Russell Westbrook Reacts to Warriors Leaving Him Open

The Golden State Warriors made LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook shoot the ball
Russell Westbrook Reacts to Warriors Leaving Him Open
Russell Westbrook Reacts to Warriors Leaving Him Open /

Throughout the last few years of Russell Westbrook's career, teams have often left him wide open on the perimeter due to his poor shooting ability. The Golden State Warriors implemented an extreme version of this defense against the LA Clippers on Thursday night, and it was successful, as Westbrook went 0/5 from deep.

The Clippers did make an adjustment after the first quarter, relocating Westbrook to the corner in order to generate his open looks from a higher percentage area on the floor, but the veteran point guard was still unable to buy a shot.

When asked about this defense after the game, Westbrook said, "Just be aggressive. Find ways to be effective. I thought I did a great job of it in the first half... I had opportunities to be able to swing, make plays, and do anything I needed to do, and I just missed some shots too, it’s alright. Get ready for the next one."

When asked about Golden State's defensive scheme against Westbrook, Clippers head coach Ty Lue talked about the adjustment that was made to get Westbrook in the corner, but the shots just didn't fall. Lue also praised Westbrook's patience in that first half, as he was able to navigate around Golden State leaving hime wide open.

This is likely not the last time the Clippers will see a defensive scheme like this, which is why Ty Lue also added that they will continue looking at new ways to counter it.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.