Russell Westbrook never stopped playing in the Crypto.com Arena after his disastrous stint with the Lakers ended last season, given he joined the Clippers right after. In his second matchup against the Lakers since joining the Clippers, boos rained upon Russ during the pre-game introductions as the Lakers faithful made it clear they have no love lost for Brodie.
Lakers fans booed Russell Westbrook during his pregame introduction tonight 😳
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/E0JJ2pZVSY
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 2, 2023
Westbrook’s time with the Lakers was decidedly unhappy, as both fans and the player himself couldn’t accommodate each other. Due to Russ’ sloppy play, poor decisions, and inability to shoot, Lakers fans were never going to accept him. The team was under .500 for basically his entire tenure with the franchise, becoming instantly better the second he was traded away.
Westbrook averaged 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists with the Lakers, indicating he wasn’t as bad as many Lakers fans make him out to be. The problem is that he simply didn’t fit on the roster. The post-trade roster with multiple young players and versatile defenders brought them success, something they hope carries forward this season.
Westbrook has been solid to start the season for LAC, averaging 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on great shooting numbers. He started in tonight’s game against the Lakers, but it’ll be interesting to see what his place in the rotation is after James Harden makes his debut.
Lakers Struggling Against The Clippers
Just like their opening four games of the season, the Lakers are going into the second half trailing. In three out of four games, the Lakers have trailed by double-digits but made every single game competitive. The score stands at 61-48 right now, with the Lakers already chipping away at the score. Whether the disciplined Clippers will give them enough room to get back into the game remains to be seen.
The Clippers are on the second night of a back-to-back, so they could run out of gas in the second half. They also lack a lot of bodies on their roster after the James Harden trade sent away Marcus Morris Sr, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, and KJ Martin. Harden isn’t ready to suit up for tonight’s game. P.J. Tucker is available to play and has logged no box score contributions in the six minutes he’s spent on the court.
The Lakers are led by LeBron James‘ 17 points in the first half, with King James trying to go bucket-for-bucket with Kawhi Leonard, who has 22 points after a blistering first quarter. No other Laker is in double-digits yet, with Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell both having scored eight points in the first half.
The Clippers are getting an inspired performance from Westbrook, who has 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals in the first half. His activity on the defensive end has suffocated the Lakers on the perimeter, while his fast-break offense is consistently leading to opportunities for either him or his teammates.
It’ll be interesting to see how the second half plays out, especially if the Lakers have Davis come alive and take over the game. Ivica Zubac and Mason Plumlee shouldn’t intimidate him and he needs to lead the Lakers’ second-half charge.
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