By this summer, LA Clippers fans knew it was time for Russell Westbrook and the Clippers to go their separate ways. Even after the team brought him on back at the February 2023 trade deadline, he was initially considered one of the core members of the roster, right alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
That assessment would prove true at least in the short term. Westbrook helped LA elevate for the tail end of the 2022-23 season and made huge hay for them in the playoffs. Russ’s Clippers finally appeared to be the place things would work out after the Lakers couldn’t get the production they were hoping for out of him.
That all went to plan until the second week of the 2023-24 season when the Clippers made their blockbuster trade for James Harden. The move forced Westbrook back to the bench – his decision or otherwise.
His overall impact was reduced after the switch to the second unit, Russ. He still had his flashes, but the impact wasn’t as continuous from the prior season, and it could be noticed. Many wondered if that could be what finally stresses the end of his time in LA, and we now know that it did .
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Westbrook Thrives off the Bench
The Clippers did not re-sign Russ, and he landed on a veteran minimum deal with the Denver Nuggets. Some prideful fans of both the Lakers and Clippers will attempt to say now that Westbrook is just not himself anymore and no longer a useful rotation player. But what Russ has countered is that he simply was not put in a position to succeed with his last two teams at the time of his departure.
We’re finding out that maybe Westbrook was onto something. It’s only one preseason game, but already, the way Denver utilizes Russ has proven to be ridiculously helpful in maximizing his output. The first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft had 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three three-point field goals made against the Boston Celtics in Abu Dhabi, in just 19 minutes of action.
Again, just a preseason game, but that’s quite a jarring example of the kind of overall impact Russ can still have when put in a position to maximize his talents at this point in his career. And none of this is to throw blame on the Clippers, since they simply knew they’d be better off starting Harden at point guard over Westbrook.
The ones still on Westbrook’s bandwagon as a fan of the Clippers, though, have to be thrilled about this. Russ is playing off a player that could arguably be considered the best in the world in an offense that is allowing his playmaking to pop in a major way. If it continues, that would appear his theory on himself was correct all along.
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