The Mamba Mentality lives on in Russell Westbrook

BetAmerica has teamed up with Covers and Oddschecker to break down the latest news and trends from around the Association. This week NBA columnists Andrew Caley, Sam Farley, and Ryan Murphy discuss Kobe Bryant's heir apparent, the Lakers' depth, and Houston's small ball revolution.

Tributes to Kobe Bryant continue to pour in. In your opinion, which current player best exemplifies his Mamba Mentality?

Andrew: A lot of players today try to embrace the Mamba Mentality, but if I have to pick just one, it has to be Russell Westbrook. The Mamba Mentality is all about the never-ending drive for self improvement. Working hard to achieve that improvement. And a competitive side that fuels that hard work. Russ embodies all of those traits. While he may not be the most efficient player ever (Kobe wasn’t always either remember), and doesn’t have the same career success thus far, there is no one more competitive on an NBA court these days than Westbrook. Both Kobe and Russ also feuded with star teammates before taking over the team themselves. And really took over. To the point where some questioned whether it was to the detriment of their respective teams. But in the end, it’s their ultra-competitive nature to become the best basketball player possible that makes this comparison for me.

Sam: To me, Mamba Mentality is about pushing teammates to be better, and being honest in pursuit of success and hard work. If there is one player that typifies those qualities in the NBA today, it has to be Jimmy Butler. His life before he hit the court was all about survival and excelling in the face of adversity and that attitude is one he’s taken into his career. His pursuit of excellence has caused issues, most notably in Minnesota, but that commitment to being great is also what has made a guy picked 30th in 2011 a five-time All-Star.

Ryan: The obvious choice is Bryant’s former Olympic teammate, Russell Westbrook. The nine-time All-Star is a balls-to-the-wall competitor who attacks the rim at a million miles an hour and plays the game with a ferocity and recklessness that’s rarely seen in professional sports. His approach wasn’t lost upon the late Bryant, who once remarked, "Westbrook plays mean. He plays mean like I did. With an aggression, much the way I played." That’s high praise from a man who wasn’t known for dishing out compliments to his fellow combatants.

The Lakers have bolstered their bench by acquiring Markieff Morris. Does he move the radar at all on L.A.’s championship odds?

Andrew: Nope. With each Los Angeles team having a Morris twin that makes it a push. No, seriously though, I didn’t think Marcus shifted anything in favor of the Clippers, and the move for Markieff has me feeling just as indifferent. We were forced to pick which L.A. team had the edge a few weeks ago and I picked the Lakers then, so I suppose this move doesn’t hurt that. But the Battle for L.A. will be determined by which star duo performs better in the inevitable showdown this playoffs.

Sam: It does, albeit marginally. I can’t see Morris being a key player for the Lakers, but they’ve needed increased depth and he offers them another option. It also keeps him away from any other team which he could strengthen. There are still some bigger fish out there to potentially get bought out who could make more of a splash than Morris.

Ryan: I think we all know that the Lakers ended up with the wrong Morris. Markieff is an able-bodied big capable of playing both forward spots, but L.A. really wanted his brother Marcus, who went to the Clippers instead. Marcus is the superior scorer and three-point threat, as evidenced by his brief stay in New York, where he averaged a career-high 19.6 points per game on 44% from the field and 43% shooting from beyond the arc. That’s the player the Lakers really needed. Markieff will hold down the fort when LeBron needs a breather, but he’s hardly the difference maker who will push the Lakers over the top.

The Houston Rockets’ small ball approach has been a huge success so far. Can it succeed in the playoffs?

Andrew: Can “I don’t know” be a real answer? My gut says no. This style of play doesn’t traditionally translate well to the postseason. The way the Rockets play basketball just isn’t fun to watch and I don’t mean in a gritty playoff way. It’s just an ugly way to play. One cold streak of shooting and it’s over. And I just don’t know how the Rockets are going to guard or contain either L.A. combo of Kawhi-PG or LeBron-AD over a seven-game series. It doesn’t hurt that Russell Westbrook is still in the best stretch of his season, but this way of play doesn’t seem like a recipe for success in the playoffs.

Sam: Houston’s approach is starting to get traction and the Rockets have a history of proving people wrong. The real question is whether it will work in the playoffs. I personally can’t see it. It’s understandable teams struggle to deal with Houston's small ball offense the first or second time seeing it, but will that be the case over a seven-game series? Not for me, I think they’ll get worked out and eliminated in the first round.

Ryan: Houston’s small ball lineups have been successful because they’ve been hitting shots, but what happens when James Harden and Russell Westbrook go ice cold, or the Rockets miss 27 consecutive threes, as they did against the Warriors in 2018? I’m also concerned with how Houston will match up with teams that have size and mobility, like the Lakers and Bucks. Both teams possess multiple players 6-foot-9 or taller who can nimbly switch on defense and exploit mismatches on offense. I fully expect the Rockets to fizzle once the playoffs begin and their preferred breakneck style of play grinds to a halt.

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