Subscribe
Follow Us
If you haven't heard by now, then here it is: Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook went 0-of-11 from the field in what was a horrendous shooting performance against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. What you probably haven't heard as well is the fact that he actually played some pretty outstanding defense on the evening despite his offensive woes.
This is exactly what Russ wanted to point out when he was asked to assess his own performance against their cross-town rivals. According to Westbrook, he deserves credit for working his butt off on Thursday night (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):
“Solid, solid,” he said. “Played hard. That's all you can ask for.”
Reporter: “How about you personally, how would you assess your game tonight?”
Russ: “Solid. Solid. Played hard that’s all you can ask for.”pic.twitter.com/dUMgVuxnuA
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 21, 2022
Russell Westbrook was a lost cause on offense in the 'Battle of LA'. On the bright side, he did have some good defensive moments with the energy he brought on that end. pic.twitter.com/18ZohlVmgG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 21, 2022
To be fair to Russ, he isn't wrong here. He was indeed a bright spot on the defensive end for the Lakers, particularly in the fourth quarter as they pushed the Clippers all the way to the final buzzer. Westbrook collected five steals on the evening, while also committing just one turnover in 27 minutes of action.
Be that as it may, it's not surprising that the headlines will be all about his goose egg on the offensive end. Russ managed to score two points via the free throw line, but as we all know by now, the embattled Lakers star missed all 11 of his attempts on the evening, including six tries from beyond the arc.
It's great to see Russ fully committed on the defensive end, and you certainly can't discredit him for his effort. However, he just can't be this terrible on offense.
