Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

Russ is figuring it out and finding other ways to contribute beyond scoring.

 

I don’t mind Westbrook shooting that pull-up 2. If we’re going to win the championship, he needs to be able to hit that. It keeps defenders from sagging off of him, opening up space for him and the rest of the team to attack the basket.

 

Yet somehow he figured out how to be a league MVP, 9 time All Star, career avgs of
24pt 7.5 rebs and 8.5 assists and a 1st ballot Hall of Famer? Meh..talk about focusing on the negative while ignoring everything else. SMH

 

I don't mind it either but it comes with a big if:
1) It got to be the right shot for the play. A pull up 2 early in the shot clock when you don't have a clear advantage is easily the worse shot statistically in basketball. Far too many Russ pull up two's are WTF did you shoot that variety

2) he's got to hit the damn shot: he airballed a pull up 2 late in the game when it was the right move. Had a big on him and he was able to create good separation and airballed a shot in a critical possession.

 

The only thing I really see missing with Russ is those explosive springs that he has so far. Once they kick in he will finish more plays at the rim.

 

I’m seriously wondering if those “springs” and the elevation he gets on his midrange J s are what the problem is with missing so many? He seems to shoot once he gets to the top and maybe with all of that explosion he’s capable of …. the “top” isn’t always at the same level?

 

I don't know, but that's an interesting observation. Some guys are just never going to be good shooters, no matter how much effort they put in the gymn at it. Offensively Russ is similar to Jason Kidd, Kidd never developed a good jumper, he improved his 3 pt shot as he played, but he was always below average from 2. I think Kidd was a career 43% shooter from inside the arc. Westbrook is just a much more explosive finisher and scorer in the paint then Kidd was. If he was out there flushing and bodying folks on these drives like he usually does, I don't think we'd pay as much attention to his jump shot, because he would still be scoring buckets. This aspect of his game hasn't kicked in yet.

 

Man, it’s going to be a long season for you, then. He wasn’t my first choice either and I still question the fit, but I will let history be my guide. He started slowly with both Houston and DC, but played well after the first few months. I get it though- you expect a guy making that kinda coin to only need a short span of time to acclimate.

 

He has a very “quiet” 9 turnovers. Like at least one of them I can recall was due to a good play/pass that ended up getting deflected by the defender off Lebron’s hands.

I did not leave that game thinking “Westbrook’s sloppiness almost cost us the game.”

I left it thinking “Westbrook’s playmaking is what helped the offense keep flowing for large stretches of the game”.

Yes he had a few bad shots, and one hideous airball. But overall I thought he played well.

 

I think at least two were fumbled by the receiver that in most cases should have been retained.

 

When Russell figures it out and the spacing is there. Teams are going to have issues stopping the Lakers on offense.

The defense, however, needs to improve a lot but if Melo is gonna shoot like the has all year, they may not need it as much during the playoffs.

 

Speaking of Westbrook's free throw pull up shot - I'd love for him to make that shot regularly too. Run full speed and stop on the free throw for a jumper... it used to be his bread and butter. I don't know why he doesn't go to it more often, it was literally one of his best shots a few years ago. And it would help our spacing. We aren't a terrible 3 point shooting team if we can get some breathing room.

 

His form on that shot is a high elevation jump with a flick of the wrist - it's not a normal jump shot. Some people have theorised that when he gets in better game shape and can do repeated effort jumps, both his finishing at the rim and his mid range improve. He shot 45% from mid range in Houston and averaged 27 pts a game.

It just opens up his driving and passing games and would do wonders for our spacing.

 

the negatives will rear its head out more noticeably during loses

 

that just speaks for his effort, which no one questions but doesnt mean hes not a dumb player

 

We could use more dumb players like him then.