The Unique Strategy That Turned Russell Westbrook Into a Defensive Monster
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- We saw Russell Westbrook put on a defensive masterclass in game 1 between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns, recording 2 steals and 3 blocks to help the Clippers win a game on the road in their first game of the NBA playoffs.
Westbrook had a historically bad shooting night, yet if you watched the game, you saw that he was playing incredibly impactful basketball and was a primary reason why the Clippers were able to win. The offense that coach Ty Lue drew up for Kawhi Leonard was another major factor that helped them win, getting him going early and punishing the Suns for not having a defender to throw at him. With Paul George out, the Clippers need Russell Westbrook to continue playing at this level to be able to advance to the next round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
But the Russell Westbrook trade may just work out after all.
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Providing NBA analysis by making film digestible and using analytics thoughtfully to contextualize on-court production. I cover the NBA in various capacities as a writer and digital content creator. If you love basketball and the NBA, be sure to subscribe to my channel.
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#NBAPlayoffs #LosAngelesClippers #RussellWestbrook 
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Who’s winning game 2 tonight?
The only way the suns win game 2, is if they play more physical(not gonna happen unfortunately), and if they run better sets for KD(he was very passive down the stretch). on the flip side, clippers lose if they don't hit their open shots as well.
I don't think the suns are as good as they can be because they need to run sets to truly unlock KD and the rest of their offense. but Monty decided not to, to make it easier for their new star to be involved.
i believe that if paul George was healthy they would win the west.
Russell nipsey hustle 💪 bringing clips another w
Clip gang or don't bang!
Clippers
@@mikeonawave821 I agree w everything you said but there's also the fact that this Suns team currently is not deep at all. They're missing their backup pg and I'd say their only real playoff PLAYABLE players are Craig and Shamet. The suns are only 7 men deep. Whereas the Clippers have everything. Westbrook, Batum, Powell, Mann, Gordon, Kawhi, Hyland, Powell, Zubac, Plumlee and two guys who didn't get much playing time Morris and Covington
westbrook had the best 3-19 game i might have ever seen even though his scoring was off all night he made a big impact on every other part of the game and was huge down the stretch with his offensive rebounding
2nd best
@@trollking4058 only to himself 😭
Nah his 3-19 vs the Sixers was way better he still has 19Pts 21rebs
@@XWDaniel 😂😂
That nigga looked like a 96ovr lockdown defender with a 53 jump shot
It’s pretty amazing how good the defences have been in the playoffs considering how bad defence was in the regular season. I love good defence basketball.
I think there is still a lot of defensive talent a tactics in the NBA, this just doesn't come up in the regular season as much, but in the playoffs you can create one plan that you execute for 2-3 weeks with adjustments. I think it's purely that in this modern NBA it is much more difficult to create great defensive plans all through the regular season.
What surprised me most is how good the Kings have been on defense so far.
Defence is primarily effort. Regular season NBA is basically 70% effort.
defense defense defense*****
@@unnaturallive shi was bothering me too
@@unnaturallive defense is the American spelling. The OP might be Canadian (like me) or another English speaking country (England/the UK, Australia, new Zealand, et cetera). He spelt it perfectly fine.
The fact that the Clippers are much deeper than the Suns bench-wise is not being talked about enough. This single reason is why I have the Clippers taking this series.
and the suns can't get a stop when they need one. what's one thing every team that won a playoff game this year has in common? they're able to get key defensive stops sometimes even multiple to get back into a game, take the lead or change momentum. the suns just can't get those big stops.
@@cjvaye99 Yeah, the Suns have good defenders but not that one guy you'd expect to shut the opponent down late in the 4th. Mikal was that guy for them.
@@verward they also seem a little too desperate to get the ball to KD. They didn't even have him for that long, but they want him to handle every possesion. This doesn't work in the play-offs!
This is what Russ should've ALWAYS been. His supreme athleticism are actually better exploited on D because of his shooting problems. He can literally change games on defense. I have no idea why other coaches didn't do this. He could've been DPOY at least once in his career and ALL NBA several times. Him, PG and Kawhi could be an elite defensive unit in playoff mode. SAC's youth and explosiveness will be a problem for everyone, as GSW are learning.
Winner of this series plays Denver not Sac
Back in his pre-nba years he was a very good defensive player, it’s like it didn’t translate to the nba. He had so much potential on defense, sucks now he’s only now showing it
@@davixn tbh u could blame part of it on coaching and development staff in his early seasons
Back in his MVP season, he was a good defender. I think his emergence been because he’s gained wisdom from playing so many years, and now he isn’t asked to drop 30 pts and 10 asts every night. This role for Russ of grabbing boards and clamping all stars is perfect given his age.
@@mamadoubarrie6607 i agree, it’s not all on him, just like I said, it’s a shame it’s only being realized now. Imagine if he was known for being a two-way, he’d probably be even more legendary
This is like a masterclass breakdown of the Clippers side of this game. No lie, excellent work here. Thank you for this.
Another example of a player leaving the lakers and improving greatly, it also shows the impact of fit.
quick to forget the lakers also improved greatly after getting rid of him. jumped up 6 seeds after getting rid or him🤣🤣🤣
This is the only nba page I like on RUclips. Not click bait, no memes, no screaming. Just breaking down the game and bringing light to players around the league that deserve it!
Ty lue is a genius
Everyone forgets Russ was known for defense in college
100%, only modern comparison to college Russ is like… OSU Marcus Smart?
They forget because he's strayed far from being that player. He's been a defensive liability since his MVP season
@@KxngKUDAhe was a top 5 pg in defensive rating in his next 2 seasons with PG, but yes in houston and Washington(with already bad defenses) he was a defensive liability as well
The lakers he definitely should've gave way more effort though
@@KxngKUDAI don’t know about liability, but he definitely picks and chooses when he gives effort on that end.
THANK YOU. Westbrook’s defense is the main reason why he made it to the NBA. Home boy is the PAC10 DPOY once.
I wanna see that Westbrook back. If he does, I’m sure he’ll win his championship ring
Just a Ty Lue masterpiece.
now just imagine if they had pg13 another 23/6/5 with great defense really unlucky for them
Before the series, I was out on both teams. Now I'm rooting for the Clippers, at least in this series. :D Nice to see Westbrook making a career comeback.
Best coverage of this game I have seen! Great job! Do you plan to cover the Kings - Warriors series too? I really hope you can put up at least 2 videos a week during these playoffs, as they are simply incredible!
Really appreciate that, thank you! I’m actually working on a video about that series right now, hoping to have it up tomorrow but I’ll certainly be covering the series at some point regardless
@@AlexHoops can't wait for it bro
Im glad Russ found a solid home where his talents are used properly. He is still a superstar.
Clippers play-off mode is something that every team on the West should consider rn. The depth of their roster, Kawhi+PG dynamic duo, Westbrook's hustle and Tyronn Lue mastermind is making them favourites against Suns imo.
Love to see Bones stepping up on D
High level analyst with the addition of film. Chef's kiss my boy, definitely my favorite coverage of the playoffs so far. Miles ahead mainstream media
Westbrook really showing his defensive origins, I like seeing his energy of late
Fun fact: Russ won a Pac-10 DPOY award at UCLA. He’s always been a capable defender when engaged
Great recap, i didnt watch the game but this is better than the official highlights
Russell Westbrook has blocked KD like this at least twice in the past. One in the year after KD left and again for the Lakers from what I remember, love seeing him thrive.
This was an incredible breakdown Alex, the editing especially, was on point. If you can do frequent uploads like this over the remainder of the playoffs I could see you hitting the 100K sub mark. Good luck my friend, you're crushing it!
Can't even lie... Westbrook CLAMPED Booker on that last possession
Great content Alex, the kind of analysis we don't hear most of the time but yeah, beyond the highlights plays in the clutch, Russ was phenomenal. Comprehensive and precise analysis, nice editing too. Keep up the great work
As a rockets fan i’m happy for gordon. he finally got out of basketball hell and has another chance to finally get a ring.
Russ always goes crazy playing KD, ultimate insurance pickup for facing the Suns lol
Watching Russ make those defensive plays at the end of the game made me so happy. He deserves some positive press from both media and fans, he gets hated on a ton and this is an example of what good coaching can do for his game.
This team has two closers, a running big man, alot of defenders, and spacing. This team is perfect for Russ! You have to guard Kawhi and PG, you’re surrounded by shooters, and you have Russ who can attack inside and either score or kick back. Too bad this team isn’t healthy. But I think they should give it one more year.
Westbrook always been a great defensive player🙌🏾
This is the most Westbrook game ever
Defensively yes
Great breakdown man
You also gotta do the Cavs and Knicks
That series is so evenly matched
1) Westbrook is a very strong and - despite previous injuries - still a very fast guard with a lot of stamina. Combined with his height, he has all the physical attributes needed to be a solid defender if he puts his mind to it.
2) KD was on the court. We all know Westbrook gets defensive boosts when KD's in the building! 😂
AlexHoops is back!!
Deserved sub great quality keep it up
that was a really nice and easy to understand breakdown. Thank you sir
Actually, Westbrook has a history of defending KD very well. Maybe he figured KD out when he was practicing with him in OKC.
Keep grinding bro you definitely going places great content you a real student of the game love the way u broke it down even people who don’t like basketball would understand 💯I’m subscribing
So happy for russ man
love the videos brother keep em coming!!!
amazing breakdown! i cant imagine what this series would be like if PG13 was in
Happy for Russ and good to see him get some shine, but did anyone else think booker taking a contested layup down 3 with 10 seconds left and no timeouts as a terrible idea, sure if Russ let him run unguarded to the rim sure take it but at that moment just seems like a bad move, and watching him cry for a foul on a clean block while still mid air just to see Russ throw it off of him was the cherry on top lol
Good content. Love the highlights and the analysis. I love the defense aspect of the game, that's where the hardworkers and role players dwell, who most of the time, are not praised. I love seeing this aspect of russ with the defense, gives me more respect to him apart from his triple-double moniker.
oh yeah, im subbing
I gotta admit i love modern basletball. Back in the day youd win a chip with 3 stars and a bag of chips. These days offenses and defenses have become so complex you need a solid roster top to bottom.
Great basketball is great.
Great video. A great part of the suns outscoring in the third, I believe, was Monty's aggressiveness in keeping in his starting 5 and really digging some pressure on the clips. Fortunately the clips stayed leveled, and did not get fazed. I also think that Monty is aware of the how depleted his bench players are versus the Clippers bench. I do not expect the Suns to play full quarters, so it will be a good game tonight.
Bro these videos are so interesting and informing, keep up the great work dawg 🦾
This is a good content. Following your channel now
Russ is not a bad ft shooter he just goes crazy sometimes😂
I love how that game was won good basketball
Gotta give Lue a lot of credit. He keep him in the game despite his poor shooting.
It kills me to know that the suns players guarding kawhi they put there feet under where he lands so he’ll injure his ankles like what zaza did when gsw verse the spurs few years back
love this breakdown videos of yours. also eid mubarak.
Dude your breakdown skills are top notch pls seek employment doing this
Eric Gordon shooting from 3 or 4 feet away from the 3point line is considered an “easy three” because he’s wide open. Just think back to the nineties for a sec, even Reggie Miller, even if he scored, would get benched for shooting this far lol. And now we brush it off as an easy three simply because he’s wide open. Man these players’ talent makes it look easy. It’s not easy.
He was facilitating and playing defense g
I don't want to hear anything about past teams competing in this era. This undoubtedly the strongest era in history and it aint even close. These two teams would be considered superteams back in the day but now they are just another Playoff team. Only superteams from the past could compete in today's era
Back in the day, most teams had 1 superstar, maybe one more star, and a bunch of solid starting caliber players and role players. Every team now has at least 2 legit superstars with regular stars playing as role players
The dudes coming off the bench now would absolutely SMOKE the 2nd units from the 60s-2010s its insane how talented the league is now
Good for Russ
This may be my favorite version of Westbrook since okc
Remember the Lakers (under magic Johnson) traded Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers for Mike Muscala? He also drafted Lonzo Ball instead of Jayson Tatum. And then he quit.
Westbrook seemed to be giving the suns the Matisse thybulle defensive scheme who also seemed to give the suns fits
I think where they drew inspiration for how to use Russ is Matyse Thybulle, he does that free safety block from behind thing a lot too.
damn good video sir making my kid watch your videos
That strategy is called spite.
Zubat underrated.
Russ 🙌🙌🙌
Only thing I'd like to see LA do in game 2 is, if your gonna go with a switch heavy defense, and try to confuse them, get Roco in there a little bit. Big athletic and a menace in the passing lanes and can knock down the 3 with consistency.
if westbrook played defense like this during durant OKC times they could've won the ring
We needed russ to be like pat bev. 😅😂
If Westbrook ever stayed focused on D for his career he'd be considered much higher. But traditionally, he just watches the ball and gets bored if his guy doesn't have the ball. What he is doing now is what he always should have been on D. Still don't know how he and so many other players never fixed their jumpshots after a decade + in the league.
I hear LA I still think of lamarcus aldridge.
Westbrook the key
Westbrick was ballin defensively CANT lie
Facts he just couldn’t do shit on my lakers he was too lazy but tbf we were tiny so both sides are to blame, happy he’s being utilized well
This man was a Pac-10 defensive player of the year in college. Only reason he didn't defend like this in his prime was due to stat padding.
We know Westbrook doesn’t play defense, but when he is focused on d he is capable
I have never liked Russ (not bc of lakers even on the thunder I just didn’t like the stat padding) but I really like this version of him, defensively he’s way better and so far the clippers are the best defensive team in the playoffs
i love this guuy
ron harper vibes
Why isn’t he a better defender anyway? He’s so crazy explosive in his prime, he should’ve been the kawhi of the guards
Thybulle been doing this
Who says sports programs aren't intelligent or smart? not me.😊
Everytime russ play against kd, he always goes off.
he’s just a guy u want on ur team
He just need to cool on offense
if only the clippers stayed healthy man 😭
I feel like the clippers win again tn.
clips allow him to play more his style, to where lbj has ball 80%+. Plus lakeshow has 1k times more the pressure. Still takes 2 lakers 2nd rounders to power this team. Zo & lou. 😉
Westbrick wants to be a lakers but he's not qualified 😂
Russ will do whatever is asked of him.
I mean how do you stop Westbrook from doing that? Try to get him to ride the hip and maybe get fouls off a bump if he’s over zealous while coming up for the poke?
4:20 that's a flop that needs to be a defensive foul.
Why did the Suns trade for Kevin Durant?
They were trying to get another superstar for Booker and Cp3.
LOL Westbrookmhas always been capable of playing great defense. But he has always sold out on defense to increase his chances of getting a rebound/triple double. And he will inevitably revert back to that mentality at some point in the playoffs like he always does
It will be funny is Suns get swept even with kd
Cp3 will neva win chip
He's the most sorryiest unsorryiest player I've ever seen in my life.
Fact is there is no strategy lmao ty lue told him you bring more to the team than just making shots and so he proved it to us by making the play every time that contributed to the win not just points
Stop ball watching, dont gamble so much, and close out on shooters.
Russ isn’t a bad free throw shooter he got worse after he got traded frm okc idk why tho
his free throw routine got changed due to rule changes in 2018 (iirc), hasn't been the same shooter since (except in the clutch lol)
Clippers won because of there bench performance vs Suns.
and....kawhi is out
🤣🤣🤣🤣