Howard: Westbrook should have sacrificed more for Thunder
Charlotte Hornets center Dwight Howard believes one of the Oklahoma City Thunder's biggest problems this past season was Russell Westbrook's inability to include Carmelo Anthony and Paul George in the offense.
As a guest on ESPN's "Get Up," Howard suggested that of the Thunder's Big Three, Westbrook needed to sacrifice the most for the betterment of the team.
"I would say Russ because Russ has the ball more times in his hands," Howard said. "And I watched Carmelo and Paul George at times, and they were just standing there, watching. Late in the games, I think the ball should have been more in Carmelo’s hands because he’s more of a closer. Paul George, he’s that guy that’s going to get you the 20-30 points between the first and the third quarter.
"Russ, he should just facilitate, get everybody involved early in the game, and just let those guys play. At this point in his career, he’s done everything as far as the individual. He has all the accolades. But now, it should just be about making everyone around him better."
Westbrook finished third in the league in usage percentage (33.2) behind James Harden and Joel Embiid, continuing his reputation as a ball-dominant guard.
Anthony shot just 28.9 percent on 76 shots during clutch time, according to NBA.com.
As for George, he finished the season averaging four fewer shots than Westbrook per game, but only one shot less than he took in prior seasons.