Washington Wizards: 3 things Russell Westbrook adds to the Wizards
By Jamal Bedell
The Washington Wizards head into the 2020-21 season with a new superstar running the point. Here are three ways the former MVP, Russell Westbrook, will help the Wizards this season.
The anticipation is rising for Russell Westbrook’s first real game action in a Washington Wizards uniform. There’s a new point guard in town. And he’s determined to build his own legacy in the nation’s capital.
After resting during the first two games of the preseason, Russell Westbrook made his Wizards debut against the Detroit Pistons in the final tune-up game before the regular season begins. In only 17 minutes, Westbrook scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out three assists. It was no coincidence that the one game Westbrook played in the preseason was the one game the Wizards won.
Westbrook is entering his 13th season, so he doesn’t necessarily need to be out there for more than a half of preseason basketball. The preseason rest shouldn’t worry anybody. Even though Westbrook has dealt with a few knee injuries and other minor ailments, he’s been relatively durable his entire career. He played 70 plus games each year for Oklahoma City from 2015-2018. Last year, he sat out back-to-backs with the Rockets, but he still played 57 out of 72 total games. It sounds like sitting Westbrook during back-to-backs is the plan again this season.
With goals of making it back to the playoffs, the Wizards need Westbrook fresh for possible play-in games and a potential playoff run. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 NBA season has been shortened to 72 games, but it’ll still be a long, grueling race to the playoffs regardless. If the Wizards make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2018, they’ll have Russell Westbrook to thank.