Another stop in Russell Westbrook's career has once again ended. After he left the Oklahoma City Thunder, the former Most Valuable Player has struggled to find a new home. He landed with the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Lakers. Russ eventually paired up with James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers system. Now, NBA Free Agency is about to deal him to the Denver Nuggets.
Russell Westbrook has now become a certified journeyman. With his probable move to the Denver Nuggets, he is looking to secure his legacy and win his first Larry O'Brien trophy. While this means that he had to leave behind James James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, he had nothing but move for his previous team. He even wrote a message of gratitude to the organization after his departure on Instagram.
“Thank you to Mr. Ballmer and the entire Clippers organization for the opportunity. Clipper Nation, thank you! I had a lot of fun with you all, playing in the city that I love in front of my family and friends. To all of my teammates, I thank you all for embracing me and supporting me for the past two years. To all of my fans! You guys don't know how much your support means to me. Y'all keep me motivated and energized. I've got the most loyal and amazing fans in sports. Looking forward to seeing y'all next season! The Brodie,” he wrote.
Westbrook did not find much success with the Clippers. In fact, he had to learn that the role most fitting for him moving on was the sixth man. While it was unusual that he came off the bench with the Clippers, his innate athleticism and playmaking still remained untarnished.
How good was Russell Westbrook in a Clippers jersey?
It was already well-known that Westbrook was past his prime when he joined the Clippers. To put it into perspective, his last All-Star selection was in the 2019-20 season which was two years before he left the Lakers to join Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Nonetheless, he still produced serviceable numbers under Tyronne Lue and his veteran acumen helped the Clippers' young guys thrive under his guidance.
In total, Westbrook got to play 89 games for the Clippers but only started 32 of them. His playing time took a significant drop-off because he was now just given an average of 24.3 minutes to see the court, the lowest it has been for his whole career. However, he still made the most out of it. He ended up knocking down 46.4% of his shots from all three levels of scoring to record 12.2 points a night.
His all-around work is also very much alive entering his stint with the Nuggets. Westbrook dished out 5.2 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds on a nightly basis before his NBA Free Agency move. He also steals the ball at least once in every matchup to prove his defensive prowess. There is no certainty that his numbers would spike up alongside Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. However, his longevity is already very impressive.
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