Before the season began, a lot of the NBA’s attention was on the Houston Rockets because both of their two superstars in Russell Westbrook and James Harden had requested a trade. Westbrook’s wish was granted rather quickly, as the Rockets sent him to the Washington Wizards in return for John Wall. 

One of the biggest reasons Russell Westbrook getting traded was big news was because this was now the second time in two years that he had been traded. People began questioning Westbrook’s character and now, he currently finds himself having to prove himself on the basketball court, even though he has been one of the best players in the league this generation. 

READ MORE: NBA Trade Rumors: 3 offseason targets that would take the Wizards to the next level

Now, with the Washington Wizards, Russell Westbrook has been receiving attention on-and-off, but overall, he has become a very underappreciated and underrated star in the NBA. It almost seems like no matter how good of a game he has, Westbrook is always receiving criticism, which is not fair given how great of a player he is. 

Because of how good Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal have been together this season, the Washington Wizards now find themselves as the 10-seed in the Eastern Conference and just a game in front of both the Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors in the East. 

All season long, Russell Westbrook has been impressive with the Washington Wizards and because of his contributions, they have a chance to end their two year playoff drought. With that said, let’s take a look at three reasons why Russell Westbrook has become one of the league’s most underappreciated and underrated stars.