Washington Wizards: 4 Takeaways from Russell Westbrook’s introductory press conference
By Ethan Smith
The Scott Brooks connection is very real.
If you thought the few years apart may have weakened Russell Westbrook’s connection with former coach Scott Brooks, you’re wrong. Westbrook may have uttered “excited” more than any other single word during his press conference, and it almost always was in reference to his reunion with Scott Brooks.
Westbrook and Brooks were together in Oklahoma City from 2008 through 2015. During that time, Westbrook had his most successful seasons in terms of winning. It’s worth noting that Westbrook had his best-supporting casts during those times, too. Supporting casts that featured Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. While Westbrook, himself, acknowledged that a lot has changed since their time together, it seems like a lot is still the same.
Apparently, Westbrook only had to watch one Wizards practice before he had déjà vu. One day after arriving in D.C., Westbrook was noticing old sets from his Thunder days.
Scott Brooks says Russell Westbrook interrupted him at practice today to say 'Hey, you're running a lot of the same stuff [we used to in OKC].' Says it shows how quickly he's going to be acclimated to the system.
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) December 5, 2020
Westbrook’s familiarity with Brooks will be invaluable this season. Westbrook is joining the team at the start of training camp, but it’s a quicker training camp than usual. He won’t have much time to get used to his new teammates. The season starts in less than three weeks! Westbrook won’t get fully acclimated overnight, but being alongside a coach he knows and trusts in a familiar system will be crucial during a 72-game sprint of a season.