Clippers Add Westbrook To Their Roster, Falling Victim To Theoretical Idea of His Value

Photo: Instagram/Russell Westbrook 

Russell Westbrook, the former MVP and future Hall of Famer, has signed with the Clippers, who have become the latest team to fall victim to the theoretical idea of what he can bring to a team with championship aspirations.

Westbrook has qualities such as the ability to push pace and lead second units, and the Clippers may be able to use him in five-out lineups with four shooters.

However, he has a history of taking bad shots, turning the ball over, not playing defense, and not having skills to succeed away from the ball.

Photo: Instagram/Russell Westbrook 

Despite the criticism, many players have come to Westbrook's defense, including Paul George, who played with him in Oklahoma City and believes he is a great guy and a future Hall of Famer.

The problem with Westbrook is that teams allow sentimentality to cancel out the current reality of his detrimental impact on the game.

Westbrook is having one of the least efficient and worst-shooting seasons of his career, and his 45.2 effective field-goal percentage is one of the worst among combo guards.

Although the Clippers may be able to control Westbrook's damage by using him in short bursts and with a floor-running big, the reality is that teams still see him as a core player on a championship team.

The Clippers reportedly plan to start Westbrook, but this is a mistake.

Terance Mann is a significantly better player, and the addition of Westbrook in this capacity makes the Clippers worse rather than better.

Many teams have made the same mistake of thinking they can make Westbrook work, including the Rockets, the Wizards, and the Lakers.

Although the Clippers might win the title this year, it won't be because of the Westbrook addition, but in spite of it.

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Source: CBS Sports