Russell Westbrook Requests To Come Off The Bench For Clippers Amid 6-Game Losing Streak

Losers of six straight games, the Los Angeles Clippers have officially hit rock bottom in the aftermath of the James Harden trade but Russell Westbrook is determined to do whatever he can to stop the bleeding. As revealed in a report by NBA insider Chris Haynes, Westbrook is embracing a bench role with the Clips as a last-ditch effort to turn the trajectory of the season.

Two-way guard Terance Mann will start for the first time this season in place of Westbrook, who reportedly approached the coaching staff himself with the idea in order to help the first unit "develop some chemistry." For Westbrook, this is the latest evidence to support his renewed commitment to winning.

After coming to the Clippers from the Lakers, Russ has found a new sense of purpose in the league and he's seemingly found a place where he can thrive playing his own brand of basketball. When the Clippers traded for Harden this season, it disrupted the team's delicate balance and they haven't recovered since. And now, faced with the prospect of losing seven straight games, Russell Westbrook is throwing his pride out the window to give his team the best possible chance of turning things around.

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NBA Fans Are Proud Of Clippers Star

The NBA community has been highly critical of Westbrook since his exit from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. For many fans and experts, Westbrook's flaws on the court as a shooter, decision-maker, and defender far outweigh his capabilities as a finisher, rebounder, and playmaker. For a while, Russ was a fan favorite for his electric plays in OKC, but things got really ugly for Westbrook during his tenure with the Lakers. With career-low efficiency, Russ was a horrible fit from the start and it was looking like his career was close to being over before the move to the Clippers.

Over the past six months, we've seen a different side to Westbrook and it seems he's on a mission to close out his career as an NBA champion. While the Clippers still have a long way to go, fans are impressed that Westbrook is putting the team before his personal ambitions.

Say what you want about Westbrook or his game, but you have to respect him for voluntarily removing himself from the starting lineup. 

The craziest part of this move is that Westbrook isn't even the biggest problem on the Clippers. Before the Harden trade, the Clippers were rolling with Russ and the big two. It was Harden who came in and messed everything up.

Only time will tell if this lineup change will make things better for the Clippers, but kudos to Westbrook for at least trying something instead of waiting for his coach to make the tough decision for him.

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Panic Mode For The Clippers?

Without a single win in the James Harden era, the Los Angeles Clippers don't have much to hang on as hope for the future. The big four haven't worked so far and the Harden/Westbrook pairing is clearly a bad fit on the floor. Even so, it's still early in the season and the Clippers have more than enough time to figure things out. Over the next few weeks, Tyronn Lue will likely experiment with many different rotations that could include moving Harden to the bench if the results don't improve.

For a team that is running out of time to maximize its title window, the Clippers have no choice but to try their luck with this group and hope that the stars can learn how to play together. It's a good sign that Westbrook is bought in on a championship pursuit, and now the rest of the team can follow his lead.

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