How Russell Westbrook Saved The Clippers’ Season

How Russell Westbrook Saved The Clippers’ Season

During the Clippers win streak Westbrook’s only playing about 17 minutes per game but he’s averaging nine points five rebounds three assists shooting 53% from the field nearly 37% from three so how much of Westbrook’s selflessness and Leadership has impacted the cliber success a lot I’m G give him

That I’m GNA give it to him whether it’s really his idea or not like no I think what it did help is it helped um the coach mhm yep right it it’s you know a coach right benching him has him looking at you sideways that’s a for him to

Volunteer it kind of takes off it takes away that negativity of it right you know even though you guys are probably like yeah I want to bring him off the bench the fact that he says hey hey hey don’t worry about me coach I’ll come off

The bench run your offense it kind of like it kind of it’s what Darin ham should allowed when he was with the then you wouldn’t had a disgruntle you know player like not wanting to be a part of it so he’s in the same role he

Was there but now look at him on the bench he’s happy as hell but Gil the difference being though yeah I I’ll go to the bench for James Harden I’m not going to vent for limit daddy like no no that’s facts but I’m just saying like it’s it’s a different situation on the

Clippers side but a player who wants to win can see the writing on the wall yes sometimes that’s what I said sometimes I think coaches and media you know sometimes you know I do it too we don’t give a player the benefit of Doubt of being smart right I can see like this

[ __ ] ain’t clicking for me right I’m not clicking with this unit I click better with this unit when I was in Orlando right and I remember um they we were we were winning I was playing very well and the paper was writing when is he going

To start already and I went to jir Nelson I don’t want to start I love playing with JJ reick now right Brandon Bass I love this second unit cuz we just push that [ __ ] shooting like it it puts me in a style like I don’t have to worry

About turkal luk and he understood what I was talking about right so like I do not I’m not here for your position I like the second unit it fits my style better right and that gave him a relief not stressing like he got to make shots

He got to make plays cuz he knew I wasn’t after that spot so you have to give players a chance to really look at themselves look at each other and be like yo Lexi you you you’re better at this don’t worry about me I’ll tell coach that I’m coming off the bench yeah

Free game free game right bless us buy in to what the coach’s vision is and you’ll be the coach’s best friend Tylo said in the beginning of the Season he’s like man best thing happened to us is Russ Russell Westbrook what did Russ do immediately he bought in first time they had a

Leader in that Kip the coaches all have a ego to want these grown ass men to buy in to what they [ __ ] want to deliver but they don’t know how to ask us to so they expect us to too so when you got a player like Russ that’s automatically

Understanding what he’s saying without him saying it like okay I’m going to have to buy in and what he sees something I don’t see I’m have to come off the bench let’s just see how it work all if it don’t work he better have a

Plan b or plan C or I’m looking at you like you don’t know what the [ __ ] you doing tou what the [ __ ] we doing over here right so if I’m going trust and buy into it just for like all the other players out there you trying to figure

Out should you trust your coach or not at Carolina the number one thing was Buy in we got Roy came in Buy in can you buy in can you trust what he’s saying and do what he’s saying same thing with any other rookie year third year fourth

Whatever year it was it was new coach are you going to buy into what they they selling CU if you don’t but the thing about to your point about the buyin though now Clippers win eight straight games a lot easier to buy in working now Clippers lose eight

Straight games it’s like wait a minute [ __ ] you playing me minutes a game and we ain’t we ain’t winning [ __ ] it makes a little bit easier but you guys have all been in locker rooms how tough is to have a player like that who’s maybe not playing as much as they

Want to that could go the other side that could be a destructive force in that locker room could be a locker room cancer like people say even if they are winning still bitter still miserable and I think to westw credit being a UCLA guy obviously a school that produces men of

Strong character and high value buying in goes both ways though to be honest it’s it’s this is a team right and when you’re talking about team the concept of a team is it it has to be able to expand and fluctuate so whatever idea a coach has coming into training camp that

Training camp should change your idea if something is off right you can say oh this is the lineup I want well if this guy doesn’t fit you have to be quick enough to change it because the players that looking at this weak dude he’s getting the food that he don’t

Supposed to be getting has now turned on you if you’re keeping them there right like your idea of this is what you want your starting lineup to look like if he didn’t earn that position if he didn’t earn those minutes if you didn’t earn those you lose respect from

Everyone else so you have to be able to adjust as a coach also yeah cuz we losing trust cuz we’re losing trust like man you putting him in we done lost four straight games with him doing it while he’s still there he getting beat back door every time back door every you put

Put him in for defense he can’t hit no shots like yo let me let hey let me try I can I can throw 13 [ __ ] shots up 13 13 threes up Let it Rain come on let it R so you know you you as a coach

You have to be aware also and understand like yeah I might go into the game hey that’s why I said when when tyu when when tyo said your bones you’re not in our rotation that irks the [ __ ] out of me it irks me how the [ __ ] can you tell

A kid that he’s not in your room how the [ __ ] do you know there might be a game you put him in and boom he got 30 like cam cam cam Thomas wasn’t in their rotation you got to talk about cam Thomas wasn’t in their rotation cam Thomas wasn’t in their

Plans to start at all well them two them two games them two games him coming out there saying now like oh [ __ ] hey hey what we need to do adjust Thomas so you don’t know what bones you you got bones on the bench you’re not giving them you do not know

Wow that’s a big stat it’s over their head though Gil you really got to why doesn’t he know cuz he has the ability to show out at any given moment you put him in Talent is Talent turn the game around you didn’t even know he was going

To do this he came in 12 points eight minutes you don’t know then you be like okay to hey let me go try you again now his confidence is building now he might be the link that you looking for in the trade and that’s the buyan you’re talking about from the other

Side buying in to the player you buy into to my work at they buy in that I would do the right like that’s what I’m saying that it’s it’s it’s a it’s a ecosystem that needs to be built yeah like if you’re saying hey Bones we need you to come in three

Four times a day this and this and this and he’s buying into to this work ethic and you’re not rewarding you got to reward him you’re not rewarding him you’re not letting them come in the game you keep D I think that’s a when he says

You’re not on the rotation that’s such a lazy approach from a coach like now you’re yeah now the now he’s pissed might be pouting maybe he’s not coming in extra and now you’re like oh yeah of course I’m not going to play you because look how you’re acting but you instilled

That mindset into me when you told me that when you could have said nothing and then just I’m just going to be prepared for the opportunity when it presents itself and it’s indefinite we don’t know how long this this out of the rotation [ __ ] what that mean what the

[ __ ] does that even mean I like the word dogghouse rather than out of the rotation that sentence alone hey bro you going to be out of the rotation yeah gives you no Clarity or information at all how did I get outside of dog means you doing something that

You’re not supposed to be doing dog dog I don’t know when they when people like yeah you in the dogghouse I don’t know what the [ __ ] that’s supposed to mean is that I I go sleep there but [ __ ] I’m coming out when I want to play like I that Ain the

Dog [ __ ] ain’t no door in my dog house you can’t lock me dog is different than us his dog is way different our dog is lck think about on that [ __ ] the concept of a dog house is I go in that’s why I supposed to sleep open I’m

The open I got to open door or do I got a [ __ ] door and you lock it and they come by they come by and clean the little cup against the little barbell ding D D D D D D we give me your food and leave you there but that’s what

That’s what like there’s a coach that told me um uh you know college coach uh Louisville coach and when I interviewed him we was talking with my with with my daughter and he said one thing is he said I want to win whatever happens on that

Court remember I want to win I’m not going to penalize myself and the team because of this right so if me and you ain’t getting along I can deal with it after I can deal with it in practice I’m not going to deal with it on the court he

Said I got players that CZ me [ __ ] you [ __ ] you and I hey are you ready to get back in the game please hey go back go back and win the for that’s coach that’s a coach that’s that is a quality that get me I’m hyp I’m hyped after that like

No matter what you going to cuss me out you the worst coach ever are you done now can you go in the game and help us win now get your ass back in there and hit the game winner yes B bad bad versus you expressing yourself and

Then not penalize you well you going to sit there for five six seven cuz that’s hurting me too but then coaches got to understand that too like do you want to win or do you want to teach do you do you want to be teachers

Do you want to be right they trying to set examples in the middle in real time yeah but examples hurt you too yeah and that that’s what they impulsively they don’t get but they want to they want to especially in college obviously be in control of the whole machine so whatever

It is my bag is still secure yeah they want credit they want credit and they don’t want to take the criticism yeah and that’s usually how it go yeah I don’t I don’t care listen I don’t care what you say to me as long as your buck is is following

Cuz you done cool one full flat go yeah don’t be don’t be lazy don’t go out here complaining and then not getting buckets and not getting back on defense I’m going reward you bro that’s what I’m said I’m not going like that’s why I said there like there’s the game there’s

Practice there’s there’s the ego we all have egos but we have to understand when to release them like I’m not going to try to prove myself right to prove you wrong because me proving my best players wrong or this player or God that can to mess up your attit which affects the

Team itself yeah cuz this could have went a very different way with Russ and tyou yep yes them both trying to prove their point and then it would negatively impact the team so did with the Lakers and you also got to give some love to to Norman pal so Norman pal started the

Game this season uh averaging 13 points per game in 25 minutes per game but 16 points per game during the streak him and Westbrook that’s a consistent man very well together he the hard hat guy he hard hat another UCLA guy so understandable CER we call him blue Coller show

Up like even we look at somebody like man right who ain’t really doing much right probably there for defense Y which which is a weird thing for me because you got kawhai and and PG and he’s playing 28 you know what I mean it’s just like like how much defense do you

Need from the same position like but like somebody like him right I would rather have the be honest p p PJ Tucker the reason is I know Pete Tucker is going to go offensive rebound he’s going to set random scen he yet no he ain’t played damn he is a coach’s decision but

That’s what I’m saying but like somebody like him I know he’s going to do these little things that don’t equate to Stats but it probably he set a pick here back doored here rebound here pass it to open guy here that equated to these points right that helped the team win and he

Still got 0 000000 yeah hey I’m ran in the PJ I’m ran in the PJ out here how you feeling the streets Street in these streets you know he’s North Carolina guy we had a little conversation he was not happy understandable though was not happy of I mean of course he’s not going

To be happy I don’t want to tell you what he told me cuz I ain’t going I’m I’mma classify it but he trying to he ain’t happy oh I know he it ain’t what he thought it was going to be he ain’t happy you know what

I’m saying of course I mean you just being on the bench when you know you can contribute is is never going to be uh a hard SW a hard pill to swallow yeah so uh PJ Tucker last scored a point on November 14th last played in the game My

27th damn wait what did we say who who would win I lost I lost Oh I thought he was getting the game yeah oh damn what do we say was the Spurs Spurs Detroit and PJ he was scor he was scoring before they won a game yeah all right well

Let’s keep this thing moving uh Tyrone did that I Ty T tyou did that on purpose that he watch the show to give me a l you know what is crazy did you say that though they got man Kawai PG and PJ Tucker all over there and they ain’t

Playing like what like you can’t find no minutes for PJ fre that man you can’t get no shooters you Ain got no shooters well [ __ ] up they probably gonna buy him out he going go to Boston or some [ __ ] what the funny is like when you think

About when you think about the Golden State Warriors right when you think about that Championship run you think about the Lakers when they were winning Championship that second unit was powerful it was the second unit was the power right that’s where that’s where bones is yep right you can have a second

Unit that’s just as powerful as you’re started high power you got rust you got that’s how you got rust bones and playing them all throw them in there let them go when I was in when I was in when I was in DC it our second unit is sometimes the reason we came

Back with um Steve Blake and them Steve Blake and um Juan Dixon them two right there they sitting there they no they a need no they didn’t need no defense assassins that Maryland connection yeah like bones inor bones in the Open Floor come on and pal what that’s your

Second unit starting five PJ play the F we throw somebody in there miles plumbley at the five think about think about the lineup you got Russ with Bon and pal all fast that’s coming off your bench all fast I like that lineup too R Russ be in heaven yeah but it’s defense

Then at that point it’s like they giving up a lot of Defense there but then again we goty that’s what we got starting 5 no no but you’re going but you’re going up against the other team’s bench so it’s not that big de think about when St was

Was Steve like what Steve Blake Jordan Farmar you had Shannon round them yep yep yep just running dein George cuz cuz if you leave your starter in and these guys are just coming in like yo coach sub me yes I’m not trying to be com to

Run up and down with these young so we did a poll we asked our Clippers legit in the west legit threat 71% said yes so not they had to remve today getting close to the holidays G you gave about 500 they got that money some lucky think

We got I think we just got two I thought we had one yesterday but we got two more

Gilbert Arenas Explains How Russell Westbrook Saved The Los Angeles Clippers’ Season by volunteering to come of the bench & open things up for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard following the James Harden Trade. With The Clippers on FIRE lately Gil describes how it was Russ’ leadership that fixed everything for this team.

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