The LA Clippers are undefeated since moving Russell Westbrook to a bench role this season and his new role in the rotation seems to be exactly what this team needed to reach their potential as a group. And while Westbrook may be struggling mentally to accept his new reality, he’s getting some praise around the league for willingly giving up his starting role. Most recently, NBA legend Charles Barkey gave him a shout on ‘Inside the NBA’ this week.
“This guy is one of my favorite players ever and one of my favorite people. I wanna give a shout-out to Russell Westbrook,” said Barkley. “Who said, ‘Hey this ain’t going to work’ and he is confident and self-esteem enough to say I’ll come off the bench. For a guy who’s won MVP and who’s gonna be in the Hall-of-Fame. I love that guy as a player.”
According to reports, Westbrook personally approached the coaching staff after the Clippers lost six straight games earlier this month. In the wake of James Harden’s arrival, Russ felt that the best way to help his team get back on track was to take on a bench role and help his star teammates develop some continuity together.
A Long Way From His Lakers Tenure
This isn’t the first time that Russ has been assigned a bench role. Following over a decade of greatness in Oklahoma City, Russ was first stripped of his starting point guard job as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. In what was a disastrous campaign from the start, Westbrook became the scapegoat during the 2021-22 season, when the Lakers finished 11th in the West standings. Despite hitting career lows in shooting efficiency numbers, Russ was more than reluctant to come off the bench for Darvin Ham, and, by the end, the situation had become toxic in the locker room.
Amid growing fears that a similar situation would play out with the Clippers, fans were bracing for the worst after every loss. Instead, Westbrook shocked everyone by stuffing his ego, recognizing the situation, and putting the team’s success over his own ambitions. While Westbrook has been far from a star on the court this season, this shift in his mentality has made him indispensable in Clipperland and it may have saved his career.
Are The Clippers Contenders?
At 5-7 on the season, the Clippers rank 11th in the West, behind the Warriors, Lakers, Pelicans, and Suns among others. It’s still too early to predict how the Clippers will finish this season, but chances are that they will trend upward. Despite their initial struggles to incorporate Harden, they are showing some signs of life.
Against the Spurs on Tuesday, the Clips looked arguably the best they have all season with their “big four” combining for 72 points on the night. Paul George, who has been described as unreliable in the past, has been arguably the Clippers’ most consistent player this season with averages of 24.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 47.8% shooting and 40% from deep. The key to success for LA, however, likely rests in the hands of Westbrook, whose attitude and approach off the bench could make or break this team. Only time will tell how his new role will affect his play and the vibes in Clipperland for the rest of the season.
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