Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

I think that's overblown and players flaring up with coaches happens all the time man. You keep hanging on that one instance as some kind of proof. The former Head coach didn't say he was cancerous, none of the players or coaches he's ever played with,or for have either. Point them out please. You continue to harp on anything negative you can come up with. How about this..dude also hit cats in the pocket in shooting position on a routine basis..they missed a whole lot of good looks. He should have averaged 12 plus assists a game. Was that his fault too?

 

Yeah..I'm sure you could find a similar highlight reel on other cats on the team too. Lebron waved and conceded more baskets than I've seen from him ever this season. Give me those 10 game stretches I asked for. Let's chop em up.

 

That doesn't make the point you assume it does. Basketball requires 5 guys on the court, it doesn't matter how much they get paid. Westbrook doesn’t get paid to be the best defender on the team, that's not why he's in the NBA. Talking strictly about money, Wall has the same contract but didn't suit up. Back to Westbrook, you pick these 10 games then and let's watch them and judge just how bad he was specifically on defense then. I'm game, it will be whatever it turns out to be. I have them all on tape..let's do it. I think the Westbrook all time terrible defender is overblown CAP. I didn't say he was a great defender either.

 

In other words it's the 40 million dollar salary that you really have a problem with. Fine.. Hell I have a problem with max salaries for players that don't show up for work too.

 

No one is going to go to all that work Slick when it was obvious to all of us that watched him do the dumbest things on defense because he didn’t give a s*** about watching his man off ball all damn season …. and you argue the way you do. Take a hike with that. You look em up and hone that Russ didn’t suck defense you have for his sorry a** play.

 

It would show whatever it showed. I saw the games too, I didn't walk away thinking that Westbrook's defense or attitude was a deciding factor in many losses and we had plenty to choose from. However watching the ball and not staying attached to his man was his biggest issue to me too. I can agree with that, how much of a factor it played in us losing that particular game, we have a difference of opinion though it seems.

 

Personally I think the missed layups, FT and early season TO hurt more. But if you guys want to focus on his defense, that's your prerogative. I guess I'll keep being accused of " defending " his defense because I don't think it was his biggest issue then.

 

It does, but it's fine. You're entrenched in your Russ stance and will die on that hill. Any and everything he does you have an excuse for or turn a blind eye to. There's no reasoning or rationalizing against it. If it wasn't the dead of our summer with so little else to discuss, i wouldn't take the bait as often as I have. Good for you, he needs all the support he can get because his fans are running to the exits by the 1000s. I'm almost curious as to what you think he brings that benefits a team in today's NBA. You are correct, defense isn't his thing. He was very good in college and gambled and played the lanes in his NBA youth which yielded success or he was quick enough to rotate and recover when the gamble failed. He earned his coin because he was one of the most athletic, fiercest rim abusers in the NBA. He was a bad man. Now he's just bad. If you're no longer elite at something, you have to add to your game or your going to end your career like AI. Russ is one of the most head strong players in the past 20 years. That suited him when he could impose his will. But now it's going to fast track him to the next Marbury in China because he's not willing to fit it or adapt or do the little things on offense or defense.

I'm glad you're a glutton for punishment but I'm not. You couldn't pay me to watch this season's s*** show again. Any of it. If I had tapes of them, I'd cover them in 10 gallons of gasoline and burn them until there's nothing left. Again, admire the dedication but based on every interaction on here with everyone, no one's views/ thoughts/ facts presented would change anything.

 

Lebron doesn’t know any other way to play either.

 

That is going to be the problem for any true point guard that plays with him. He is a high level true point guard himself. But he's getting old and he has the ability to still score on the perimeter, in the paint or driving to the basket. He doesn't have to hold the rock until late in the shot clock and then decide what he wants to do. He just does it because that's what he's always done. This is going to be an interesting season.

 

Was making playoff in east n subsequently getting swept was no success and if you have forgotten lakers started winning easier games once they allowed Brick to shoot all the shots he wanted

 

Maybe you guys were and are expecting Westbrook the MVP in OKC or something, I wasn't. I don't care about his contract, it expires after this season.
Westbrook is still an elite facilitator, that is why he was brought here, he should have avg more assists this season than he did in Washington (12), even playing with Bron. He was getting the ball to folks in shooting position all season. I don't think any of these little guys are that impactful on defense. Paul just gets away with hacking people, Steph, Dame, Kyrie defense is not their forte either. They do have a skillset on offense that keeps their value and impact on the game up tho. So does Westbrook, he can pass with the best, he still gets by most players in the NBA consistently, but he has got to finish better, a lot of these shots are uncontested. He has to hit those FT..he's never been a shooter and that's ok, if he tighten up on those two things. The TO tamped down by the end of the season, especially the wild reckless ones. I think Russ will be fine with James. Davis and Nunn and a few roster tweaks. He's not going to carry the team tho without the big duo. The team isn't built around him, besides he's not that guy anymore, that exceptional, explosive athlete but that doesn't mean that he's washed. I thought Russ had a subpar season for MY expectations of him. Those expectations may be different than yours, but I believe he'll bounce back next season. As the third guy on this team, I'm still rocking with Westbrook, hopefully Bron and AD gives us 80 games like he did and then we can really declare what's what.

 

Making the playoffs is a success in Washington, they are not the Lakers. That team came a long way that season, beat us twice too. Not sure what you meant in that last part but I'm expecting better team health , better Westbrook next season.

 

The other elephant in the room is AD. I take him at his word on his assessment of the team. He said that guys have to make adjustments when they first play together. He did it, Lebron did it, Russ has to do it. He also said that they have to actually play together in order to work those adjustments out on the court. And that they didn't play together enough to work anything out, and the media and fans unfairly put that on Russ. Cool. Well Anthony needs to give me a full season at the level he's capable of playing at this campaign. He can't be the youngest guy playing in the least amount of games. He is the franchise not Russ or Lebron, he should be the best player at this point. If it plays out in similar fashion this season with him, it's time to blow the whole thing up IMO.

 

so if AD is able to stay healthy n play at high level does that automatically mean Brick will try harder on defense, shoot well from outside and not stat pad at expense of the team?

 

Hell no.

 

Frankly if you haven't seen a healthy AD play at a high level for a full season how would you claim to know otherwise? DM me some lottery numbers please.

 

You can DM me some lottery numbers too Nostradamus.

 

No.
Westbrick would have still:
Not played any defense
Missed a ton of layups
Missed a ton of dunks
Hit the side and top of the backboard way too many times for a pro
Shot an abysmal 3pnt percentage
Failed to change his game
Pad his rebounding stats by camping in the lane
Put all the blame on others

Yeah, let’s continue to deflect from one of the single worst season long Laker performances known to man by bringing up unrelated issues.
There’s no argument to be had with Russ.
You are a Stan if you ignore the facts and claim that he wasn’t a major factor contributing this disastrous season.