Russell Westbrook has developed a divisive reputation among people who watch the NBA. Some in the media claim that he is a selfish ball hog who is quite a personality. On the other end of the spectrum, teammates have said that he is an exceptional player who cares about his fellows’ personal improvement as people and basketball players. The Houston Rockets have decided to cut ties with Westbrook, in return for a slightly less ball-dominant point guard in John Wall.
His new co-star, Bradley Beal is an elite player himself. Beal averaged 30.5 PPG on the Wizards last season, yet bafflingly didn’t make the All-Star team. With the acquisition of a new co-star in Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal looks to make this new tandem work.
In a report by Ohm Youngmisuk, Bradley Beal states that he’s “easy to adapt to” and seems to be looking forward to the pairing. Westbrook is an incredibly gifted passer, so it is natural that he spends a lot of time handling the ball. High usage doesn’t mean bad usage necessarily, and Bradley Beal knows that. Beal mentions that “there is always a false narrative on Russ, but he’s looking for guys, he’s trying to get guys the ball and he’s coaching”. It seems like Russell Westbrook is already acclimating well to the roster, and trying to make his teammates better.
Bradley Beal stating that Westbrook’s reputation being unfair is somewhat accurate. Westbrook is still an All-NBA player and a former MVP who can stuff the stat sheet every time he plays. The media criticizes him often for dominating the ball and being a bad teammate, yet most people who play with him see things differently.
If Beal and Westbrook can make it work on the Wizards, we could see a shakeup in the Eastern Conference contenders. They are both All-NBA caliber players with a great roster around them: they could be the new exciting team in the Eastern Conference.
