Let Westbrook be Westbrook

"No. Let me get this straight. What you guys say doesn't make me happy, doesn't make me sad. Doesn't do anything. It's all about my team and us winning a game. I don't have a personal challenge against you guys, and it's not me against the world. It's not the world against me. It's me and my teammates trying to win."

The quote came from Russell Westbrook in a postgame conference addressing the notion of media criticism on him as posed to him by Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports. This is how Gregg asked that question:

Russell, you've taken some heat, whether you know it or not you have, but tonight, of course, you shouldn't take a whole lot.  Was there any vindication at all?  I know you guys didn't win, but personally do you feel okay about it? 

He finished with 43 pts on 20/32 shooting. Made all three of his free throw attempts. Missed all three of his attempts beyond the arc. Grabbed 7 rebounds. Issued 5 dimes. Stole the ball once.

But most of you, especially the media, will remember his third personal foul and his third turnover. Both of those came in the dying seconds. Because this is about the narrative. That Russell can't be a point guard in this team. That Russell is shooting the ball too much. That Russell needs to defer.

Sure, the little gaffes cost them game, but with Durant effectively muzzled by Lebron James and Shane Battier, he carried the offensive load. You cannot question his effort, his aggression and his will to win.

I am really sick and tired of how some of the media have savagely attacked him and his play. I hope his effort did not go in vain in this defeat.

Skip Bayless getting owned

I only manage to listen to ESPN2's morning show First Take via podcast, so I know who Skip Bayless is from listening to him and via his twitter (@realskipbayless). He takes pride of his hometown team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. But he is absolutely critical of one guy in the team, Russell Westbrook. Almost each and every time he takes potshots at his shot attempts, his turnovers, his decision making... And then one time, he decides to share what he knows about running a team as a point guard to illustrate what Russell ought to be doing.

But then, a local blog in Oklahoma decided to do some digging. And it leads to this gem from Jalen Rose on First Take yesterday.



Of course, this was after Kevin Durant got sick and tired of constantly having to hear about this stuff.

So, I thank you, Jalen Rose. As you always say at the start of your Grantland podcast... "Power To The People, Give the People What They Want."