Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

Westbrook was brought here to be the third option not one or two . Lebron wanted him for that role, this guy knows what he's doing IMO. Once we get to actually see him in that role for a month or so. It will be easier to judge.

 

He was brought here to run the show when LeBron was resting on the bench, whether in uni or street clothes. So far, he has failed miserably for a dude who is one of the highest paid players in the game.

 

I don't care about his salary. He was brought here to be the third option, I'm pretty sure Lebron expects to play. I have zero expectations of winning a chip without Lebron, so I don't get all panicked about how we look without him. Besides he isn't the only one out either. If you think Russ is the reason we lost that game or why we lost the others. Then you are simply seeing what you want to see. Russ and AD would get us to the playoffs, Lebron is the key. Not Russ

 

Turnovers aren't some magic component. Guys that handle the ball a lot and attack, have more Turnovers. They also tend to have more assists and rebounds. Those two stats are just as important to winning, and they aren't somehow canceled out by Turnovers. How many turnovers actually lead to points scored is a better measure.

 

Thanks for the numbers. For me, it’s not just the turnovers. It’s the bad shot selection. Jumping in the air with nobody to pass to. Awful three point %. Awful FT%. Unwillingness to play defense for more than a few times down the floor.
We can compare LeBron’s turn over rate to Russ’ and have a fair argument, but based on what I have witnessed over LeBron’s career, just as a Laker, he does every single thing that has to do with basketball ten times better than Westbrook ever has or ever will.
Stats will never tell the entire story.
Russ can have his triple doubles. If they all came without leading others around him to a Championship, I’m not that impressed.

 

If you don’t care about his salary, then you live in a different world where expectations don’t exist.
I’m not panicking. I’m just stating that Russ is underperforming and not living up to what he was brought in to do.

 

I live in the real world, the team knew what his salary was, we had to match it to bring him in. My expectations are made with consideration of the facts at hand. You still haven't pointed out how every loss was on Westbrook including this last one. No he hasn't put his cape on and saved the day like Lebron does, but he isn't Lebron, I never expected that either.

 

True. I don’t like those either.
To be fair, Kobe was known to take bad shots as well.

 

i mentioned this in the AD thread where everyone whines that...i guess he doesn't lead the league in buckets in the paint by enough?

lebron takes PLENTY of shots that bail out defenses. why? because nobody is physically capable of only driving hard into the paint over and over and over again, all game, game after game. i hate that as soon as we get up 10, all of our stars immediately try to hit jumpers to extend the lead the easy way, but it is all of them, not just the ones the fans like to get on.

 

Any stats for turnovers down the stretch?

I’m curious because my main points on turnovers revolve around the thought that LeBron is a better decision maker in crunch time than Westbrook. Particularly with finding the open guy and making the right basketball play at the right moment.

 

i was agreeing with you that lebron takes bad shots quite often and then extending that to our other stars (and really, other stars on other teams, too). russ is a lightning rod for many reasons (some justified), but that particular thing may not be the gripe. elgin's question about turnovers is a good one, as it may be a point of distinction for russ relative to other stars.

 

Scenerio; Dame ask for trade. Dame & fillers for Russ & THT (only because Portland will need/ ask for him.)

 

One thing about Lillard is that he's been dealing with chronic hernia problems and that's why his play has not been up to his normal level this year.

No one is going to trade for Russ at this time. Unless if you want to dangle a pick from like 2030 to the Rockets and get John Wall, no sane team is going to give us anything for him.

I'm willing to give this more time to shake out. Maybe he's like Harden and plays himself to get into game shape because he doesn't look as athletic as he used to (or maybe its just father time). I think Russ and staff need to figure out ways that he can be more consistent with getting his points and in turn, be able to become a better playmaker if people respect his scoring ability. I think the team might just have to play faster like Lebron used to in Miami. In terms of his shots, I'd probably ask him to do more of those bank shots because he makes those more than his other ones.

 

Maybe he can spend more time working with a shooting coach or coaches and fix his abysmal shooting 3pnt %. No excuses there. Kidd came into the League a terrible threat from behind the arc and turned himself into a decent shooter around his fourth season.

 

Portland isn't trading one of their greatest players ever, in his prime, to their mortal enemy. Not for anyone.

 

Why would you think Russell doesn’t work on his shot and/or game? For someone who gives so much effort, it’s weird to think he doesn’t work on his shot.