Russell Westbrook‘s career is back on track now that he is with the Los Angeles Clippers. Having signed a two-year $7,863,263 contract with the Clips, Russ has finally found his home in LA after a torrid spell with the Lakers. Spending about one-and-a-half seasons with the Purple and Gold, Westbrook’s time with them was far from successful.
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There are plenty of reasons for this, from the way the fans took to him to the coaching. However, according to Gilbert Arenas, the main reason things didn’t work out for Russ with the Lakers is LeBron James. Sharing his opinion on his podcast Gil’s Arena, Agent Zero explained that both men shared a similar style of play that couldn’t work with them playing together. “Him and LeBron play the same position…that’s what the clash was, it was two players trying to do the same exact thing,” said Arenas
Agent Zero pointed out the right point, as both Westbrook and James are primary ball handlers. To add to that, they are used to running the game and, in turn, being the playmaker of the team. As such, having both of them on the court at the same time was not ideal for the Lakers.
So, with that in mind, it makes sense why the team decided to ship off the 2017 MVP. And, from the looks of it, it’s worked out for both parties. Russ is on a team where he can play his best position, and the Lakers have been a lot more lethal with King James running point. All’s well that ends well.
Russell Westbrook’s form has improved tremendously with the Los Angeles Clippers
The trade away from the Lakers has done wonders for Westbrook’s career. Since joining the Clippers, he has looked a lot like his former self. Scoring points, grabbing rebounds, and dishing the ball out, some may say he’s back to being a triple-double machine. That said, he still has a long way to go.
In the first five games of the 2023-2024 season, Russ has proven to be key to the Clippers’ success. Averaging 15.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and seven assists, he is performing exceptionally well. In fact, his best game of the season came against the Lakers. However, his 24 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists were not enough in what ended up being a 130-125 overtime loss for his team.
Russ just seems to be a great fit for the Clippers. His role as the ball handler is complimented by the off-the-ball ability of players like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. But that too, might be threatened now with the arrival of James Harden.
The Beard is also a ball handler and requires much of the ball in his hands. This is the reason why things didn’t work out well with the two on the Houston Rockets. So, with that in mind, many believe that Russ could be relegated to a bench role. This would be a detriment to all that Westbrook has done with the team thus far. But, at this point, only time will tell what is in store for him.
