Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

i'd agree if russ wasn't such an on and off court problem this year. i just can't imagine how lackadaisical lebron and AD will be to start next year if we just change coaches to <insert mike brown type here> and reshuffle the vet mins.

and smaller bad contracts are moveable.

i'd prefer AD pelicans to bottoming out whilst we don't own our picks.

 

I could break down each of your points and counter them. But they’re fine points and it’s all well and good but we’re talking about 1 vs 4 years. I can handle trying to run things back with a new coach for one more season, as opposed to 4 years of injuries and getting bounced out in the first round.

We both agree AD is a top player in the league, why waste 4 years of his prime when you can just waste one? Because Wall, Hayward and Brogdon are going to be too injured to contribute.

 

The Laker FO is not willing to waste another year. They already know this isn’t going to work so they will move him. Plus, Rob has to assemble a winning product in order to keep his job.
If the new guys don’t work out, they can be moved as well.
I also forgot to mention: This Fool DOES NOT LISTEN TO HIS COACHING STAFF!
I’ve seen many pick a specific hill to die on, but I just don’t get someone choosing him with all of the evidence.

 

Just want to throw this in to the mix when debating the value of Russ (and running it back) vs. making a trade. All these players that are being connected to us have injury issues. BUT they are starters or the first guy off the bench. I think the value of having contributing NBA players on the roster is being greatly overlooked.

You can check the analytics anywhere, but here is just the first ranking I saw for players (ranking is fantasy basketball geared but will serve the purpose for this comparison). Basketball Monster has numerical rankings of players this year. Here are some numbers for you guys..
1) Joker
4) Bron
10) AD
31) Rozier
75) Hayward
110) Melo
131) Monk
220) THT
224) Russ

I don't agree with these, there's definitely flaws in this data but it does enough for the purpose of my argument that our middle class of our roster is dead. Getting talent back for Russ is the only way to restock. If GH only plays 41 games, that's huge when your current 3rd best player is slotted 35 slots lower than him. Based on their figures, you're replacing the 131st and 224th best players with #31 and #75.

I don't think we can just ride it out another year then be done with Russ. If half of what's come out in the media is true, he can't play another game here. And these are leaks before the season has even ended. Things are going to get much uglier. There will be several more to leak in the coming weeks and months. None of it's been good. So what do you do then? Have him stay away from the team and get nothing back? Then how do you restock your team when he's gone? I don't think Bron or AD are going anywhere. So we're still limited financially and without the assets or draft picks to make moves for meaningful supporting players.

 

Agreed. Bron doesn't want to waste another year. Even if we're nearing the end of our relationship with him, we don't know when our next swing is at this thing. Based on how Bron's body is holding up, I think he has one more top notch run at this thing. I think we'll keep him after that but it will be for financial benefits instead of the likelihood of contending.

Rob is on the hot seat already for next season. This one is being pinned on Frank (unfairly) and Russ. When they're gone, all eyes are on Rob. It makes me think he'll throw everything at next season that he can (THT, picks, everything at his disposal) because it won't matter to him if we empty the chest. He won't give two s***s about the 2027 1st if he's fired in 2023.

And regarding the players linked to us... it's always easier to unload smaller deals (that's the whole reason Dallas traded Zinger). GH will be an expiring in two years and easy to dump after 1 year.

 

I agree that Lebron doesn’t want to waste another year, and I agree with others who have said we need to focus on where we are after Lebron. Because Lebron probably doesn’t have it in him to will us to another ring and we don’t want to be in the dumps for another half a decade after him.

So Russ is a better option long term because we have a ton of cap space after one year, no need to trade anything to anyone. We can just go out and sign who ever is available with that 47m, you can get 3 mid tier level players in literally another season. And in the short term, if a coach can make Russ work, he is better than Hayward or Wall or Brogdon, because he will be healthy and it was only last year that he was putting up 25/15/15 to finish the season in Washington.

Now Rozier and Hayward is interesting to me, but Hayward and Oubre, or Rozier and Oubre or Brogdon or Wall. No thanks, keep your junk and let Russ expire.

 

Great stats. Wizards were 8th seed with Beal on the roster too. Lost 4-1 in the first round.

He can go and make 20/20/20 in the Chinese league

 

Bradley Beal missed 20+ games. And they had nothing else on the team - their best player apart from Westbrook and Beal was Bertans scoring 11 points. It was actually quite an achievement whether you care or not. Especially when you compare it to the lakers missing the playoffs this year.

 

I think we should be over Russ stats at this point.
He has a -211 this season. For comparison Monk has a +58. Reaves a +52. The two other guards who played much of the season and get a minimum salary.

He set a ton of negative records this season, he's absolutely unplayable. All worse lineups were with him. His presence makes the team worse.

 

From a random YT comment:

 

He's a bad basketball player.

And once he's moved or expires here next year (hope not) we can move this to the NBA General Forum Section and let the 2 Russ Stans worship him over there.

Can't wait.

 

i think anything that nets rozier without giving up an unprotected pick is a pretty big win. he's a big upgrade at guard and does exactly what we need. it's hard to believe it's even possible (which might mean it's not).

i don't want wall. i'd take brogdon, but i understand why others wouldn't. i'm pretty consistent in that i like the idea of having a high ceiling more than a low floor, and i think that's what a brogdon brings. he and AD get hurt, and you're out of the playoffs again, but if he and lebron and AD are healthy, we can be a bear.

 

This is the end, my only friend, the end.

 

trade him for (adam) morrison?

 

It was a tough season for Russ but man he helped A TON with Lebron's scoring



2021-2022 Lebron's assisted Field Goals





2020-2021 Lebron's assisted field goals




2019-2020 Lebron's assisted field goals




2018-2019 Lebron's assisted field goals

 

I wonder what an offensive minded coach could do to get Lebron into easier positions to score and use less energy. We saw Westbrook effectively added 4-5 points per game to Lebron’s scoring average.

I would of love to see what he could of done with a full season of AD and him running the PNR.

 

Have the injuries to AD and LeBron contributed to WB missing lay ups, hitting the side of the backboard and unforced TOs? If so let’s run it back

 

Why do people feel the need to beat down on positives comments?

Yeah I get it, Westbrook had a bad season. It doesn’t mean we can’t take any positives out of it. We had our ageing superstar have a top offensive season, how? Why? Is it repeatable? Can we make it easier next season for him?