Russell Westbrook finds himself in familiar territory again this postseason: the gray area.

More than any NBA star, Westbrook conquers opponents and divides observers with an approach not for the faint of heart. He combines strength, speed, and verticality with a reckless abandon, ranking chief among the NBA's list of athletic point guards. But as the position evolves, Westbrook remains the center of attention.

For many observers, Westbrook shoots too much and doesn't pass often enough -- an odd feat for the teammate of a four-time scoring champion. The conventional wisdom to Westbrook's ball dominance has been to simply pass Kevin Durant the ball, allowing the league MVP to save the day.

But this wisdom can sometimes be adversely conventional. Despite his indisputable brilliance, Durant is prone to struggles. Tony Allen defended him effectively during most of the first round, but Durant proved even more mortal last postseason when Westbrook went out with a torn meniscus. 

Without Westbrook, Durant lost to Allen's Grizzlies 4-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2013. He shot 42 percent overall, and averaged 4.4 turnovers. Durant needed Westbrook's aggressive play drawing attention from defenders, even if the two sometimes seem out of sorts on offense.

But too much is made of Westbrook's mistakes, rather than the underwhelming support both he and Durant receive from teammates. The Thunder have struggled to replace James Harden's brilliance as a role player, though Reggie Jackson has emerged as an integral cog in the perimeter attack of the Thunder.

Oklahoma City, though, needs more than expert jump-shooting and thunderous rim attacks. That's where Serge Ibaka's contributions become more ample. The shot-blocking force has emerged as the only capable scorer in the Thunder frontcourt, but he can't create his own offense, especially from the low post. This postseason, Ibaka is attempting more shots from at 16 feet (35.1 percent of his attempts) than from 0-3 feet (31.6 percent), per Basketball Reference. While he has developed into a floor-spacing big man, Ibaka must become more active near the rim, where the Thunder desperately lack.

The Thunder in general often starve for their supporting cast's help, 22nd in bench points per game (18.0) during the season. For many, that reflects Westbrook's alleged indifference to running an offense, or seeking his own offense at his team's expense.

By the same token, blaming Westbrook's style has become the cliche reference for anything impeding Oklahoma City's championship run. Westbrook, like Durant, is an All-NBA performer, registering a career-best 24.7 PER in 46 games. While his shot-selection can be harmful, his overall effect depends on being aggressive, especially with passive, overly-dependent role players.

After the complaints over his volume shooting during Games 1-5 of the first round, Westbrook shot 51 percent on 18.5 shots during the Thunder victories in Game 6 and 7. He even notched two triple-doubles -- including 27 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists in Game 7 -- and displayed the all-around havoc he wreaks when he's at his best.

But his next mistake will draw the ire of critics everywhere, noting a point guard should be more focused on passing than scoring. That rhetoric, while reasonable, suggests limiting players of Westbrook's ilk to long-standing tradition, rather than being effective the way he knows best.

Westbrook adds a unique dimension to the Thunder. He's 6-foot-3, 200 lbs, and boasts his own scoring savvy. During the postseason, Westbrook is second in points per game on pull-up jumpers (8.7), per Synergy Sports. He's also finished top-seven in both points and assists as recently as last season, when he made All-NBA Second Team.

So, as the Thunder proceed on their quest for an NBA title, all eyes will be on Westbrook. He’ll certainly put his stamp on these playoffs, more often for better than worse. Should Westbrook continue to strike a great balance on offense, the Thunder can beat anyone.

Of course, Westbrook’s shortcomings that will overtake the headlines, especially if the Thunder postseason doesn't result in at least a Finals appearance.

But the Thunder need more than Westbrook, or even the brilliant Durant, to right the ship.

If the role players aren't finding ways to consistently contribute, Oklahoma City's dynamic duo will again be forced to save the day, and Westbrook will be do what he knows best -- for better and for worse.