Russell Westbrook continues to be a talking point around the NBA, and, once again, not for the best reasons. The Los Angeles Clippers are winless since signing him, and while he might not be responsible for that, it's definitely a worrisome trend.
Executives from Tyronn Lue's team was reportedly on the fence about pursuing Westbrook, but Paul George advocated in his favor and convinced them to make a run at the former MVP, regardless of how questionable the fit was.
Notably, their championship odds didn't change a lot upon his arrival, according to oddsmakers. And recently, an unnamed NBA executive even stated that the Clippers are less of a threat now with him on the floor.
Russell Westbrook Makes The Clippers Less Scary, Claims Executive
(Transcript via John Hollinger - The Athletic)
"The Clippers? Everything is under control here, now that they signed the player their in-town rivals couldn’t wait to be rid of and promoted him to the starting lineup.
Russell Westbrook’s high-usage, low-efficiency, non-floor-spacing style seems almost perfectly suited to minimize Kawhi Leonard’s and Paul George’s effectiveness.
'Actually, I fear them much less now,' said one exec, who was granted anonymity so that he could speak freely. (Also, um … didn’t they already try this two years ago with Rajon Rondo? How’d that work out?)
The Clippers still owe their next four drafts to Oklahoma City via trades or swaps, and have the most expensive roster in the league. They’re only 33-30, although more optimistically they’re 19-11 when Leonard and George both play.
Even that latter mark, however, isn’t what the Clippers were expecting when they paired those two. The evidence is getting pretty overwhelming that they just aren’t good enough."
The Clippers have more than enough talent to work things out and prove the doubters wrong. But they don't look like a legit threat to win the whole thing right now, and they won't have a lot of time to figure things out.
