in NBA

Russell Westbrook Has Become What He’s Always Hated

Russell Westbrook had one of the worst playoff games I’ve ever seen. Russ trick y’all man.

russell westbrook game 3

In the early days of the 2019-2020 NBA season, Russell Westbrook and his Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-93. James Harden dropped 47 points and Russ immediately took this as an opportunity to mock his defender, Patrick Beverley.

“Pat Bev trick y’all, man, like he playing defense. He don’t guard nobody, man. He just running around, doing nothing.”

These words would be attached to Pat Bev for years. Russ turned him into the butt of jokes. A meme. A loser.

For years, Pat Bev had a reputation for playing out of control and being on the floor exclusively to physically or mentally rattle people. Beverley’s wild play sent some of the best players in the NBA to the injured list thanks to his bullshit antics.

Russell Westbrook was a superstar in the league getting 25-point triple-doubles regularly.

My man won an MVP award following a season where he was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double. Westbrook went on to average a triple-double THREE MORE TIMES after his 2017 MVP.

When you’re on top, you get to look down at Pat Bev for being handsier than Diddy in a staff meeting.

Fast forward to Game 3 of this Clippers Mavs series and it’s clear as day Russell Westbrook has become what he’s always hated.

His downfall started in the first quarter.

Russ is pissed at Luka for embellishing contact to get calls from the refs. A thing literally everyone in the NBA does but on Friday night, Russ took it personally.

Then he goes for a block on Josh Green’s dunk but he takes off from an angle where he so obviously has a 0% chance to touch the ball. Westbrook charges at his shoulder instead of towards the rim and ended up slapping the crust out of Josh Green’s eyes.

Russ earned a flagrant 1 but wasn’t ejected from the game.

Yet.


Russell Westbrook went into Game 3 with the sole desire to create chaos and maybe fight someone. He would end up getting 2 technical fouls and escorted out for trying to put Luka Doncic in an armbar and then slapping the shit out of PJ Washington’s titty.

And there is nothing wrong with setting the tone and being physical and aggressive in a big playoff game.

But let’s look at Russell Westbrook Game 3 in totality:

  • 1 point
  • 0-for-7
  • 0-for-4 from 3
  • 3 rebounds
  • 1 assist
  • 1 steal
  • 2 blocks
  • 2 turnovers
  • 2 personal fouls
  • 2 technical fouls
  • 1 flagrant foul
  • -2

You never want to have more techs than points. These are Pat Beverley numbers. The Clippers lost 90-101 thanks mainly to the 19 minutes Russ was on the floor trying everything in his power to swing on a Dallas Maverick but he wanted them to swing first so he could pretend he was retaliating.

Westbrook provides almost nothing for these Clippers. He can’t stand on the perimeter waiting for a catch-and-shoot opportunity because he cannot shoot and his defenders sag off him to help double-team Harden, Kawhi or PG.

Russ can’t be the main ball handler because he has the decision-making skills of a toddler in a candy store and again, his defenders stand so far away daring him to shoot so if he decides to attack them, he’s running full-speed into a crowded paint full of blue jerseys.

Defensively, Russ is no longer quick enough to stay in front of Kyrie. He isn’t strong enough to slam bodies with Luka thus all the stupid fouls.

The only real way Westbrook can impact this series is through energy and violence—and for Russ, one does not exist without the other.

At 35 years, and with 1 year left on his contract (he has a player option but I imagine the Clippers are the only team that wants him at this point so opting out to test the market would be a mistake) it feels like Westbrook is facing the death of his NBA career in real-time. We are witnessing a man coming to terms with the end of the thing he dedicated his entire life to. He can’t even do anything about it because he never learned how to shoot 3s. His only influence over the final results of these basketball games is if Mason Plumlee goes on all fours behind Luka and Russ pushes him onto Plumlee, resulting in some brutal injury.

Russ trick y’all, man.

 

 

 

Random Stray Thoughts:

  • Can we quickly go back to this 2019 Rockets/Clippers game?
  • It was the 11th game in the Kawhi Leonard/Paul George Clippers era and Paul George was ALREADY out nursing a shoulder injury. This shit was doomed from the start.
  • 4 Clippers played 30+ minutes: Kawhi, JaMychael Green, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. I don’t think we talk enough about the strange rosters LA has put around Kawhi.
  • Speaking of strange rosters, it’s crazy that the two best players on the 2019-20 Rockets, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, are just playing on the Clippers now with PG and Kawhi.
  • Also PJ Tucker is in LA now too. Sort of.
  • Isaiah Hartenstein is objectively a Top 10 center in the NBA this season. He was collecting coach’s DNPs on the Rockets. 37-year-old Tyson Chandler was getting minutes over him.
  • Oh and the Rockets starting shooting guard, Ben McLemore, is going to prison for a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How nasty was this Russell Westbrook Game 3 performance?  Leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee. Let me know if you think Russ will bounce back next year so I can get a good laugh in.

 

Written by thelesterlee

Creator of Deadseriousness. Diehard Knicks, Yankees and Giants fan who wants to create a sports and pop culture space that isn't the same copy and pasted AI content you see everywhere else.

2024 nfl draft

Grading Every First Round Pick of the 2024 NFL Draft
knicks sixers game 4

Knicks Sixers Game 4 Live Article