The primary reason that Russell Westbrook got a chance to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers was the way that Paul George advocated for him to be on the team. So, with Westbrook just completing his debut with his new team, you can rest assured that if anybody was going to have his back that it would be George.
“It's about what I imagined,” George said of Westbrook's Clippers debut (h/t Sports Illustrated's Farbod Esnaaahari). “The reason why I was high on Russ on this team.”
Westbrook finished the night with 17 points and 14 assists in 39 minutes. He also shot 7-13 from the field, routinely getting into the teeth of the defense to score at the rim. Poetically enough, it was George who assisted Westbrook on his first made basket as a Clipper.
It was not a night without teachable moments, as Westbrook missed his teammates a few times, as one would expect of a player who just signed with them. Westbrook also fouled out of the game; an occurrence that can't happen for a player expected to play such an important role for his team.
Not that the speedy Sacramento backcourt made it easy for him.
At 33-29 and 5th in the Western Conference standings, the Clippers could feasibly move all the way up to third place (where the Kings sit) by the end of the regular season. Possibly even second place, although that's far less probable.
As the Kings are 18-12 at home versus 16-13 on the road, homecourt advantage may have less importance to them than for other teams. Nonetheless, the home crowd always gives a team momentum in the postseason, and in the Kings' first playoff appearance since 2006, they could need the crowd as much as anyone.
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