NBA Playoffs Thunder-Lakers Game 3: Here’s How Russell Westbrook Killed A Man

Something I’ve been impressed with all year with the Lakers is their transition defense. They’re not just always up the floor and ready to pick up their man, but they have such good positioning. Teams try and force the issue and run into a wall, then try and slide off and hit another one. It’s frighteningly effective to the point of despair for running teams. Which is why the astounding amount of fail on Russell Westbrook’s poster-dunk last night was even more surprising in context.

Before we begin, it should be noted that I went to look at these plays expecting Derek Fisher to have been the catastrophe on defense. He wasn’t. He got blown up on this play, but it’s a hard angle, in a difficult position, and when you consider the rest of the work he did, it’s forgivable. Westbrook’s late pull-up elbow and-one wasn’t an and-one at all, and Fisher had a hand up, after fighting through a screen. The pull-up answer three from Westbrook after Fish’s dagger was just an incredible shot (with possible poor shot selection) that Westbrook nailed with Fisher right there. Even if he was slightly to Westbrook’s right trying to guard against the screen drive, Fisher recovered enough to acquit. So this play really isn’t his fault, even though he’s the one that got taken at halfcourt.

Westbrook dribbled up to halfcourt, and then saw this:

I suppose in this scenario that Pau Gasol and Odom are expecting that monumental hole on their right to be plugged with the corner defender, or for Fish to be able to cut the snake off at the head. That, in and of itself, has to be concerning from a defensive standpoint because the Lakers should have reached the point where they no longer count on Fisher’s defense to always be there. It’s like a U2 album at this point. It’s still got the capacity to be quite good, but you should have learned to listen on iTunes before you put your money down.

Meanwhile, I didn’t draw it, but you should just go ahead and imagine a big lightbulb above Westbrook’s head.

Westbrook realizes that Fisher’s not only old and slow and crusty and smells like a death sandwich (thanks Videogum!), but is overplaying his right as are the rest of the Lakers, Phil Jackson, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and the cast of Glee. So he gives him some Jimmy Smith 2001 juking sans cocaine, and is off to the races. Lamar Odom, meanwhile, is apparently hallucinating.

Fisher’s trying here, hoping to re-establish position before Westbrook gets to launching point. Odom recognizes what’s happening but can’t quite get there, which means he’s going to try and give him a Bynum-foul. Pau Gasol does what you would expect Pau Gasol to do.

I’d also like to point out that Shannon Brown has the same position for the entirety of this clip, as if he is a crab alien in Space Invaders trying to provide help defense. Additionally, from this still, Ron Artest looks like he’s leaning back with his hands in his pockets saying “Whoo Boy, Dat’s going to be one ugly poster!”

And it was. You’ll notice Gasol recoiling in horror. Artest reaches out, as if to say “No…” and is cut off.  And then blood rained from the skies and people in Oklahoma were louder than anything since “Shameless” came out, and OKC managed to steal a game.

And that, my friends, is how you make a poster.

Oster-Tags: Derek Fisher, lamar odom, Los Angeles Lakers, murderwasthecasethattheygavehim, Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook