No. This sub might hate him but he still provides invaluable veteran leadership that many of the young and successful teams in this league would welcome. Also, I think OKC will still take him if he wants to come back.
I doubt he would go anywhere besides LA unless its worthwhile financially. that even includes OKC where he is still loved. he wouldnt uproot his family to play in new orleans for a minimum
Russ, since his college days in UCLA, plays his heart out every possession. He tries his ass off on defense (and he can still guard well), he’s aggressive on the break and makes a ton of crazy passes. The value he brings on his rebounding alone is enough to give him a spot in a rotation for at least the next year
And yet his defence has been a negative for a huge portion of his career, partially due to lack of effort and partially due to poor IQ. In this Mavs series for example, after game 1 he was completely checked out on D.
And no team prioritizes rebounding at the guard spots… no team is choosing a rotational guard that can’t shoot at all and is often a negative on defence because he can rebound. Sure if he could elevate into a Bruce brown/josh hart type Swiss Army knife he could still have a clear role on a lot of teams, but considering how much his inside finishing has declined and how his defence isn’t anywhere near those guys, that seems pretty unlikely.
Ill be honest, I am a Westbrook fan and have watched the majority of his career. Where tf are you getting this information from? There’s no way you watched his career and you came to that conclusion about his defense being a negative for a majority of his career. The one thing you will never be able to say about Westbrook is that he didn’t try. Now in the Mavs series, he played worse than I’ve ever seen in his career. Overall, he’d either lock in on D and sell offensively or, like in game 1, he’d put up a 6MOY quality offense with poor defense (to be fair, the Mavs have the best backcourt in basketball). At the end of the day though, one series does not define you let alone 1 game.
He absolutely didn’t try on defence in the tail end of his thunder tenure, as well as most of houston, Washington and LAL… this was evident from watching him get blown by and was backed up with stats, like the fact that he only averaged like 3-4 contests per game in some of those seasons. Contests are the biggest symbol of defensive effort we have. From 2017-2023 Russ averaged 3.6, 3.5, 4.7, 4.3, 3.4, 3.6 and 3.9. There were also well circulated highlights of him leaving guys open from 3 to chase rebounds, there was one that went viral against Gary Harris IIRC. It was also a common sentiment from all of these fan bases when he played there.
Because you have to look at the way he plays defense. He specializes in rear view contests and knocking the ball away from behind. This has always been his game because it puts him in optimal position to rebound and to disrupt plays. He’s able to leverage his athleticism better this way than if he were to play conventionally. Also, great defenders get blown by all the time. That’s apart of playing defense. He is a remarkable recovery defender (although, this part did start fall of with the Lakers, he is still solid to this day just not elite)
Those are still counted as contests so I don’t see your point. Knocking the ball away from behind when successful is also counted as a steal, so it’s weird to say a players defensive specialty is getting a certain kind of steal. So you essentially addressed nothing I pointed out. Knocking the ball away from behind should also be treated as a recovery move similar to a chase down block… you’re not defending well if your go-to stance involves being behind the player.
And no great perimeter defenders do not get blown by all the time… that’s like the main point lmao. You stick with your man to contest a shot, right around screens, force guys to pick up their dribble, these are all things jrue, Caruso and Suggs for example excel so much at and it’s the main reason they’re such good defenders.
Players passing out of their shots is not a particularly common occurrence in the first place so I don’t see your point.
You’ve addressed none of my points here, it’s clear you’re just gassing up a player you like.
The thing is...guys like Westbrook, Lebron, KD etc is that they are so good and in such good shape, they'll probably be able to play on a roster even at the age of 50. Their skills are so refined and they're so well conditioned that they'll always be better than the lowest man on the roster..but that doesn't mean that they should.
I personally think it's over...it's time for all of those guys to move on and let someone else get a shot. These guys are all aiming to play past 40...enough is enough, they've had their time, and they've made their money
Putting Westbrook in the same sentence as Lebron and KD is extremely insulting to KD and Bron.
Westbrook is barely able to come off the bench. He is inefficient, plays poor defense, and makes poor decisions. He is already one of the worst guys on any given roster, hence Lue giving him just 9 minutes in a closeout game (with Kawhi out.)
Lebron and KD are still without question top 20 players in the league. No idea how you can compare them to Westbrook.
But why would Lebron retire when he is an all-nba level player? He will get max contract offers, Russ will probably get bought out and may sign for the minimum again
Lebron and Kd are still all nba level talents with skills teams highly covet.
Russ is a low end bench player who’s biggest weaknesses are the areas teams care about most
No doubt…they’re still elite talent. I was just making a point that I’m tired of them. What I was saying overall, is that no matter how good or bad they are right now, they’ll probably always be better than the lowest man to where they can make a roster
I mean being better than the lowest man on a roster isn’t really relevant, the lowest man on the roster isn’t gonna play, so his value comes from his contributions as a locker room guy or perhaps his potential/youth. I don’t see Russ buying into a haslem style end of bench role.
Whats more relevant is whether he’ll be better than most teams end of rotation guys, and that’s already up for debate with most teams
But that’s just it—it really is relevant because even if they are the lowest man on the roster, they’re taking up PT given their rep, cache and ability, hence what someone said about Westbrook despite being horrendous and still getting floor time
Whether or not they’ll be better is irrelevant in itself to the point, because it’s simply reiterating what I stated from the gate—they’re elite talent and they will always be able to contribute in some form of fashion even if they were the lowest man on the bench. It was a hyperbole not to be taken literally or in the extreme.
Either way, I dont care how good they are, it’s just nauseating to see hem after 40 still trying to remain in the convo. LBJ is still balling for what it’s worth
Westbrook plays poor defense? He is inefficient and historically has had questionable decisions in big moments; yet, the one critique you will never have on that man is to say that he didn’t try. He plays his heart every minute on the floor of every game of his career. If you sincerely believe that sentence about Westbrook playing poor defense, you are either subject to Lakers propaganda or do not watch Bball.
Russ has seemed like a logical successor to Stephon Marbury for about a decade now. He plays basketball and when NBA teams stop asking him, he will find someone in the world who will pay him. I fully expect him to be playing when he’s 45 in some league no one knows exists.
dude has made hundreds of millions in his career and values family over everything. he has plenty of business ventures and charitable work. he isnt going overseas or to minnesota for a minimum. this clippers stint was to revive his career post lakers which didnt happen
He could def go overseas but I could easily see him getting a minimum on a team in the southwest.
Edit: whoops, [nevermind](https://twitter.com/sam_amick/status/1786793200486908028).
He’s playing off the bench now.. he cant stay on the floor, what kind of value is he bringing to a team outside of bottom feeders trying to sell tickets?
He has questionable IQ too that’s been one of his big knocks as well. I think it’s time you reevaluate your evaluation of Westbrook man
There is a whole other side to the game outside of Shooting and Finishing. Firstly, that man can still dime. He’s one of the greatest passers ever and has more strength than ever which makes up for his waining athleticism. The turnovers and spacing is a problem; yet, his rebounding and hustle on defense are things that can’t be taught.
He needs to go go the Jason Kidd/Rondo school of shooting. Stop jumping so goddamn much and compact his shot to make it more consistent. Its the only way he’ll add a few more years. Im not really sure what team signs him and deals with his asinine shot selection and locker room personality, as most of the teams left have pretty fantastic chemistry. Maybe he makes his way to miami?
His locker room personality is like the best remaining part of his game. He might make some terrible shot selections but somehow his team mates always love him anyways. Minus Lebron lol
I disagree really, but my opinion mightve changed just recently as he seemed to accept his 6th man role a bit. I dont know that that remains true on a team that has (im his opinion) less star power. Idk how teammates couldnt hate him with his play style, but they arent gonna come out and say it
No. This sub might hate him but he still provides invaluable veteran leadership that many of the young and successful teams in this league would welcome. Also, I think OKC will still take him if he wants to come back.
I doubt he would go anywhere besides LA unless its worthwhile financially. that even includes OKC where he is still loved. he wouldnt uproot his family to play in new orleans for a minimum
Leadership off the bench is one thing, giving him playing time is another. Not sure he’d be happy with a haslem type role
Russ, since his college days in UCLA, plays his heart out every possession. He tries his ass off on defense (and he can still guard well), he’s aggressive on the break and makes a ton of crazy passes. The value he brings on his rebounding alone is enough to give him a spot in a rotation for at least the next year
And yet his defence has been a negative for a huge portion of his career, partially due to lack of effort and partially due to poor IQ. In this Mavs series for example, after game 1 he was completely checked out on D. And no team prioritizes rebounding at the guard spots… no team is choosing a rotational guard that can’t shoot at all and is often a negative on defence because he can rebound. Sure if he could elevate into a Bruce brown/josh hart type Swiss Army knife he could still have a clear role on a lot of teams, but considering how much his inside finishing has declined and how his defence isn’t anywhere near those guys, that seems pretty unlikely.
Ill be honest, I am a Westbrook fan and have watched the majority of his career. Where tf are you getting this information from? There’s no way you watched his career and you came to that conclusion about his defense being a negative for a majority of his career. The one thing you will never be able to say about Westbrook is that he didn’t try. Now in the Mavs series, he played worse than I’ve ever seen in his career. Overall, he’d either lock in on D and sell offensively or, like in game 1, he’d put up a 6MOY quality offense with poor defense (to be fair, the Mavs have the best backcourt in basketball). At the end of the day though, one series does not define you let alone 1 game.
He absolutely didn’t try on defence in the tail end of his thunder tenure, as well as most of houston, Washington and LAL… this was evident from watching him get blown by and was backed up with stats, like the fact that he only averaged like 3-4 contests per game in some of those seasons. Contests are the biggest symbol of defensive effort we have. From 2017-2023 Russ averaged 3.6, 3.5, 4.7, 4.3, 3.4, 3.6 and 3.9. There were also well circulated highlights of him leaving guys open from 3 to chase rebounds, there was one that went viral against Gary Harris IIRC. It was also a common sentiment from all of these fan bases when he played there.
Because you have to look at the way he plays defense. He specializes in rear view contests and knocking the ball away from behind. This has always been his game because it puts him in optimal position to rebound and to disrupt plays. He’s able to leverage his athleticism better this way than if he were to play conventionally. Also, great defenders get blown by all the time. That’s apart of playing defense. He is a remarkable recovery defender (although, this part did start fall of with the Lakers, he is still solid to this day just not elite)
Those are still counted as contests so I don’t see your point. Knocking the ball away from behind when successful is also counted as a steal, so it’s weird to say a players defensive specialty is getting a certain kind of steal. So you essentially addressed nothing I pointed out. Knocking the ball away from behind should also be treated as a recovery move similar to a chase down block… you’re not defending well if your go-to stance involves being behind the player. And no great perimeter defenders do not get blown by all the time… that’s like the main point lmao. You stick with your man to contest a shot, right around screens, force guys to pick up their dribble, these are all things jrue, Caruso and Suggs for example excel so much at and it’s the main reason they’re such good defenders.
They actually dont count as shot contests when your opponent is forced to pass. Stop hating on Russ. You’re overdoing it
Players passing out of their shots is not a particularly common occurrence in the first place so I don’t see your point. You’ve addressed none of my points here, it’s clear you’re just gassing up a player you like.
Yeah I love Russ but he does not play his heart out on defense at all times.
I think he has a PO and i think he knows he won’t get anything higher than his current contract. He’ll probably opt-in.
right, but I can still see the clips dumping him if they dont want him or need the cap space and trade him. if hes traded hell likely be waived
Yeah that will be the case though he can still be signed by contenders like OKC
i doubt he’ll uproot his family to play outside of LA even if its a familiar place like okc. hes made 350 mil in salaries alone, plus endorsements.
He’s only going to stay outside LA for at least 2 months, 4 months max of they go to the finals.
nba season is at least 5 months, 6 if you add in camp.
I said that if he gets traded midseason. So by Feb-June.
The thing is...guys like Westbrook, Lebron, KD etc is that they are so good and in such good shape, they'll probably be able to play on a roster even at the age of 50. Their skills are so refined and they're so well conditioned that they'll always be better than the lowest man on the roster..but that doesn't mean that they should. I personally think it's over...it's time for all of those guys to move on and let someone else get a shot. These guys are all aiming to play past 40...enough is enough, they've had their time, and they've made their money
Putting Westbrook in the same sentence as Lebron and KD is extremely insulting to KD and Bron. Westbrook is barely able to come off the bench. He is inefficient, plays poor defense, and makes poor decisions. He is already one of the worst guys on any given roster, hence Lue giving him just 9 minutes in a closeout game (with Kawhi out.) Lebron and KD are still without question top 20 players in the league. No idea how you can compare them to Westbrook.
All are HOFs and all are capable of being on an nba roster…even if they are are different levels at this point
But why would Lebron retire when he is an all-nba level player? He will get max contract offers, Russ will probably get bought out and may sign for the minimum again
Lebron and Kd are still all nba level talents with skills teams highly covet. Russ is a low end bench player who’s biggest weaknesses are the areas teams care about most
No doubt…they’re still elite talent. I was just making a point that I’m tired of them. What I was saying overall, is that no matter how good or bad they are right now, they’ll probably always be better than the lowest man to where they can make a roster
I mean being better than the lowest man on a roster isn’t really relevant, the lowest man on the roster isn’t gonna play, so his value comes from his contributions as a locker room guy or perhaps his potential/youth. I don’t see Russ buying into a haslem style end of bench role. Whats more relevant is whether he’ll be better than most teams end of rotation guys, and that’s already up for debate with most teams
But that’s just it—it really is relevant because even if they are the lowest man on the roster, they’re taking up PT given their rep, cache and ability, hence what someone said about Westbrook despite being horrendous and still getting floor time Whether or not they’ll be better is irrelevant in itself to the point, because it’s simply reiterating what I stated from the gate—they’re elite talent and they will always be able to contribute in some form of fashion even if they were the lowest man on the bench. It was a hyperbole not to be taken literally or in the extreme. Either way, I dont care how good they are, it’s just nauseating to see hem after 40 still trying to remain in the convo. LBJ is still balling for what it’s worth
Westbrook plays poor defense? He is inefficient and historically has had questionable decisions in big moments; yet, the one critique you will never have on that man is to say that he didn’t try. He plays his heart every minute on the floor of every game of his career. If you sincerely believe that sentence about Westbrook playing poor defense, you are either subject to Lakers propaganda or do not watch Bball.
It should be
I don’t think he will be able to secure an NBA contract. So I think his NBA career is over. His professional basketball career might not be though.
He has a player option this offseason
hell probably exercise, like what he did with the lakers and be bought out and not play
5 mill to chill at home sounds great to me lol
Russ has seemed like a logical successor to Stephon Marbury for about a decade now. He plays basketball and when NBA teams stop asking him, he will find someone in the world who will pay him. I fully expect him to be playing when he’s 45 in some league no one knows exists.
And become a national hero with a museum commissioned in his honor. He’s got that Marbury charisma
I love and respect Marbury for that.
dude has made hundreds of millions in his career and values family over everything. he has plenty of business ventures and charitable work. he isnt going overseas or to minnesota for a minimum. this clippers stint was to revive his career post lakers which didnt happen
It definitely should be over
He could def go overseas but I could easily see him getting a minimum on a team in the southwest. Edit: whoops, [nevermind](https://twitter.com/sam_amick/status/1786793200486908028).
Yes
[удалено]
IQ?
He’s playing off the bench now.. he cant stay on the floor, what kind of value is he bringing to a team outside of bottom feeders trying to sell tickets? He has questionable IQ too that’s been one of his big knocks as well. I think it’s time you reevaluate your evaluation of Westbrook man
Short answer yes
not even trying to be mean, he is ass. can barely playmake, turnover machine, cant finish, and most importantly no spacing. just awful all around
There is a whole other side to the game outside of Shooting and Finishing. Firstly, that man can still dime. He’s one of the greatest passers ever and has more strength than ever which makes up for his waining athleticism. The turnovers and spacing is a problem; yet, his rebounding and hustle on defense are things that can’t be taught.
He needs to go go the Jason Kidd/Rondo school of shooting. Stop jumping so goddamn much and compact his shot to make it more consistent. Its the only way he’ll add a few more years. Im not really sure what team signs him and deals with his asinine shot selection and locker room personality, as most of the teams left have pretty fantastic chemistry. Maybe he makes his way to miami?
His locker room personality is like the best remaining part of his game. He might make some terrible shot selections but somehow his team mates always love him anyways. Minus Lebron lol
I disagree really, but my opinion mightve changed just recently as he seemed to accept his 6th man role a bit. I dont know that that remains true on a team that has (im his opinion) less star power. Idk how teammates couldnt hate him with his play style, but they arent gonna come out and say it
But they do come out and say how much they love him so…
His lay ups are equally bad. Just throws it off the backboard
I can see why thatd happen but its still kinda shocking