By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The match of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Los Angeles Clippers was a struggle for Russell Westbrook. The former NBA MVP went 0-11 from the field in his second-worst shooting performance after a 0-13 game he had vs. the Memphis Grizzlies in 2011 as a player of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite his inability to connect to the basket in the Lakers‘ loss, Westbrook described his performance as “solid” when asked by reporters to assess his game. “Solid, Solid,” he said. “Played hard and that’s all you can ask for. Moving on to the next one.”
Westbrook indeed put a big effort on defense, finishing with five steals, along with four assists three rebounds. But it’s hard to get past this kind of shooting inefficiency.
Los Angeles Clippers star forward Paul George, who played with Westbrook at the Thunder from 2017 to 2019, went on to defend his former teammate.
“I’m always going to be a huge Russell supporter,” George said. “I won’t undermine the great moments we had in Oklahoma. He was tremendous for my career. Honestly, I don’t get the shade or the hate or the stuff that’s thrown at him. He’s one of the best players to ever play this game. It’s hard when you’ve got the pressure they’re putting on him here.
George implied that the Lakers may not be a good fit for Westbrook. “Quite frankly, it’s not the team that’s very… it’s not geared for him with the roster they have as well. Like, it’s got to work both ways. He was very easily a 30-10-10 when he has the keys to the team. We can’t forget that.”