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All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook started the season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. In his second season with the squad, he averaged 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. But the Lakers traded him to the Utah Jazz at the deadline. And after being bought out by Utah, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
So far, with the Clippers, Russ has been a much better fit. His rebounds per game have decreased, but his shooting percentages from the field and beyond the arc have improved significantly. Now in the thick of the playoffs, Westbrook says he is grateful to the Clippers for allowing him to make mistakes and grow, a seemingly subtle shot at his former team, the Lakers.
“It’s amazing here for me,” Westbrook told Bleacher Report’s, Chris B. Haynes. “My whole career, I’m a guy that prides myself on doing everything on both sides of the floor. Every possession, I try to make winning plays. I’ve been in every position before. Just like with anyone else, when they have off nights, they may only do one thing. But for me, I pride myself on doing each and every thing every night, and I’m grateful that the Clippers allow me to do that.”
Paul George Fires Back at Russell Westbrook Critics
Westbrook is a multi-time All-Star and an NBA MVP. But as talented as he is, he does have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde complex. When he is on, he is one of the best point guards in the league, but when he is off, it is pretty hard to watch. For example, he shot just 3-19 from the field in Game 1 against the Suns but came up with huge defensive plays down the stretch to help the Los Angles secure the win. Clippers star Paul George, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, says that people tend to zero in on the mistakes Westbrook makes, but the overall impact he has on the game, is often overlooked.
“They just see Russ for the shots that he misses. They don’t see him for the rebounding, or the defense. Look at the block on KD to start this series off, and the block on D-Book to finish the game,” George said to Chris B. Haynes of Bleacher Report.
“They don’t see the intangibles, and they look past everything else that he does. They solely lock into whether he makes or misses shots and judge him off that. People don’t judge him off who he is as a basketball player.”
Paul George Details Russell Westbrook’s Impact
Westbrook is a unique player, and nobody can understand his game the way he can. George knows that every performance Russ has won’t be MVP-worthy, but the fact that off nights don’t affect how Westbrook approaches the game is what makes him even more special.
There is nothing you can say to him that will impact how he plays. You have to allow him to go through the motions and live with the result.
“You say absolutely nothing to him,” George added. “That’s part of the game. Michael Jordan missed shots. It happens. Every night is not going to be a hot night. Every night is not going to be a 30-, or 40-point performance. But I think his ability to not let that waver his overall game is a confidence flex of his own. It almost makes him go harder because he’s not making shots. He’s going to make his imprint somewhere else.”
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