The Los Angeles Clippers are just beginning their version of the Russell Westbrook experience, and they’re hoping it will be the type of experience that will result in their first-ever NBA championship.
His initial weeks with them late last season were topsy-turvy, but the thinking within the team seems to be that a full training camp with his new teammates will do everyone lots of good.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are still hoping to land disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden via trade, and Harden is apparently hoping that is exactly what will happen.
But for now, the honeymoon between Westbrook and the Clippers hasn’t ended, and head coach Tyronn Lue has made it clear they don’t want to box him in.
“We want Russ to be Russ,” Lue said, “but understand what we need him to be for the team to be successful. And he’s bought in 100%. It wasn’t hard to convince him what we needed.”
NBA NEWS & TRaDE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
When he was with the Los Angeles Lakers early last season and the year before that, Westbrook was asked to tailor his game so that he could fill in the holes around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But it didn’t work, and the Lakers dumped him for D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt, two pieces who fit them better.
But with the Clippers, Westbrook seems happier and freer than he’s been in a while. As for the actual results, they have been mixed.
In their season opener, they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, who are going through a “The Day After” experience after trading franchise player Damian Lillard, 123-111 as Westbrook had an efficient 11 points plus 13 assists and five rebounds.
NBA NEWS & TRaDE RUMORS: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers Updates
But their second game wasn’t as kind to them. Facing the Utah Jazz, they lost 120-118 as Westbrook had more turnovers (five) than points (four) and missed a short putback jumper just before the buzzer that would’ve forced overtime. He had a teammate available for an open 3-pointer in Nicolas Batum, but Westbrook decided to pull the trigger.
If the Clippers want to remain invested in Westbrook, they must withstand the impetuous ups and downs that inevitably come with having him.
