Marcus Morris makes interesting recruiting pitch to Russell Westbrook

Oct 6, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook prior to the preseason game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris was not shy about recruiting Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Clippers, and had some interesting comments on why he thinks Westbrook’s tenure with the Lakers went poorly.

Morris was asked about Westbrook after teammate Paul George, unsolicited, urged the Clippers to pursue the veteran guard if Westbrook is bought out by the Utah Jazz. Morris enthusiastically agreed with George, and said the Clippers would allow him to be himself more.

“He hasn’t had an opportunity to play on a team where, like, he could be himself and be able to play freely,” Morris said, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Playing with the Lakers, it’s like media, media, media. And from the outside looking in, like every time something bad went wrong — Russell Westbrook. Nobody else was really getting no blame. And it just kept spiraling down.

“But we accept him open arms, man. Let him be himself. We need the personality, we need the veteran. He’s been in the playoffs a lot of times, been to the championship. I want him to come. I think that you can’t kill a wounded dog. You give him an opportunity to come back, it could be dangerous.”

Media reports have characterized Westbrook’s time with the Lakers as tumultuous, and some of the criticism has actually drawn the ire of his family. Morris is clearly in the Westbrook camp of believing the issues were overblown.

Westbrook has an accomplished career, but the 34-year-old is not the same player that he used to be. The Clippers are in dire need of a true point guard, but whether Westbrook fits that bill is a reasonable debate.