At 39-21 this season, the Clippers are currently 4th in the Western Conference. Their start to the 2023-24 was not ideal but the team made a trade for James Harden on October 30th. That changed the trajectory of their season and LA has been a playoff ever since.
One major move head coach Ty Lue had to make when they acquired James Harden was moving Westbrook to the bench. They would not be successful as a team with Harden and Westbrook in the starting lineup. The 35-year-old 2016-17 NBA MVP has played in 58 of the Clippers’ 60 games this season. Forty-eight of them have been off the bench. On Saturday, Westbrook fractured his left hand. He had surgery on Monday and hopes to be ready for the beginning of the playoffs.
Who will get the minutes that Russell Westbrook won’t be playing due to a fractured hand?
ESPN Sources: Clippers guard Russell Westbrook underwent surgery on his fractured left hand on Monday and the hope is that he will return before the start of the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/2cGISST9ZO
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 4, 2024
Last season, Russell Westbrook was traded from the Lakers to the Jazz. Uath then gave Westbrook a contract buyout and he was free to sign with whoever he wanted. The veteran PG chose the Clippers and he started all 21 games for them after joining the team. To start 2023-24, Westbrook was once again the Clippers’ top PG. That changed once the team acquired James Harden. His (22.6) minutes per game this season is the lowest average of his 16-year career.
In 58 games for the Clippers in 2023-24, Westbrook is averaging (11.1) points, (5.1) rebounds, (4.4) assists, and (1.1) steals. The veteran PG is expected to be out for at least a month. LA still has 22 games left in the regular season. Their final regular season game is on Sunday, April 14th. Still over a month away. Giving Westbrook time to rest and recover before the playoffs begin. If the Clippers can hold on for the final 20+ games, they’ll likely be a top-six seed in the West. Avoiding the dreaded play-in tournament.
Russell Westbrook underwent surgery on his fractured left hand on Monday.
The team hopes he will return before the start of the playoffs, per @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/0VATRu3ckQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 4, 2024
Without Westbrook off the bench, Ty Lue will likely call on Bones Hyland to be their backup PG. Hyland has fallen out of the rotation for the Clippers this season. He’s played in 22 of their 60 games this season and has made two starts. His (13.3) minutes per game is the lowest average of his three-year career. The Clippers’ next game is on Wednesday night vs. the Houston Rockets.
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