Veteran point guard for the LA Clippers Russell Westbrook is expected to return in Monday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers after an absence of nearly a month. The news of his impending return left Clippers fans rejoicing as they waited for the former MVP to inject Los Angeles with a much-needed energy boost.
Westbrook fractured his left hand against the Washington Wizards on March 1 and had surgery three days later. Since then, he has missed 12 straight games, with Los Angeles (44-26) going just 6-6 without him, unlike its 38-20 record with him.
After their mid-season rise (31-8 record from November 17 to February 5), the Clippers rose to first place in the Western Conference. However, they have since dropped to the fourth seed, 5.5 games behind first. Additionally, they only have a 0.5 game advantage over the fifth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans.
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Meanwhile, amid their struggles, the team questioned their identity and direction. So the latest report from Clippers insider Joey Linn that Westbrook is expected to return on Monday came as a relief to fans.
Most wanted to see the nine-time All-Star boost Los Angeles’ team morale and hold his teammates accountable heading into the playoffs.
“Thank God. [The] The team is lacking energy, man. Russian [is] bring this shit. I’ll happily take the good with the bad,” one fan said.
“Man, we missed him. His energy and responsibility towards his teammates alone elevates our floor so much,” said another.
Below are some of the main fan reactions to the news of Westbrook’s impending return:
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Ty Lue calls out the Clippers ahead of Russell Westbrook’s expected return
With Russell Westbrook sidelined, the Clippers suffered a 121-107 home loss to the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. After this disappointing defeat, Clippers coach Ty Lue sounded the alarm to his team.
Although the Sixers are without a superstar big man Joel Embiid (knee), LA never led, up to 21 points behind. According to Lue, if the team maintains its inconsistency heading into the playoffs, it won’t pose much of a threat.
So he called on the Clippers to bring more energy to their remaining 12 games.
“We know we have to play better basketball going into the playoffs or it will be an early offseason,” Lue said. “I still have full confidence in this team and what we can do. It’s just [about] go out and do it every night – not 26 minutes, [but] 48 minutes to do the right things.
It remains to be seen how much Westbrook’s return will help with Los Angeles’ effort issues, as he will likely be on a minutes restriction. However, given the 35-year-old’s energetic playing experience, even in limited minutes, his presence on the court should be enough to make a considerable impact.
In 58 games, Westbrook is averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 3-pointers per game on 45.2% shooting.
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