Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

Russ isn't going anywhere for three reasons;

- No one is going to take him on for 44m
- He hasn't been as awful as it's made out, so we'd need a combo of players back that are more productive
- It's a bad look and the way you treat players is important in this league

 

You have to start prepping him and the team to start sitting him when AD gets back to finish games. Against teams like Memphis "small ball" is likely going to feature AD/Lebron obviously, you're going to need MOnk for offense despite his stinker against Memphis, and then 2 more defensive stalwarts between Reaves/THT/Johnson/Ariza/Bradley.

The way the Lebron/Monk PNR works, AD at the dunker spot makes sense and if you have Reaves/Johnson for example as the outlets and on defense, you only have one weak link in Monk whose gotten better. Russ in the 1/2 court against good teams is a disaster over and over again and he's a mediocre defender. Got to lay the foundation so the team doesn't get Goberted out like Utah or Russ'ed out like the Lakers did the Rockets

 

I really doubt our coaching staff has the balls to bench Russ at the end of games

 

Not just our staff, there's only one coach in the league today who could get away with that and that's Pop. Outside of that, no way, no how.

 

I never thought we would move him at the deadline so that article doesn't surprise me.

 

of course this staff doesn't have the balls, Vogel couldn't even pick his own assistant

 

As for benching Russ, decisions will definitely have to be made once Nunn is back. I don't see us benching him but I can see fewer minutes and a tighter leash.

 

As I mused a few days ago .... what's the worst that could happen? Long term (after season is over), Russ is still pissed that happened and says screw you Lakers and opts out? Oh no Russ please, please don't do that!! Not to mention the short term, if it pisses him off and he refuses to play simply because he can't be in there at the end of games with better and safer players available?

Problem solved seems to me. Come on Vogel you know you want to .... you know you NEED to!!

 

That last meme is one of the creepiest things ever! LOL!

 

I know but it’s kinda great because of that.

 

I imagine having Zo and AC instead and it kills me.

 

feel better: i don't think we were going to go the hard-cap route that it would take to get zo. plus, i don't see NO giving us zo back for kuz and change after they refused that in the original negotiations.

 

Right. Plus, if we were going to entertain being hard-capped, the target should've been Derozan IMO.

 

or lowry.

anyway, water under the bridge. we messed up and now have to figure out next steps.

honestly, i'm beginning to think that getting westbrook to re-up on a cheaper 3-year (heavily non-guaranteed 3rd year) is probably the smartest route. try to bring back as much of the guys we like next year as possible and hope continuity and maybe some better health can get us back in the top part of the conference. this year's gone, imo. all moves we make at the deadline need to be made with next year in mind.

 

I wonder if the best way to play Russ is leading the 2nd unit and turning him loose like no other. Nobody says he has to be in the starting 5. It's always important who finishes right? But what if we have a better combo both starting and finishing? Can he adjust and become a champion?

I believe he can. We have time. But he does have a 40+ million dollar a year ago to overcome, and that is nothing to sneeze at for an all time great.

A blessing in disguise might be Russ having to sit out for a few games whether from nagging injury or something plandemic related. If he sat on the sidelines and watched us take off without him, would he volunteer to take on that role on his own ala all time Laker great Luke did that one year?

 

Just seems when Russ is turned loose to “be Russ” that even if with 2nd unit …. being Russ causes all that gas in his head which plays gotcha and “not so fast” with all the benefits and positive results of his best play. At any given time and often the worst possible times.

 

We can’t win it all without him this year. If he doesn’t figure it out, we don’t go far. I’m pulling for him and the guys to figure it out

 

Agree with this: it depends on what he wants, if he wants to end his career with fond memories like Kidd and Rondo whose legacy was sealed and cemented by being star roleplaeyrs this would make sense.

He doesn't have the skills such as set shooting or the mindset to do what Kidd and Rondo did at this point, but he would a great 6th man and likely win the award. Go all out, physically dominate bench units, he can play with spacers instead of being asked to be when playing with Lebron/AD