Russell Westbrook's tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers has already become a talking point. They lost to the Sacramento Kings in his debut, and then they benched him down the stretch to force overtime vs. the Denver Nuggets.
Some questioned Westbrook's fit with the Clippers, as they reportedly wanted a point-of-attack defender and pass-first point guard who could stretch the floor, and Westbrook doesn't check any of those boxes.
The early returns haven't exactly been encouraging for the Clippers, and Westbrook didn't seem happy, either. That's why NBA analyst — and bonafide hater — Skip Bayless called him out for not participating in the team's huddles down the stretch.
Skip Bayless Calls Out Russell Westbrook For His Attitude
"Now we see Ty Lue chose not to play starter Westbrook in the 4th quarter, Clips battled back to force overtime. Looked like Westbrook sat at end of bench not participating in sideline huddles or bench cheering. Will he start causing Lue the same problems he caused Darvin Ham?" Bayless tweeted.
Richard Jefferson Blames Westbrook For His Downfall
Bayless isn't the only analyst to discuss Westbrook's struggles. Recently, former NBA champion Richard Jefferson pointed out the fact that he never actually added anything to his game, which is why he's no longer the guy he used to be.
“Russell never added anything particular to his game. His game was beautiful; it was a triple-double machine. It was pace; it was athleticism; it was nonstop. It was a motor that we might have never seen before in this f*cking league," Jefferson said on Road Trippin'.
"But now that he’s gotten older and that athleticism has dropped, you need something more than that full-speed motor because now you’re questioning his decision-making," Jefferson continued. "Now you’re questioning his turnovers; now you’re questioning his shot selection. So it’s like that’s the problem. Like he can go other places, he can go do things, but the issue if you didn’t add a jump shot, if you didn’t add a float game, then you’re in a tough spot."
It would be a shame to see one of the best players of his generation leave the league by the backdoor, but this is a cruel business, and players need to make adjustments to stay relevant throughout the years, and that's where Russ may have failed.
