Russell Westbrook

Russ, Westy, Bestbrook, whatever name you use for him they all equate to the heart and soul of the NLL Milwaukee Bucks franchise, the enigmatic superstar talent, Russell Westbrook. Westy makes his triumphant return to the NLL All-star weekend as a starter for the Eastern Conference team after missing last years game during his injury plagued season. He’ll be their floor general and one of the most exciting attractions of the game.

Westy was drafted 5^th overall in the 2010 NLL Draft by the Orlando Magic, who promptly sent him to the Bucks in an apparent swap for the then 7^th overall selection by the Bucks, Jerryd Bayless. Bayless has since been a journeyman around the league and Westy has stayed the course in Milwaukee since that date growing and growing as he went along. His combination of size, speed, strength and flat out sheer athleticism has powered this NLL stud into being one of the most fearsome match-ups in the league. At 6’3, with a 95 vert and one of, if not THE fastest player in the league, he simply blows opponents apart every time he’s on the court making him a perennial threat to lead the league in scoring and steals.

This season, the league has seen Russell playing his natural point guard position with Jrue Holiday shipped in the offseason and gain the undisputed leadership role in Milwaukee. The Bucks are 29-20 heading into the All-star break, good for 6^th in the strong East, and this is most definitely due to a healthy Westy dominating. He’s taken over 700 more Field Goal attempts (FGA) than the next Buck, connecting on 48% of them which has lead to 32.2 points per game, #3 in the league. He’s #2 in FGA, and #1 in FGM, and his trademark aggressiveness has seen him rank #15 for FTA and #13 in FTM at a lethal 94%. His impact doesn’t stop with his scoring though as he is #21 in the league for assists per game at 5.6, and on the defensive end he is a terror averaging 2.2 steals per game which is #4 in the league.