Russell Westbrook warmly welcomed his new teammates, James Harden and P.J. Tucker. Harden, Westbrook, and Tucker have previously been teammates with the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. They will now join forces again, this time with the Los Angeles Clippers.
While the trade between the 76ers and the Clippers has not been finalized, the Clippers extended a warm welcome to both Harden and Tucker as they arrived at the Cripto.com Arena. Russell Westbrook displayed visible happiness upon reuniting with Harden.
Westbrook commends Clippers for providing crucial support
Westbrook is happy to be an LA clipper and is grateful to the team for helping him and believing in him during a tough time. The LA Lakers’ experiment with Russell Westbrook failed leading him to land with the Clippers. Although Russell Westbrook is a polarizing player, he might be a good fit for the Clippers.
There hasn’t been a true point guard of the highest calibre for the Clippers since Kawhi Leonard and Paul George took over. While Westbrook may lack floor generalship, he still ranks among the greatest playmakers in NBA history. This season with the Lakers, he played a career-low 28.7 minutes per game but averaged 7.5 assists in his 52 games.
Westbrook is known for his durability, rarely missing games and always playing with intensity. Throughout his career, he has encountered a few minor injuries but nothing too serious, and he doesn’t typically lean towards load management. This is particularly important for the Clippers, who have faced challenges with Leonard and George available.
According to NBA.com, the Clippers are currently ranked 24th in the league in terms of pace, so Westbrook’s addition should help increase their tempo. Westbrook played a significant role in the Lakers’ rise to the No. 2 spot in pace this season.
James Harden and Russell Westbrook reunite in Clippers
James Harden and Russell Westbrook have reunited in LA. Harden is very happy that he has finally made his way to Los Angeles. The Clippers now have an even bigger star studded squad.
Harden and Westbrook first played together for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even though they travelled to the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Thunder, they were defeated by LeBron James and the Miami Heat. A turning point was Harden’s subsequent trade to the Houston Rockets in 2012, but Westbrook remained a Thunder mainstay.
They got back together when Westbrook was traded to the Rockets in 2019. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic cut short their partnership, lasting only one season before Westbrook was traded to the Washington Wizards. Now they have teamed up once again, this time for the LA Clippers.
What are your thoughts on Harden and Westbrook reuniting? Feel free to share with us in the comments below.
