Russell Westbrook Return: Kawhi Leonard Joins Clipper Nation In Awaiting Triple-Double King’s Come Back

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers miss Russell Westbrook after suffering a blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Clippers, 4th seed in the West, hosted the East’s 10th seed for the first time this season. Entering the game without Brodie and Normal Powell, the team’s fuel and vitality depended on James Harden, who came off missing 2 games due to a shoulder injury.

Luckily, the Hawks entered the game on a losing run, a struggling season, and without Trae Young. Nevertheless, they barely outscored the hosts in the first quarter and shut them down before the half, mounting an 18-point lead. The Clippers saw a dismal spark from there onwards, losing the game 93-110 by 18 points.

Voicing his anticipation for the missing energy on the court, Kawhi Leonard addresses the void left by Russell Westbrook‘s absence. Talking about his impact, Leonard says, “He’s another guy that comes in with energy, giving us a fast pace… Another defender, another scorer. We definitely miss him.”

Paul George and Kawhi Leonard scored 26 and 28 points, respectively, with the third highest score being James Harden’s 9 points. Despite multiple 20+ point performances, no player could sustain an ideal performance.

While Kawhi and PG spearheaded the offense, they combined for 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Additionally, they shot 17 of 37 shots from the floor. With that, the remainder of the rotation of the mistake prone Clippers even struggled to attempt enough shots. Ivica Zubac attempted just 1 shot during the game, while fighting to garner a mere  6 rebounds (team-high).

Terance Mann, the electric guard, also attempted a low 6 shots in a total 32 minutes of court time. Moreover, James Harden garnered 6 rebounds and dished 9 dimes. However, his contributions were limited too, as he missed his first 7 shots, adding to the woes.

Clippers’ record without Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook, despite coming off the bench, offers the possibility of a complete performance on a nightly basis. Russell thrives in doing the nitty-gritties that can slowly change the course of the game, perhaps what the Clippers missed against the Hawks.

So far, all of Brodie’s missed games from the 2023–24 season come in March; due to the fracture sustained in the March 2 game against the Washington Wizards.

Since then, the Clippers have gone 4-5 through 9 games. Throughout the 58 games this season, Brodie is averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in the near 22 minutes of court time. Moreover, he also manages to convert 45.2% of his shots, while mounting 1.1 steals per game.

With his stable contributions, Westbrook brings unparalleled energy off the bench. Regardless of his rotation, he encapsulates the caliber of leading both the first and second units on the Clippers. Moreover, he has the ability to elevate his game during demanding stretches. Brodie’s 2023 playoff stint with the Clippers highlights the same, where he averaged 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks in the 5 games.

Read More: Russell Westbrook Injury Report: No Timeline on 9x All-Star’s Return As per Coach Ty Lue