Legendary Clipper Lou Williams Feels Russell Westbrook “Should Be Happy” Despite Lackluster Bench Performance

The Los Angeles Clippers are facing the problem of having too much star power this season. After the Clippers decided to bring James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers, their existing team had to undergo some changes to accommodate their newly acquired star. So, the 9x All-Star in that squad decided to make a selfless move and choose to come off the bench for the betterment of his team. After taking this decision, his team has been performing better. However, his performance has taken a backseat due to his limited playing time.

On “Fan Duel TV”, there was a debate about whether Westbrook had made the right decision for his career. Their guest, former Clippers player Lou Willams, gave the perspective of Russ and why he should be happy about his performances.

Russell Westbrook’s performance coming off the bench

The former Clippers legend, Lou Williams, during his guest appearance on “Fan Duel TV” spoke about Westbrook’s performance and said, “Russ only had 19 minutes in this game and he had 9 points and 8 assists”. Then they questioned Willams, “Lou, if you were Russ are you happy with this ‘Blueprint’?” To which he answered, “Yeah, he should be. He knew somebody had to sacrifice minutes, somebody had to get out of that starting lineup. And he was the guy who stepped up.”

He further added by saying, “He is also a guy that has accomplished everything in this league that you can possibly imagine. Hes made the money, he’s been MVP, he’s made deep playoff runs, the only he didn’t have is a championship. And he knows this group they have an opportunity to do that and somebody needed to come off the bench. So he was the guy that stepped up and said, ‘Hey, I’m willing to be that guy to come off the bench and give us that balance'”.

Williams even emphasized the fact that 9 points and 8 assists is not a great stat line for Russ at all. But as he had limited playing time and his team won by a 14-point margin, he should be happy with his performance. However, why did Westbrook voluntarily decide to come off the bench rather than aid his team with his athletic prowess?

The ‘James Harden’ reason behind it all

The Los Angeles Clippers had been struggling to find their rhythm since James Harden joined their franchise. The team was on a 3 wins and 7 losses record and also on a 6-game losing streak. To accommodate the Beard into their team, the roster had to undergo a significant change and adapt to new schemes and strategies. So, looking at his team deteriorating, Westbrook spoke to their head coach, Tyronn Lue, and decided to do anything for the success of his team. As Westbrook and Harden have been former teammates during their time in Oklahoma City, Lue assumed that the two would shine together.

Read More: “Lakers Made Him the Bad Guy”: 7x Champ Dissects Russell Westbrook’s Past Amid Clippers Sacrifice

However, the truth of the situation on the court forced changes. The club struggled to identify the key playmaker and watched their performance weaken as the games continued. Lue experimented with course corrections, making Westbrook the initial substitute and eventually modifying the approach around Harden’s isolation and creating style. So now, after this strategic shift, Russ has voluntarily accepted his bench role for the betterment of his franchise.

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What do you think of Russell Westbrook’s current situation in the Clippers’ roster? Let us know your thoughts.