ESPN Ranks Russell Westbrook As The 9th Best Player in the NBA

I hate to talk about  rankings, because they don’t mean anything, but in this case I thought I’d bring it up. Today, ESPN ranked Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Russell Westbrook as the 9^th best player in the NBA right now. Being the avid fan I am, you’d think I’d be happy about this, which I am, but as much as I hate to do this, I disagree.

Don’t get me wrong, Russell Westbrook has a ton of upside and has made an improvement year after year, making himself known as a top PG in the league. However, when you look who ESPN put behind him, its batty. Lets name some players Westbrook is ahead of:

Dirk Nowitzki

Rajon Rondo

Andrew Bynum

Tony Parker

Carmelo Anthony

It kills me to say it, but these 5 guys above just have more ability to take control of a game, and more experience. Dirk has a ring, Rondo has a ring, Bynum has a ring, Parker has a ring, and Melo is the second best scorer in the league behind Kevin Durant.

Now, its safe to say Westbrook has made a name for himself in this league, but I still don’t see him as a top 10 player in the NBA. Right now, I see Westbrook somewhere between 15-20. Westbrook needs to mature a bit more, and he still has some pieces missing to his game. Once Westbrook gets a ring, and becomes that player everyone wants him to be, just then can we talk about Westbrook being a top 10 player in the league.