Isaiah Thomas recently took to Twitter to address Russell Westbrook not taking an open shot during a Clippers versus Warriors game. Westbrook, who plays for the former, faced Draymond Green as his defense opponent on the court, but he left him open to shoot from the three-point line. Instead of taking the unguarded chance to shoot, Russ kept possession and passed it off after some long seconds. While NBA Twitter blew up with takes and disappointed remarks about his shot, Thomas pointed out how time and place have a huge effect.
“Come on Russ we gotta step in and shoot that,” the former Boston Celtic tweeted. “That ain’t coo! OKC Russ is firing that even if he 1/10. Mindset and confidence is everything.” Later, he responded to someone suggesting that Russ didn’t have to shoot for three. Instead, he could’ve gone further down for a mid-range shot, which Thomas agreed with. “Ain’t talking about the 3,” he replied. “Step in and shoot the mid range pull up.” While Russ has had some great nights (and subsequent inexplicable long-term benches) with the Clippers so far, this wasn’t one of them for many fans.
Isaiah Thomas Gives Russell Westbrook A Shooting Tip
Still, Westbrook’s reputation as a star player overshadows a single shot with ease. In fact, it’s his experience and rapport with other players that reportedly got him involved with the Clippers in the first place. “The Clippers are pretty much admitting Paul George drove this decision,” Brian Windhorst said. “And from what I understand, they were internally against it at the start. Paul pushed for it publicly and privately. Kawhi {Leonard} supported it. And they looked more into it, and they were like ‘Well, you know, there are some things he can potentially help us with.’”
Meanwhile, a faulty run with the Clippers could put a question mark on his career. But if one thing’s for sure, it’s that he’ll remain a highly discussed, often polarizing, but nonetheless impactful basketball player. With all that said, who better to give him advice than his peers on opposing sides of the court? Regardless of whether it’s good or bad, check back in with HNHH for the latest on Russell Westbrook.