Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

Still plays zero defense when he’s off ball.

 

There you go Russ … play like that. Easy peasy. Thank you.

 

i really don't understand how an NBA player can miss that badly as often as russ does. seems like he does it every game

 

There you go, Russ. Now retire. Easy peasy. Thank you.

 

Nine deep …. forgot Dwight.

Ten if Nunn makes it back.

 

that's too many

-MikeDanTony (Probably)

 

Nunn is part of the 8

 

A lot of the stuff the Magic do aren't replicated by good teams i.e. going over the top of screens with Russ not having the adequate personnel to throw a defended @ him, etc.

We shall see what he does going forward.

 

He played well and hard… went to the floor twice … and made the shots at the rim that he still very capably athletically gets every game. Does he not? He just hasn’t been making them. I recall only 2 brain farts, the obligatory every game miss by a ridiculous margin bank shot and the dribble off himself out of bounds. Good passing and taking care of the ball. That Russ is a net positive and still a force that would be welcome going forward. Russ doesn’t get “overmatched” by good teams because of declining athleticism … rather by his brain and trying to do things he’s not good at but he’s still a force when he plays like last night. And yep … agree we shall see if he continues to play like that.

 

Then, I don't know what you're watching

 

Which part specifically? No ego in the take and watched the game late and with not full attention. Just thought in comparison to “Bad Russ” that was a “Good Russ” game that he’s capable of playing if not playing stupid.

 

He's getting shots @ the rim, but the rate @ which he finishes has dropped off?

Is that due to "brain farts" or the beginning of a decrease in athleticism?

Or a combination of both?

 

Well where he’s blowing them, at that point they are easy makes with just elementary basketball touch needed. He got there and up there with still plenty of speed and explosion even if not what it was in his prime. Same as LeBron. He then just chumps the shots which he should easily put in at that point. I vote concentration / (brain fart if super easy lay in)

 

Disagree.

Russ was an athletic marvel in his prime.

He was such a freak. Think Ja Morant like.

So, when I seem him now: it isn't night and day. But there is a decline there.

And that's fine.

So, there will be some nights he looks like old Russ (dunk against Gobert) but those nights are becoming fewer and fewer. IMO. .

All good. Maybe he'll surprise tomorrow, and he'll have a great road trip.

 

i read this elsewhere, and i'll take it. all i've wanted all year is just for him to play defense. even at his advanced age, his size, strength, and experience should allow him to be a passable defender both on and off the ball. failure there is about focus and desire, not ability, imo.

 

I’m not talking even about dunks. He is good with either hand up at the rim or the sneaky acceleration off the dribble (like Rondo and Schroder and other good guards) and one hand lay ups from below. He gets to both types of those off either leg and like LeBron with right or wrong foot …. pretty much every game.

 

Ok.

So, we'll just with your thought process. We'll blame it on a lack of touch, concentration. Maybe he's playing too fast?

That still wouldn't explain the decrease in efficiency in his finishes @ the rim when he had a higher efficiency in seasons past with worse quality looks.

 

Well he’s right there … he got there to be in position in the first place to even have the easy shots he’s now blowing. So how is it athleticism that is making him miss them more than some other reason like concentration and realizing he needs to now put it in with touch? He’s blown a lot of them but he’s gotten there impressively (often) to blow them.

 

Your statement is a contradiction, if you accept his hypothesis that it’s a lack of concentration that is harming his finishing… then that does explain the drop in efficiency.

The fact that he is leading the league at attempts at the rim and they’re easier than they have been in years past totally negates the declining athleticism theory. He is plenty athletic to get there, his touch has just been rubbish for 15 games.