After the last two seasons, fans didn’t expect a Los Angeles team to collapse after losing. Russell Westbrook. But the Clippers have been struggling since Westbrook broke his hand.
Westbrook’s numbers this season have been a far cry from his usual stat stuffing. He is averaging 11.1 points, the lowest point total of his career, in 22.6 minutes, also a career low.
But Westbrook enhanced his game for the Clippers stars, taking a back seat to Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden. He takes more shots at the rim and dunks more than he has in four years. Freed from offensive responsibilities, Westbrook is blocking shots at the highest rate of his career and throwing steals more often than he has since 2018-19, clear signs of high effort on defense.
This is very important for a Clippers team that has certainly had effort problems. After being eliminated on Sunday by the Atlanta Hawks 30-37, Leonard said the team’s effort was lacking.
That was also the refrain on March 12, after the Clippers blew a 22-point lead to the Minnesota Timberwolves and lost by 18.
Say what you want about Westbrook’s efficiency or shot selection, but his effort was never lacking. The same can’t be said for his teammates in recent weeks, especially when it comes to playing defense in transition. Some of this is caused by sloppy turnovers, while some of it comes from consistent hard running.
It doesn’t help that the Clippers aren’t getting much from Bones Hyland, pressed into service as a backup guard with Westbrook out. Over the last nine games, he’s averaged less than six points per game – and 1.4 turnovers.
Soon after Lakers fans regularly flock to Crypto.com Arena chanted “Westbrick” A nine-time All-Star, the Clippers and their fans fervently hope that Westbrook can return to the court. Otherwise, they’re doomed to more post-game press conferences about not trying, and even more losses.
