Russell Westbrook did not have a good offensive game against the Los Angeles Clippers recently. He went 0-11 from the field but ended up playing some good defense and getting 5 steals in the process.
When asked by the media about his game, Russell Westbrook claimed that he played “solid” against the Clippers, noting that he “played hard” and adding that this is all one can ask for.
Russ says he played ‘solid’ tonight
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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 21, 2022
Though it was not the best game for Russell Westbrook on the offensive end, it is clear that the point guard did work hard on the defensive end, even getting some key stops against Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard. However, as the No. 3 scorer on the roster and one of the best offensive players on the team, the Los Angeles Lakers do need him to play better on that end of the floor as well.
Russell Westbrook struggled a lot last season, and it seems as though those struggles have carried on to this season. Hopefully, we see him overcome the fit issues on the Los Angeles Lakers, and show that he is still an impactful point guard in the NBA.
Russell Westbrook Could Be Better With A Role Shift
Russell Westbrook has had a high usage rate throughout his career, and there’s no question that he thrives when he gets to dominate the ball, and dictate how the offense goes. He has had less opportunity to do that with the Los Angeles Lakers as he is the No. 3 option on the team.
A shift in his role could be what Russell Westbrook needs. He previously came off the bench during the Los Angeles Lakers preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, and Adrian Wojnarowski explained why the team elected to make that decision despite Westbrook being a starting-level player.
The Lakers are planning to bring Russell Westbrook off the bench in the final preseason game vs. Kings tonight. Darvin Ham and Westbrook have been exploring possibility of Westbrook quarterbacking second unit and they’ll try it tonight.
There’s a hope that Westbrook can play freer and faster with ball in his hands on second unit — and have to worry less about fitting away from ball around the starting group. It is certainly an idea they’ll continue to discuss with start of regular season next week.
Playing with the bench unit could be just what Russell Westbrook needs. He would likely be able to have the ball a lot more in his hands that way, which plays into his strengths.
Hopefully, the Los Angeles Lakers figure out a way to help Russell Westbrook be the best version of himself. At this point, anything should be on the table, including the point guard coming off the bench.
