Russell Westbrook vs Oscar Robertson

During the season Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double in 1961-1962, he averaged 44.3 minutes per game and his team averaged 124.7 possessions per game. His averages during this season were 30.8 ppg, 12.5 rebs, 11.4 assists.

Since February, Westbrook is averaging 34.5 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 11.3 apg on an average of 33 minutes per game. Additionally, the Thunder this season average "only" 100 possessions per game.

I heard this comparison between the two players' stats on the radio and found it interesting. Pretty incredible stuff he is doing.

*ETA: Found the following from Bill Simmons' book of basketball re: the 1962 season:

quote:

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Nobody played defense, and every game looked like a disjointed All-Star contest or even worse a college pickup game where nobody runs back on D because they’re sweating out the previous night’s keg party. The ’61 Celtics led the league in scoring (124.5 per game) and averaged 119.5 field goal attempts and 33.5 free throw attempts. To put those numbers in perspective, the 2008 Celtics averaged 76 field goal attempts and 26 free throw attempts per game. That’s insane. Play suffered so badly that NBC dropped the NBA one year later despite a memorable ’62 Finals.1 The following season (’63), commissioner Maurice Podoloff slapped together a production team to “broadcast” the All-Star Game and the NBA Finals, then sold a syndication package to local affiliates around the country like it was Cheaters or The Steve Wilkos Show. Unbelievable.

Because of the inordinately high number of possessions, the statistics from 1958 to 1962 need to be taken with an entire shaker of salt and possibly a saltwater taffy factory.

Within five seasons, scoring increased by 18.6 points, field goal attempts increased by more than 4 per quarter, there were nearly 18 more rebounds available for each team and shooting percentages improved as teams played less and less defense.

Then the ’62 season rolled around and the following things happened:

1. Wilt averaged 50 points

2. Oscar averaged a triple double

3. Walt Bellamy averaged a 32-19

4. Russell averaged 23.6 boards and fell two behind Wilt for the rebound title

Hard to take those numbers at face value, right? And that’s before factoring in offensive goaltending (legal at the time), the lack of athletic big men (significant) and poor conditioning (which meant nobody played defense).

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I guess the question I'm posing is, is what Russell Westbrook doing more impressive than Oscar Robertson's triple double season?