Russell Westbrook is trying to make Los Angeles his home for longer than this season after being traded away by the Lakers and staying in the state by signing for the Clippers on the buyout market.
The Lakers have prospered since trading Westbrook away, going 4-1 in their 5 games since. However, fans think it’s very lazy and unfair to say Westbrook was the cause of the Lakers’ struggles this season.
The Lakers got 3 players for Russ to fill multiple areas of need for the franchise, which should naturally lead to an improvement on the court. Most fans recognize that and don’t support tearing Westbrook down to make a point.
A fan quickly defended Westbrook, “Nahhh that wasn’t Russ’s fault”
Another fan said that Russ is being brought up now to spin a narrative, “Definitely not because of losing Russ but whatever fits the narrative”
Depth was the key, as someone else recognized while analyzing the Lakers’ success, “To be fair they also added 2 key players that fit what they needed perfectly so they didn’t just get rid of Russ and start winning. This narrative is crazy”
Another fan echoed the same sentiment, “They got 4 players for Russ and Beverly. So Russ was NOT the problem. They just needed more depth.”
Westbrook’s fit on the court with LeBron James and Anthony Davis had been awkward from day one, as one fan put it, “Just wasn’t a good fit he couldn’t play with Bron and AD. I’m so happy he’s gone my Lakers have been flourishing since and will make the WCF.”
One fan highlighted the addition of Jarred Vanderbilt as a bigger factor than Russ leaving, “Russ wasn’t the problem…. But Vanderbilt was probably our solution”
A Lakers fan was cautious and wanted to see his team win more before blaming Russ, “Honestly I’m a Lakers fan and it’s too early to say that. They need more games”
Lakers Go 4-1 Without Westbrook While The Clippers Are 0-2
Russell Westbrook as a player was not the problem for the Lakers, but his $47 million restricted the space the Lakers had to add depth. He’s a tremendous value addition for the Clippers, playing for a fraction of the amount he made with the Lakers.
His on-court impact on the Clippers is yet to translate into wins. The team is 0-2 in the 2 games Russ has played so far, with Russ being benched in their latest game despite having a strong performance.
The Lakers have gotten better because trading Russ allowed them to get 3 players who would fit next to LeBron and AD and give them more depth to withstand injuries. The Clippers, on the other hand, are worse for a multitude of reasons. Westbrook isn’t that right now, having 2 solid performances under his belt, averaging 17.0 points, 9.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 steals for the Clippers.
Tyronn Lue needs to find the perfect way to employ Westbrook. Their losses have come against teams higher in the standings and they both were OT battles.
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