Jaden Ivey of the Detroit Pistons has often been compared to future Hall-of-Famer Russell Westbrook and it makes sense.
Both players have elite speed and athleticism, and when you watch Jaden Ivey go end-to-end with the ball and finish acrobatically at the rim, it does remind you of a young Westbrook.
Recently, the two were working out together and some Pistons’ fans lost their minds when they saw pictures circulating of Ivey and Westbrook chatting on the court:
https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1561891816118620163
To me, Westbrook is one of the best people to give young Jaden Ivey advice, as their games are similar (though there are some big differences) and there is plenty that Ivey could learn from the veteran. This is a former MVP and a 9-time All-NBA player, so Ivey is smart to pick his brain.
Westbrook has been maligned in recent years, mostly for his shot selection, but he is one of the best point guards of all time, a unique player who Ivey can learn from in many ways.
Detroit Pistons: What Jaden Ivey can learn from Russell Westbrook
#1: Relentless motor
To me, the thing that sets Russell Westbrook apart from other guards is his absolutely insane and relentless motor on both ends of the floor.
Westbrook doesn’t have lower gears and is constantly pursuing the ball and the rim with relentless energy that is hard for opponents to handle, and this was especially true during his early days in the NBA.
You won’t find a guy who hustles harder or who is more competitive than Westbrook, which is something that has always given him an advantage considering he is more athletic than just about everyone on the floor.
This is part of why he has averaged 6.9 free throw attempts per game for his carer, something Ivey hopes to do for the Pistons.
Of course, this sometimes gets him in to trouble, but you can’t question Westbrook’s energy and passion. The best thing about these qualities is that anyone can have them, and regardless of what you think of Westbrook, he cares more than anyone and never takes a play off.
Detroit Pistons: What Jaden Ivey can learn from Russell Westbrook
#2: Take care of yourself
Another thing Jaden Ivey can learn from Russell Westbrook is the importance of taking care of your body.
Westbrook and Ivey are both naturally gifted athletes, but so is every guy in the NBA. That’s why the old cliche “availability is the best ability” matters.
Westbrook has played in 80 games or more six times in his career and really only missed significant time once in his 14 year career, including last season when he played 78 games at 33-years-old.
This isn’t an accident, as Westbrook takes care of himself and puts in the work in the offseason to ensure that he will always be on the court.
Fans were calling him “Westbrick” all season and I agree that his shot selection and 3-point shooting leave plenty to be desired, but he was out there nearly every game, busting his butt while LeBron James and Anthony Davis were sitting on the bench in street clothes.
That’s not a shot at LeBron, as he has been an Iron Man in his career too and is 37-years-old (it absolutely was a shot at Davis).
Lakers’ fans may not have always liked the results, and Westbrook was made one of the scapegoats for LA’s failure, but he was out there night after night, and that’s because he looks after himself and stays at the peak of physical fitness.
Injuries happen, and there is often nothing the player can do about it, but you can take precautionary measures to reduce that risk by putting in the work in the offseason, which Westbrook does.
Detroit Pistons: What Jaden Ivey can learn from Russell Westbrook
#3: It’s not all about scoring
Most people now think of Westbrook as a score-first guard who can hold the ball a bit too long sometimes and often hoists up bad shots.
But his passing is now underrated, as people seem to forget that while Westbrook has won the scoring title twice, he has also led the league in assists three times.
Like Ivey, Westbrook is not a traditional point guard, as he is going to look for his shot first, but he became very good at using his athleticism and the gravity it creates to set up teammates.
When you have a guy as fast as Ivey or Westbrook, defenses have to react when they have the ball in their hands, which gives them plenty of opportunities to set up teammates.
You can point to Westbrook’s high usage rate in OKC after both Durant and Harden were gone, but I would also point to the fact that he wasn’t playing with the best cast of teammates and kept dragging them to the playoffs.
Westbrook can facilitate as well as score, and has given Ivey a blueprint for how to do it by collapsing defenses with dribble penetration and always being a threat to take it all the way to the rim.
Westbrook has his faults, but you won’t find many players in NBA history who have his motor, passion or sheer force of will and Jaden Ivey would be smart to take these things and apply them to his own game.