Washington Wizards: 3 Players who will benefit the most from Russell Westbrook
By Jamal Bedell
"(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)"
No. 1 – Bradley Beal
This one should go without saying. The Washington Wizards acquired Russell Westbrook to pair him with their other superstar, Bradley Beal. And we couldn’t be more excited to see what this backcourt pair can do.
Beal is coming off of his best season as a pro. Last season he averaged a career-high in points (30.5) and assists (6.1). He was the first player EVER not to be selected to an All-NBA or All-Star team while averaging these numbers. He may not have gotten the recognition he deserved via awards, but his peers sure took notice of his outstanding play.
In his introductory interview, Russell Westbrook spoke very highly of his new backcourt teammate, showering him with a ton of praise. His expectations are high for this upcoming season, and they absolutely should be! Beal and Westbrook automatically become a top-five backcourt in the NBA once the season kicks off. Talent-wise, they’re right up there with Dame & CJ, Steph & a healthy Klay, and Devin Booker & CP3. The biggest question entering the season is, how will these two superstars mesh on the court? Neither one envisions any problems moving forward, and that’s what’s important.
Bradley Beal believes he’s a natural shooting guard, and Russell Westbrook is a natural point guard, so the duo will work well together. He proclaimed that Russ will help him reach a level that he hasn’t even tapped into yet, which is pretty scary but very true. In 2018-2019, Paul George finished third in MVP voting playing alongside Russell Westbrook. He averaged 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals, which were all career highs. George attempted a whopping 21 shots per game, which clearly shows that Russ has no problem taking the back seat when paired with the right player. That same season, Westbrook averaged a career-high 10.7 assists per game. I expect him to potentially eclipse that number playing next to Bradley Beal and the other shooters he’s surrounded by in D.C.
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The Washington Wizards will benefit tremendously from the addition of Russell Westbrook because PG-13 and Beal have a lot of similarities on the offensive end of the floor. They can both shoot the lights out and create for themselves off the dribble at a high level. They’re good fits next to Westbrook because they don’t need to dominate the ball on offense to be effective.