Why the Trade Benefits the Los Angeles Clippers
There was a clear limitation in the Los Angeles Clippers’ half-court attack during their run in the NBA bubble. There was a real lack of a facilitator to run the group— creating too much of a burden on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to create for themselves.
By adding Russell Westbrook into the mix, the Clippers would land one of the most explosive athletes in the NBA that can get to the paint at will. That’s a needed dimension to add when considering Leonard and George primarily take pull-up jumpers.
It helps that George already has prior experience playing alongside Westbrook from their mutual time together with the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, this time around, George needs to play more of an off-ball role and be prepared to experience a reduction in his stats.
The reduction in pick-and-roll ball handling and isolation possessions for George would enable him to focus more on attacking within the flow on offense. Where it would help the most is for him to embrace locking down on defense and having the energy to check the opposition’s best talent.
