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[news4usonline]

Russell Westbrook: a tale of two teams

(News4usonline) - Russell Westbrook has officially made his mark in Los Angeles after being traded from the Lakers to the Clippers. It was as if he stayed within the neighborhood and moved down the block. With the Clippers, Westbrook is chasing the one thing that has eluded him throughout his stellar career: a championship. When Westbrook was traded to the Lakers from the Washington Wizards, it was highly anticipated that the mercurial point guard would be the missing piece to help the purple and gold win another NBA title.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook in action against the Orlando Magic at Crypto.Com Arena on March 18, 2023. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline After little more than a year and a half of unequal play, that partnership didn’t work out so well for either the Lakers or Westbrook. He was essentially traded to the Utah Jazz. But with his Southern California roots deeply planted in him, Westbrook decided to buy out his contract with the Jazz and finish out the season (and maybe career) playing in Los Angeles. Only it would not be with the Lakers. Westbrook is now an official member of the Los Angeles Clippers. Although his numbers (13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds) have come down a bit since his playing days with the Lakers (15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds), Westbrook as he showed in the Clippers’ 134-126 win against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, is still a viable impact player. In 27 minutes of action, Westbrook produced 15 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and handed out seven assists, putting his effectiveness as a playmaker on grand display. “He was just great,” teammate Paul George said. “He was great. He took what they gave him. And he played towards the second side and played towards his strength.” The lateral move from the Lakers to the Clippers appears to be working out well for Westbrook. It also makes sense. Southern California was Westbrook’s home before he made it to the big time. Westbrook hails from Long Beach. He attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale. He then pursued his basketball career at UCLA, where he helped the team reach the Final Four in the two seasons he played for the Bruins. Westbrook then went on to build his Hall of Fame resume playing mostly for the Oklahoma City Thunder. When things started to go south, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets before getting shipped to Washington. It wasn’t until 2021 when he found himself back in his hometown to play for the Lakers that a realistic title chance for Westbrook was supposed to happen. It has not happened. Yet.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline Although the point guard has slowed down, he still is seen as a clutch player and has impressive career stats. Westbrook has a lock on triple-doubles in the NBA, with the former league MVP being at the top of the list in that category. Westbrook has the most triple-doubles in a season, the most consecutive triple-doubles, and the most all-time triple-doubles in a single season. He is the only player in NBA history to win the scoring title, an MVP award, and average a triple-double in the same season. Westbrook is also one out of 26 players in NBA history to hit the 24,000-career points mark. Throughout his career, Westbrook has hit milestones as well as stirred up controversy on and off the court. This may be a reason the Lakers decided to let him go despite his status as a playmaker. However, with the Clippers signing him to a contract, this could be a sign that Westbrook is aiming to end his career in Los Angeles where his basketball career began. The union didn’t start off smoothly. After the Clippers added Westbrook to not only their roster but to their starting five, they lost five games in a row. The Clippers broke the losing streak and embarked on a four-game win streak before falling to the Orlando Magic in a matinee home game. Westbrook, who shot 5 of 14 from the field (15 points) and had six turnovers in 37 minutes of playing time, put the onus of the team’s loss on his shoulders. “Honestly, this one was on me,” Westbrook said after the game. “I could’ve been better. It started off well, but the second half was terrible and I have to do a better job of helping the guys out during the second half and in the fourth quarter. But honestly, it’s just on me, more focus and closing the game.”

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook looks for the open player to pass the ball against the Orlando Magic on March 18, 2023. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline Despite the loss to Orlando, the Clippers are currently in a good position to make the playoffs. The Clippers are the No. 5 team in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Lakers have been moving up the list of playoff predictions since removing Westbrook from the roster. The Lakers improved their chances to continue into the postseason all while LeBron James is out with a foot injury. Lakers center and forward Anthony Davis has taken his game to another level. Davis has had an impressive past five games with at least 28 points in each game. He really came to play on March 3 when he earned 39 points in the 38 minutes that he was on the court. With all of that said, the Lakers are in the No. 11 spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers are no longer a concern for Westbrook. His job now is to help the Clippers down the stretch of the regular season and assist in guiding the team to a possible deep run in the postseason. Navigating successfully through the postseason, however, might be a bit of a challenge given that true parity now rule the landscape of the NBA. After losing to the Magic, Westbrook talked about the possible scenarios of the postseason. “I’ve seen it many times when there wasn’t no play-in,” Westbrook remarked. “So, nine and ten didn’t matter, but eight and up was trying to figure it out. Maybe one game you’re 8 and maybe the next game you’re a three. I’ve definitely seen it before.” Reporter Dennis J. Freeman contributed to this article Read the full article

[thepinkchat]

#BoodUp: #RussellWestbook #NinaWestbrook #TheWestbrooks 🥰 #AllStarWeekend #NBAAllStar #AllStarCharlotte https://www.instagram.com/p/BuAFq_ElpEh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wdig9z5wilgp

[blackwomenarepoppin]

Congratulations to #TheWestbrooks who welcomed twin girls Skye and Jordyn yesterday ❤️ They Are now a family of 5 😍 #NinaWestbrook #RussellWestbook https://www.instagram.com/p/BqVvcOQA_MO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6f7uh2yuo1hz

[allsuperstar-blog1]

The Best Basketball players NBA Then and now Super Star

[416cr212]

[news4usonline]

Clippers new acquisitions trying to find their way

LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) - The Los Angeles Clippers acquired several new players with the help of the NBA trade deadline and the buyout market. Each player the Clippers acquired were brought in to address a need on the roster. Players such as Eric Gordon, Mason Plumlee, Bones, Hyland, and Russell Westbrook have been acquired to elevate this Clippers roster and make a push for a championship run. Despite being brought in, their level of play will dictate their roles on a loaded Clippers roster.

“We’re excited to have the new guys come in… pieces that fit our team and our best players and now it is our job to put this team together, it is gonna take some time to figure out rotations, so I’m excited, but it will take time,” said Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. Westbrook is the biggest name the Clippers added to their team. Trading away two point guards at the deadline in Reggie Jackson and John Wall, this was a glaring need for the Clippers to fill. Westbrook’s tenure with crosstown rival the Los Angeles Lakers was up and down. Eventually, Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz.  He then bought out his contract to make himself a free agent. Paul George, one of the Clippers top stars, was the main person that pushed for the Westbrook pickup. In his first game wearing a Clippers uniform, Westbrook showed the fans and his new teammates that he was worth the pickup. Despite a thrilling game which led to a 176-175 double overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings, Westbrook played well, scoring 17 points and totaling 14 assists. “About what I imagined, that’s the reason I was high on Russ being a part of this team. What he brings, we saw flashes of it tonight,” George said. In his debut as a Clipper Westbrook looked more like his traditional self and was more comfortable playing around shooters. While his defense still could be a problem, his playmaking will help the Clippers. The game went down to the wire, and Westbrook eventually fouled out in what was a disappointing loss to the Kings. Other than his debut game, the handful of games played by Westbrook has been solid performances, he is finding a role in the starting lineup as a facilitator, but the Clippers have not fully figured it all out yet. “Find my way to be able to help other guys is something I truly embrace… all these guys here find out their spots and what they like and don’t like is gonna be a process but I am ready for the challenge,” said Westbrook. Gordon is another major acquisition the Clippers made. This is his second tenure with the team, and he has had a good journey while away. Being a heavy contributor on different teams in the past several years, Gordon is expected to bring that experience and play to the Clippers. Gordon is essentially replacing Luke Kennard that was traded from the Clippers. Gordon has better playmaking abilities than Kennard, and while he is not the same level of shooter, he is a much better all-around scorer, which adds a new threat level for the Clippers. “This is a situation that I wanted to be in and look forward to,” Gordon said. “We have a lot of talented guys and I believe I fit the mold of how they play.” While Gordon would be a sure-fire rotation player for most teams, the presence of Norman Powell, Terence Mann, and even Nic Batum from the bench could cut into playing time. Despite his talent, the Clippers are very deep, and over the past few games Gordon’s shot attempts and minutes have come down to some degree. Gordon most likely won’t fall out of the rotation, but his consistent minutes could depend on situational matchups, or even if he finds a rhythm.

Plumlee and Bones Hyland were the other two acquisitions made by the Clippers. Plumlee was a big pickup for now the Clippers have a legitimate backup center. Ivica Zubac was the only true rotational big, and he needed help. While Plumlee has some defensive limitations, he can play in situations needed for an extra big, and the pickup has already paid off for Plumlee has been much needed while Zubac has been injured coming out of the NBA All-Star break. Hyland looked like a solid acquisition, but with the addition of Westbrook, the minutes for Hyland just are not there. Hyland has seen the floor here and there, but his play time is down, and his play style is not fully required considering Mann, Powell, and Gordon can make up for it, while Westbrook is a better facilitator. With the new acquisitions going to be a big factor for the season moving forward, Clippers star Kawi Leonard agrees it could take a little time, but all they can do is keep playing, pushing for everyone to just be themselves. With the Clippers current struggles, with the season winding down and playoff positioning becoming critical, the new Clipper players and the entire roster need to find their groove. “New faces on the floor, I wouldn’t say it's a new season, but we just have to keep going and see what we can do with this new unit,” said Leonard. Read the full article