Point guard Russell Westbrook has had a mixed season this year. On the one hand, he had a rough time with the Los Angeles Lakers and was forced to come off the bench. However, he was reinstated as a starter since his move to the Los Angeles Clippers and has fully bought into his role as the No. 3 option on the team.
Even though he didn’t shoot well, Russell Westbrook had a huge impact on the team’s win, playing elite defense, facilitating well, and avoiding turnovers. After the game, Kawhi Leonard spoke out about the point guard, pointing out that Westbrook has “been big in the playoffs before,” adding that he expects the guard to “play great.”
“He’s a Hall-of-Fame point guard. He’s been big in playoffs before. He’s been to the Finals. I expect him to play great and do his job,” Leonard said of Westbrook.
"He's a Hall-of-Fame point guard. He's been big in playoffs before. He's been to the Finals. I expect him to play great and do his job."
Kawhi Leonard on Russell Westbrook's addition to the Clippers.
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/sBVmPWGh14
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 17, 2023
It is good to see Kawhi Leonard’s support for Russell Westbrook, especially considering the constant criticism that the point guard has had to endure during his time with the Lakers. It is clear that the Clippers are a much better environment for him, and we’ll see if he continues to play well for the team.
This season, Russell Westbrook has averaged 15.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 7.5 APG. There is no doubt that the point guard is still effective when in the right situation, and it is clear that the Clippers are a good fit for him right now.
Paul George Thinks Russell Westbrook Is Valuable Because Of His Intangibles
Even though Russell Westbrook has had some tough shooting nights, it is clear that his impact expands way beyond his scoring. In fact, Paul George claimed that his “intangibles” are the reason he was a “huge pickup” for the Clippers.
“This is the reason why Russ was such a huge pickup for us,” George told B/R. “They just see Russ for the shots that he misses. They don’t see him for the rebounding, the defense. Look at the block on KD to start this series off and the block on D-Book to finish the game. They don’t see the intangibles, and they look past everything else that he does. They solely lock into whether he make or miss shots and judge him off of that. People don’t judge him off who he is as a basketball player.”
With Paul George being out until the second round, Russell Westbrook has had to take on a bigger role for the team. If his shooting evens out and is better next game, then the Phoenix Suns are going to have a much tougher time winning. However, the key is for Westbrook to continue doing the little things, no matter the number of baskets he makes.
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