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Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook is not exactly playing great basketball lately. At least not in terms of shooting the rock.
After his 3-for-17 performance in the Thunder's win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, Westbrook is shooting just 35.2 percent from the floor, 26.0 percent from 3-point range and a shocking 55.8 percent from the free-throw line in 10 December games.
Fortunately, Oklahoma City has still been winning regardless, going 7-3 so far this month. While Westbrook's struggles are a bit unusual, the Thunder are not worried about them, according to Brett Dawson of The Athletic.
Head coach Billy Donovan says that Russell Westbrook will “play through” his shooting slump, adding that “you know when he's out there “because he’s smart, he’s bright and he’s gonna make plays to impact the game.”
Paul George shared similar sentiments:
“Offense doesn’t determine a player of Russ’ caliber,” George said. “Who cares? Who cares if he’s struggling, if shots aren’t falling? He impacts the game. He makes so many plays. He’s a winning player. Dives on the ball, goes for loose balls, plays above the rim, challenges centers on dunks. He does everything for this team. Our part is easy. We got to help, we got to chip in and we got to be there when he needs us.”
George added that Westbrook's help defense on Jazz star Donovan Mitchell late in the contest “saved the game.”
In spite of Westbrook's recent struggles, the Thunder are tied for the best record in the Western Conference, holding a record of 21-10.
