Among the most intriguing matchups in this year’s playoff bracket is between the Suns and Clippers, two of the NBA’s best-constructed teams. Even without Paul George, who may not play at all this postseason, the Clippers could manage to win the series with Kawhi Leonard and, of course, Russell Westbrook.
Russ is the wild card of the series and a strong performance from him could change everything about the playoffs this year. Speaking to the media ahead of Game 1, Suns star Chris Paul spoke about Russ and the impact he’ll make in the upcoming matchup.
“I’m really close with Russ & probably 1 of his biggest fans just cuz of the energy that he brings. Everybody wants to talk all that foolishness and whatnot but it’s a lot of people that don’t love to play the game like him. He only plays 1 way. Russ coming in there was just a burst of energy and I think he gave those guys a lot of confidence.”
"I'm really close with Russ & probably 1 of his biggest fans just cuz of the energy that he brings. Everybody wants to talk all that foolishness & whatnot but it's a lot of people that don't love to play the game like him. He only plays 1 way."
Chris Paul on Russell Westbrook pic.twitter.com/7WrUxibnJ1
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 15, 2023
Westbrook was the biggest scapegoat for the Lakers this season, and his departure was seen as a major blessing for the franchise. To the Lakers’ credit, they rose to 7th place after losing Russ, but the former MVP has made himself valuable for his new team.
Did The Lakers Treat Westbrook The Proper Way?
With the Clippers, Russ has been having a mini-resurgence with averages of 15.8 points and 7.6 assists on 48% shooting through 21 games. The efficiency has been there and his energy has given the Clippers a noticeable edge on both ends of the floor.
It’s obvious that Russ is in a much better situation now, and the Clippers have the players they need to utilize him the right way.
“The Lakers brought him in and tried to make him a different player, tried to force him to be something he is not. And that led to a lot of the problems they had with each other. But the Lakers left him hung out to dry there,” a coach told Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports. “It wasn’t the coaches, it was more the front office.”
This season, Russ has a chance to get the ultimate revenge on the Lakers by proving his worth and leading the Clippers (with Kawhi) deep into the Western Conference playoffs.
If he somehow gets it done, not even the Lakers could deny him any longer.
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