Is Westbrook destined to become the best player to never win a title?

[Fan from VT]

He won't surpass Malone or Barkley.

And personally I'd rather have peak Steve Nash than peak Westbrook.

I'm really not so sure he won't end up with a better career than Malone or Barkley, especially statistically.  His peak has easily surpassed Nash, who is likely the most overrated player in NBA history.

The NBA is a 5 on 5 league.  I'd take Nash on my team any day over Westbrook.  Of course Westbrook puts up higher volume/less efficient numbers than Nash.  It doesn't make him a better 5 on 5 player.

You'd take the guy that can't guard a chair over the at least credible defender.  Nash is the worst defending MVP ever and it isn't close (yes I'm including Derrick Rose and James Harden).  The Suns never won because Nash couldn't stop anyone in crunch time.  He couldn't take over games offensively either to try to make up for the defensive inability.  And Nash turned the ball over at a rate far exceeding the rate that Westbrook turns it over so you can't even use that against Westbrook like you could with someone like Stockton (Nash only has 2 seasons below Westbrook's career TOV% average and has a career average nearly 4% higher than Westbrook).  Even AST% significantly favors Westbrook.  All of the advanced metrics like VORP, BPM, WS, etc. also favor Westbrook because he is significantly better on the defensive side of the ball.  Nash was a much better shooter than Westbrook, but that is it.  Everything else, Westbrook has been better and it isn't close.  The fact that a number of people in this thread think it is arguable, is why Nash is the most overrated player in NBA history.

Just to pile on, my problem with Nash is that if that is what earns you an MVP, then Chris Paul should have been MVP about 5 times.

[Moranis]

He won't surpass Malone or Barkley.

And personally I'd rather have peak Steve Nash than peak Westbrook.

I'm really not so sure he won't end up with a better career than Malone or Barkley, especially statistically.  His peak has easily surpassed Nash, who is likely the most overrated player in NBA history.

It is more than safe to say he will never eclipse Malone statistically. 10 years in a row of 25+ and 10, not to mention his passing, all the while missing merely four games at around 38mpg. Those are insane numbers, all the while consistently winning.

Furthermore, to call Nash the likely most overrated player in NBA history in a discussion where the OP asked if Westbrook could become the best player to never win a title is pretty weird

Westbrook already has nearly 1000 more assists than Malone.  He should catch him in steals as well.  Now sure he isn't going to catch the PF in rebounds nor total points (given Malone's longevity), but when you factor the complete game in (like consecutive seasons finishing in the top 10 in ppg, rpg, apg and he should probably do that again), I think there will be an argument that Westbrook will have a better statistical career than Malone when all is said and done (Westbrook isn't even 30 yet so presumably he has 3 more years of true prime and then a few more years after that of still solid play).

I personally think Karl Malone is the biggest victim of the "Championships are the Be-All End-All" era of basketball. I think a lot of it is also due to Bill Simmons / Sportsguy's influence in NBA writing and the fact he enjoyed making Malone the butt of many jokes.


But this is incredible:

19 seasons, and still AVERAGED 25/10/3.6.
.577 career TS%
Made the playoffs 19 times.
2 x MVP
14 x All-Star
3 x All-Defense 1st team (1 x 2nd team)
14 x All-NBA including 11 x 1st team

Malone was amazing. Westbrook is great, but the fact Malone did what he did with such efficient shooting while also being an All-Defense type of player will make it essentially impossible for Westbrook to catch him.

I love Karl Malone.  I think he is the 2nd best PF ever behind only Duncan and Duncan spent like half his career at center.  I just think when all is said and done, Westbrook very well might end up with a better career because Westbrook is that good.  He is trending towards ending up statistically as the best PG ever (though I don't think he would ever be considered better than Magic no matter how much he exceeds him statistically).  I mean there have only been 13 seasons in NBA history of at least 23 ppg and at least 10 apg.  Westbrook has 3 of those 13 (Oscar did it 5 times and Magic, Harden, Tiny, Wall, and Adams have the other seasons). 

[KGs Knee]

Westbrook can't even hold Malone's jock strap.

Russ is the most overrated stat hound that ever existed. I wouldn't want that guy on my team, he's disgraceful.

[perks-a-beast]

Surprised to see so many poor opinions of Westbrook. I’d trade kyrie for Westbrook so fast my head would spin. But a lot of that has to do with durability.

[Onslaught]

Surprised to see so many poor opinions of Westbrook. I’d trade kyrie for Westbrook so fast my head would spin. But a lot of that has to do with durability.

I'm glad you're not our GM. Nothing personal.