After Ricky Rubio of the Utah Jazz got a triple-double in Game 3 of the series, Russell Westbrook said he was going to "shut that sh*t down" in Game 4.

Russell Westbrook picked up four fouls in the first half, had five turnovers and had a -14 BPM. Ricky Rubio finished the game with 13 points, six rebounds eight assists and had a +22 BPM in a 17-point Jazz win in a crucial Game 4.

And just recently, the NBA looked at suspending Russell Westbrook for his involvement in a fourth-quarter altercation in Game 4. Maybe the Thunder will have a better chance without him. This is hardly an act of a team leader.

Westbrook did not exactly shut Rubio down. Pointing out why a team lost cannot be limited to just one factor. However, Westbrook putting a target on his back to shut down Rubio could not have helped.

This could not have come at a worse time for the Oklahoma City Thunder since the team was already down 2-1, and Game 4 would be monumental in either giving the Jazz an even bigger advantage or giving Thunder momentum before the series returns to Oklahoma City.

A team of Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Steven Adams, a very talented core of players, were down 3-1 to the Utah Jazz. Utah is led by a rookie point guard, undrafted Joe Ingles and Ricky Rubio, who until recently could not hit a jump shot to save his life. And now the Thunder are out of the playoffs.

I'm not trying to disparage the Jazz because ever since the All-Star break, they have been one of the league's best teams. They have been very well-coached under Quin Snyder. But this is not the Oklahoma City team we expected at the beginning of the season to see.

This series is simply one example of Russell Westbrook having the potential to be not just a star but a leader of a championship team, but he simply cannot do it.

Some say Russell only seems to care about his stats. I can see why, but I don't think it's right for a person like me to criticize his desire to win.

Russell Westbrook might be the most athletic star in the NBA right now, but in my opinion, he'll never win a championship as long as he continues to play the way he does.

Too often, he tries to play hero ball and puts the team on his back, but he ends up costing his team with low-percentage shots, especially three-pointers.

Yes, I realize that Russell is the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in back-to-back years. While Westbrook's triple doubles are commendable, I disagree with a large group of people who still think Westbrook is a championship-caliber player.

NBA fans seem to have taken sides on this issue when Kevin Durant left for Golden State, but I was questioning this well before.

I can remember the years leading up to Durant's departure from Oklahoma City. I wanted him to leave because I thought he could not coexist with Westbrook.

Did I envision Durant leaving to a team that went 73-9 and defeated the Thunder in the playoffs? No, but it's better than being with a fellow star that held him back.

Durant makes about 50 percent of his shots, and Westbrook makes closer to 40 percent. In addition to a bad shooting percentage, I have never seen an NBA star have as bad of a shot selection as Russell Westbrook has over the years.

Kobe Bryant shot 45 percent from the field for his career, but at least the Black Mamba made shots when it counted and instilled fear in the eyes of many other players across the league.

The only people in whom Westbrook strikes fear are quite possibly Thunder fans themselves.

Russ is a great talent, but as long as the Warriors and Rockets have their star cores, he will remain without a ring. What does he need? A better coach? Better players?

Billy Donovan and Scott Brooks are both good coaches. Kevin Durant, James Harden and Paul George are great players. The problem lies within Russell Westbrook, and I'm not sure it will ever be solved.