Former MVP of the league, Russell Westbrook, has requested that the Los Angeles Clippers bring him off the bench in an attempt to help get their season back on track. 27-year-old Terrance Mann will start in the place of Westbrook. per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Up to this point, the trade made for James Harden has been nothing short of disappointing. The Clippers have lost six straight games and are 0-5 with Harden in their lineup. However, Westbrook is not to blame for this struggle. Westbrook suggested coming off the bench to the coaching staff in an effort to help strengthen some of their rotations.
Westbrook’s leadership is something that should be appreciated in a league like today. It takes a lot for a former MVP to be willing to come off the bench in order to help his team win.
The timetable for the Clippers to win a championship is slowly coming to a close. The pairing of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard has not led to the success that was initially projected for the team. However, this change to the lineup could start setting things in the right direction.
Mann has the opportunity to make the starting lineup gel a bit better for the Clippers. If the team is going to perform better, it will primarily be on the back of Harden improving his play. Although things have been off to a less-than-stellar start for the Clippers, they have plenty of games left to figure things out.
A change in the lineup for the Clippers in some form was necessary. Although Westbrook was a likely candidate to get benched, his taking the leadership role to sit is a commendable action. Now, only time will tell if the adjustment is going to work.
