bird walked up and was like "This is how it works. You pass it to me and every once in a while you can pass it to DJ because he's pretty good".

Can you imagine a major cog on a championship team telling a flashy young all-star in the past to get his act together and this happening? Can you imagine that guy crying? The amazing thing is this never got to twitter. That's what I mean by something's not adding up.

You don't see Ochocinco crying and he was castrated publicly by one of the top ten ......uh....a well known former team member

[Moranis]

If I remember correctly Perkins didn't have a reputation of being all cuddly. So they bring this guy in, he says what we're all thinking, Durant praises him, and they want him to let up because Westbrook cried a little?  

Something isn't adding up. Don't know what.

This and what IP said. TPs to both of you.

I also remember Westbrook getting benched in the playoffs. Scott Brooks can downplay it all he wants, but having Westbrook sit pretty much the whole 4th quarter in that playoff game was a big deal, and between that and Perkins telling Westbrook off, something's clearly up in OKC. I don't necessarily even know if it's Westbrook, cause there really isn't any proof that he leaked the news. I can assume SOMEONE did though.

That said, I can't blame this on Perkins if he's truly saying it how it is. He's clearly recognized as a leader on the team, so it's clear his opinion matters in OKC, even if not to Westbrook. They call Westbrook a PG, but he isn't seen as someone who can distribute the ball like someone should.

All of Perkins public quotes praise the crap out of Westbrook.  Like for example this quote

"One thing I learned," Perkins said, "is I don't watch ESPN, I don't read the papers, I don't do none of that. I don't even talk basketball with my own wife. Seriously. Because it could break up a locker room, it could break a team. I think Russell handled everything well. One thing about Russell, he's great with adversity. He always kept his head high, he never showed any sign of weakness."
 
"Russell's [been treated] worse than Rondo. Rondo's lasted a little bit, but Russell lasted for the whole playoffs, no matter if he played good or bad, he was getting criticized about something."[/

I can see where it is great to be publically supportive, but perhaps Perkins was way over the top on the negative privately, which was detrimental to the team.  I'm sure the team also doesn't want him to keep comparing his current teammates to his former teammates.  

Without knowing what Perkins said, how he said it, how often he said it, in what context he said it, and how Westbrook reacted (perhaps Russ was fine and a coach overheard the exchanges and had a problem with them).  No one really can say who is right and who is wrong here.  The NY Daily News story also doesn't mention Westbrook at all with respect to who has the problem with Perkins, it clearly cites the TEAM as having a problem with the criticism.  You know, Perkins employer.

[cman88]

and Westbrook is the guy that some people on this site would rather have than rondo lol

[indeedproceed]

and Westbrook is the guy that some people on this site would rather have than rondo lol

Well, lets not get too carried away with criticizing Westbrook here like this third party conjecture means he isn't a top 5 point guard in the NBA. In my head the scenarios that make the most sense:

Most likely: DUring the playoffs, 'when (stuff) got real', Westbrook freaked out after a loss to his agents, managers, or crew, and one of them, trying desperately to prove their importance, went to the team, and a person on the low ladder of the team, or a guy from another team, or another loose lipped source told Mitch Lawrence that the Thunder would like Perkins to tone it down a bit.

Less likely: Scenario 1, but with Westbrook himself going to the team.

In the end this matters about as much as what I had for breakfast the other day. Worst case scenario, Perkins gets a little miffed and Westbrook is embarrassed, and they both proclaim all is well through their managers, denying the whole thing, and have an awkward conversation in training camp.

[Moranis]

and Westbrook is the guy that some people on this site would rather have than rondo lol

Well, lets not get too carried away with criticizing Westbrook here like this third party conjecture means he isn't a top 5 point guard in the NBA. In my head the scenarios that make the most sense:

Most likely: DUring the playoffs, 'when (stuff) got real', Westbrook freaked out after a loss to his agents, managers, or crew, and one of them, trying desperately to prove their importance, went to the team, and a person on the low ladder of the team, or a guy from another team, or another loose lipped source told Mitch Lawrence that the Thunder would like Perkins to tone it down a bit.

Less likely: Scenario 1, but with Westbrook himself going to the team.

In the end this matters about as much as what I had for breakfast the other day. Worst case scenario, Perkins gets a little miffed and Westbrook is embarrassed, and they both proclaim all is well through their managers, denying the whole thing, and have an awkward conversation in training camp.

Or maybe Perkins did it in the lockerroom with staff around and the team didn't like it.  Or maybe one of the other Thunder players overheard it and went to Perkins and/or the team because that other teammate didn't like it.  Or any number of other scenarios. 

[indeedproceed]

and Westbrook is the guy that some people on this site would rather have than rondo lol

Well, lets not get too carried away with criticizing Westbrook here like this third party conjecture means he isn't a top 5 point guard in the NBA. In my head the scenarios that make the most sense:

Most likely: DUring the playoffs, 'when (stuff) got real', Westbrook freaked out after a loss to his agents, managers, or crew, and one of them, trying desperately to prove their importance, went to the team, and a person on the low ladder of the team, or a guy from another team, or another loose lipped source told Mitch Lawrence that the Thunder would like Perkins to tone it down a bit.

Less likely: Scenario 1, but with Westbrook himself going to the team.

In the end this matters about as much as what I had for breakfast the other day. Worst case scenario, Perkins gets a little miffed and Westbrook is embarrassed, and they both proclaim all is well through their managers, denying the whole thing, and have an awkward conversation in training camp.

Or maybe Perkins did it in the lockerroom with staff around and the team didn't like it.  Or maybe one of the other Thunder players overheard it and went to Perkins and/or the team because that other teammate didn't like it.  Or any number of other scenarios. 

Yeah those are possible too. I mean, Perkins was 'the new guy'. His ring and resume helps, but I can't imagine lacing into Westbrook made him more popular in the short term.

The thing I'd be really interested to know (which, by the nature of these things, we never will), is exactly how Mitch Lawrence came across this information.

[Who]

Sounds much ado about nothing. Some writer making a fuss over something of no importance.

[soap07]

What Who said.


Westbrook is an excellent point guard who I would take on my team any day and has made mammouth improvements every year. It was easy to jump on him after a rough playoff series but let's not forget how far the tandem of Durant/RW carried that team.

[Kiorrik]

Good point, Who. This lull is making people crave nonsense like this.

Sigh... Feels a bit like waiting for a drought to end.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Good point, Who. This lull is making people crave nonsense like this.

Sigh... Feels a bit like waiting for a drought to end.

Just thought it was a fun item. It's not as if I started a thread on the Sarah Palin Glen Rice fling.

[indeedproceed]

TP for THE Walker Wiggle for showing restraint on the most easily zinged news story of the summer/fall. It was tough for others too I assure you.

[dtrader]

I know the lockout is making every day pretty light on discussion material, but I dont understand why people even indulge in this he said/she said stuff.  None of us has any idea what (if anything) westbrook, perk, or the OKC team said about anything. This is just one random guy giving his opinion of an event that he has no close relation to (and may have completely misinterpreted).

We have Rondo. They have Westbrook. Our team loves Rondo. Theirs loves Westbrook.  Perkins has been the 3rd wheel since the trade, and the playoffs, bar fight, and rumor mill isn't helping. 

Rondo should be working on his jumper. Perkins should be working on his temper. Westbrook should be working on his decision making, and everyone that's at all connected to any of them should be working on getting them back on the court, so we can stop gossiping lol.

[Kiorrik]

Good point, Who. This lull is making people crave nonsense like this.

Sigh... Feels a bit like waiting for a drought to end.

Just thought it was a fun item. It's not as if I started a thread on the Sarah Palin Glen Rice fling.

Wasn't a knock on you m8. Heck, I 100% counted myself in the category of "people craving nonsense"

If you got more rumors, don't hesitate, I eat them for breakfast

(literally, iPhone, in bed, first thing I do when I wake up )