The Athletic deems Lakers’ Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook locks for NBA Hall of Fame
Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook may still have plenty of time to improve their resumes in the NBA, but they may already have achieved enough to enter the grandest stage: the NBA Hall of Fame.
Davis, 28, is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star (with one All-Star MVP), four-time All-NBA first-team member, four-time All-NBA Defensive Team member, three-time block leader and the list keeps going.
Westbrook, 33 in November, is a former MVP, two-time scoring champion, nine-time All-Star (MVP twice), nine-time All-NBA team member, three triple-double averaging seasons in the last four years and more.
Both players added accolades from representing the United States at the Olympics and more awards while playing collegiate basketball.
The success both have had combined with the potential for more has them on the list of locks for the Hall of Fame, via Rob Peterson of The Athletic:
“AD may be the easiest lock to nitpick on this list, because, in this examination, he doesn’t have the hardware that others do, and he’s light on league-leading black ink (the bold font Sports-Reference sites use to denote a league leader in a category). But, he’s led the league in blocks three times, he’s four-time All-NBA first team, an eight-time All-Star,and, finally, an NBA champion. Also, as a modern big who can stretch the floor, advanced stats love him. He’s third all-time in PER behind MJ and Bron and ahead of other Hall of Fame bigs such as Shaq, Wilt and David Robinson. He’s also 15th in win shares/48 and he’s 12th in career Box +/-. While injuries have hampered him throughout his career, AD’s career has been Hall of Fame worthy.”
Here’s why Westbrook is a lock:
“Westbrook’s Hall of Fame candidacy is built on his MVP season of 2016-17, his being a two-time scoring champ and that he’s averaged a triple-double in four different seasons, including his MVP season, which was the start of an amazing three-year run of averaging a triple-double each season. Oscar Robertson, the only other player to average a triple-double in a season — in 1961-62, when everyone in the league was putting up insane digits — put up 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.6 assists per game over his first five seasons. Westbrook is averaging 26.0/10.3/10.1 over his last five seasons. Not too shabby. He’s also led the league in assists three times and he’s been named First or Second Team All-NBA seven times. He’s top 25 in PER and top 30 in VORP. Regardless of how you feel about Westbrook, he’s headed for the Hall.”
The two will team for the first time on the Los Angeles Lakers this season. With LeBron James leading the way, both Davis and Westbrook will have more opportunities to pad their resumes.
