The New-Look Los Angeles Clippers Team After Russell Westbrook's Acquisition

The Clippers look good with Russell Westbrook.

Credit: Fadeaway World

The Los Angeles Clippers were widely viewed as a contender this year even at the start of the season, and they have continuously tried to get better and improve their talent and depth around their two stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Ahead of the trade deadline, the team made moves for Eric Gordon, Bones Hyland, and Mason Plumlee, to improve their guard and center depth. The team was not done making moves after that, however, as they have recently acquired point guard Russell Westbrook from the buyout market.

There is no doubt that Russell Westbrook was a solid sixth man for the Los Angeles Lakers, and that was on a team that was very poor at 3PT shooting. On the Los Angeles Clippers, he will have a lot of shooting around him, which will help the team take full advantage of his skill set.

In this article, we will cover what the new-look Los Angeles Clippers rotation should look like after Russell Westbrook's addition. It has already been reported that the team views the point guard as a starter, and it is clear that they believe in his fit with the team.

PG: Russell Westbrook, Bones Hyland, Jason Preston

SG: Terance Mann, Eric Gordon, Brandon Boston Jr.

SF: Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell, Amir Coffey

PF: Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington

C: Ivica Zubac, Mason Plumlee

There are definitely some decisions to make for the Los Angeles Clippers here. Russell Westbrook is obviously a starting-caliber player for the Clippers, but the team has also done well on the court with young guard Terance Mann getting heavy minutes at the PG position. The solution is likely to start both of them in the backcourt, as Terance Mann would provide the defensive edge the starting lineup needs. Mann's a solid 3 and D player that could be a "glue guy" in the starting lineup for the Clippers, and every championship team needs one of those players in a prominent role. Paul George has the size and length to play the PF position, so the transition should be seamless.

The first five off the bench would consist of a number of shooters, surrounding center Mason Plumlee. Norman Powell, Eric Gordon, Bones Hyland, and Marcus Morris would likely provide a large number of firepower when coming off the bench, though we could see Nicolas Batum at the backup PF spot if the team decides to lean toward defense. Robert Covington is a small-ball C option for the team, and the Clippers notably like to close small for optimal spacing. We could also see a number of times when Russell Westbrook is playing with the bench unit, to take advantage of all the shooting that is currently on the lineup.

In the starting lineup, Russell Westbrook's role will likely be to run the offense and reduce the playmaking load on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, allowing them to focus on scoring and defense. He will obviously have to be locked in on the defensive end and provide energy on the boards and when playing perimeter defense as well. Russell Westbrook has the potential to be a great addition to the Los Angeles Clippers,

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The Los Angeles Clippers Got Better By Signing Russell Westbrook

Though he has developed a negative reputation with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his turnover-prone and inefficient playstyle, there is still a chance that Russell Westbrook is better with the Los Angeles Clippers. Situations can make a player look a lot worse than they are, and sometimes a change of scenery is all a player needs to play better. Russell Westbrook will be on a franchise that has the personnel to help him be successful, and hopefully, he can change his perception as a player on the Los Angeles Clippers.

There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Clippers are contenders as of now, and Russell Westbrook might be the piece that pushes them over the top in a Western Conference that was defined by parity prior to Kevin Durant getting traded to the Phoenix Suns. Russell Westbrook's addition will put the Clippers in the same tier talent-wise as the Phoenix Suns, and it would definitely be interesting to see a series between the two teams.

With that being said, the most pressure right now is on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to deliver in the playoffs. They are the faces of this iteration of the Los Angeles Clippers, and they are the two stars that will determine how far the Clippers end up going in the playoffs. Hopefully, we see them win a championship at some point in the future, and they definitely have the talent to do so this year.

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