The Los Angeles Clippers have had a tumultuous start to the 2023-24 campaign, but they have begun to find some traction since Russell Westbrook volunteered to come off the bench to allow Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden the opportunity to get more comfortable playing with each other. Now that Westbrook has helped the team out, George wants to help the veteran guard out.
Just one night after an ugly outing off the bench against the New Orleans Pelicans, Westbrook looked more like himself (14 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST, 6-9 FGM) to help lead the Clippers to victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Westbrook is making a big sacrifice coming off the bench for Los Angeles, leading George to open up on how the team can help him further excel in his new role with the team.
Westbrook isn't strictly playing with bench guys, and he will find himself on the floor with each of George, Leonard, and Harden at some point down the line. Westbrook is a ball-dominant guard who can create open looks for himself and others, but he really thrives when he's able to get downhill in the paint, so as George notes, providing him with players who can space the floor is crucial.
There are a lot of moving pieces on the Clippers, as they have four or five guys who would ideally be getting at least ten shots up per night. That's not going to happen every time they take the floor, but the more comfortable they get with their new rotation, the better they will become. The season is still young, and if Los Angeles can figure things out like Paul George notes here, they could reemerge as one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
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