Russell Westbrook needs to take the lead with the Thunder Big 3

The Thunder and their hastily thrown together Big 3 of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony have struggled to start the year. Many were worried that keeping all 3 happy with enough shots would be the biggest challenge, but all 3 have remarkably scored the exact same amount of points, and Russell Westbrook has gone out of his way to consciously get everyone involved, compared to his nightly one man show from last year. So far it’s not working.

Colin thinks it’s admirable of Westbrook to try to lead by going out of his way to be inclusive, but to truly lead this team, he needs to get back to his more aggressive style of play and establish himself as the clear #1 in the trio. This is Westbrook’s team and franchise, and he should clearly establish it like LeBron did when the Heat first got together. Until he does they’ll continue to struggle.

Lonzo Ball is too passive

Like most rookies, Lonzo Ball has had some good games and some bad ones, but it’s become clear that he’s more interested in distributing than scoring and his presence on the floor can be overly passive.

Colin likes Ball, but thinks that aggressive typically wins in sports, and he isn’t sure if someone as passive as Ball can eventually flip the switch and become aggressive. Even Jason Kidd, to whom Ball is often compared to as a distributor, was aggressive defensively and constantly looked to push the ball and affect the game.

Colin’s sources tell him that the Lakers are genuinely concerned because Ball has been tagged to lead the franchise. So far, there’s reason for concern.

Guests:

Mark Richt – Miami head football coach joins the show to talk about the U being back; the turnover chain; and enjoying life in Florida.

Chris Broussard – FS1 NBA Analyst is in-studio to talk about Lonzo Ball’s tendency to be passive; why Kyrie Irving is happy in Boston; and why

Joel Klatt – FS1 College Football Analyst is in-studio to talk playoff rankings; this week’s games; and his Almost Upset of the Week.

Eric Davis – FS1 NFL Analyst is in-studio talking the Giants moving on from Eli; his experience with the Montana/Young transition; and what it’s like to play on a team when the season is already over.