Russell Westbrook looked in midseason form on Saturday night, as he earned his first field goal with the Washington Wizards.
Driving hard towards the basket on an isolation play against Detroit Pistons forward Josh Jackson, Westbrook beat the defense to a spot in the interior before tossing up a beautiful mini hook for the score.
Here's the full sequence of the picture-perfect play from the new Wizards star:
Russell Westbrook slashes to the hoop for his first #NBAPreseason bucket!@WashWizards / Pistons on NBA LP pic.twitter.com/uv0kCql0sx
— NBA (@NBA) December 20, 2020
Traded to Washington only three weeks ago in a surprise deal for longtime Wizards guard John Wall, Saturday's game is the first that Russell Westbrook has participated in during the preseason. He missed the team's two previous games against the Brooklyn Nets and Pistons–which both ended in a loss.
With the Wizards' coaching staff opting for a more conservative approach in preparation for the start of the year on Dec. 22nd, Scott Brooks revealed prior to the game that Russ would likely only play in the game's first half.
At the end of the opening half, Westbrook recorded eight points, six rebounds and three assists. Though he failed to record a field goal from behind the arc, the point guard's presence on the low block can be seen as a positive development. After all, he's known for his penchant for shooting ill-advised 3-pointers.
Should Westbrook continue to drive towards the hoop like he did against the Pistons, Wizards' fans will likely be happy.
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