The Los Angeles Clippers had good momentum ahead of their matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.
After all, the Clippers were on a three-game winning streak.
However, the Clippers suffered an excruciating defeat at the hands of Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Clippers lost by 10 points, but had Russell Westbrook played better, the team could have certainly registered a win over the Pelicans.
Head coach Tyronn Lue shared his thoughts on Westbrook’s abysmal performance against the Pelicans via Tomer Azarly on Twitter.
“It’s an adjustment period for him coming off the bench now and trying to find his rhythm and his groove,” Lue said of Westbrook.
Tyronn Lue on Russell Westbrook’s 14 minutes and 1-of-8 shooting night:
“It's an adjustment period for him coming off the bench now and trying to find his rhythm and his groove. We got to get him to the post a little bit more against smaller guys…”
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 25, 2023
Russell Westbrook recently decided to come off the bench to ensure that James Harden could get settled into the starting five of the Clippers.
For the first few games, Westbrook’s selfless decision seemingly worked for the Clippers.
But against the Pelicans, Westbrook played like a shell of himself.
So much so that Tyronn Lue didn’t allow Westbrook to play more than 14 minutes in the game.
During those 14 minutes, Westbrook put up 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Clippers.
But the most shocking stat of Westbrook was his terrible shooting.
The former NBA MVP shot just 1-of-8 from the field against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Thanks to Westbrook’s struggles, the Pelicans didn’t have a lot of trouble in putting away the Clippers after four quarters.
Despite the poor performance, coach Ty Lue has shown trust in Westbrook and believes it’s only a matter of time before Westbrook showcases his talent coming off the bench.
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