5 scariest players in the NBA to defend

By Roje Smith | Oct 31, 2016

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 16: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks the ball against the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 16, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

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Oct 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after defeating the Phoenix Suns 113-110 in overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder

We’ve seen our fair share of NBA players that are so intense it’s frightening. One player that immediately comes to mind is Kevin Garnett. For anyone that watched him during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, it’s hard to forget his behavior. He wore a permanent scowl on his face, let out loud roars after vicious dunks and seemed to curse all the time. Unless you were a teammate of his, it was pretty intimidating and it made matters worse that Garnett was an elite player for many years. We now have the 2016 version of KG, except this guy is several inches shorter, but way more athletic.

When Russell Westbrook gets a full head of steam on a fast break, he’s almost unstoppable. His world-class athleticism allows him to soar above the rim and throw down extremely violent dunks. At times, it appears as if Westbrook has a personal vendetta against the rim. It’s incredibly hard for defenders to keep him in front of them. If they back off, Russell has the ability to stop on a dime and pull up for a mid-range jumper. Even though he still needs to be more consistent with his jump shot, it doesn’t erase any fear that defenders have for him. Russell is also a better ball handler than some realize. The issue is he’s so quick and athletically superior that he doesn’t try to embarrass defenders with crossovers like Kyrie Irving or Allen Iverson.

Statistically speaking, Westbrook is a triple-double waiting to happen on any given night. He’s what you would get if you gave the legendary Oscar Robertson the athleticism of Michael Jordan. If that’s not enough to scare any and all defenders in his path, then I don’t know what is.

Russell Westbrook was already one of the scariest players to defend playing second fiddle to Kevin Durant. Now he’s the undisputed alpha dog in Oklahoma City, he might become the undisputed scariest player to defend by the end of this season.

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