The Los Angeles Clippers have been trying to find the right lineup combinations amid a poor stretch of early-season play, and Russell Westbrook is making a sacrifice in hopes of speeding up that process.
Westbrook will come off the bench for Friday night’s game against the Houston Rockets, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Terance Mann will start in place of Westbrook for the first time this season.
Haynes reports that Westbrook approached Tyronn Lue and the Clippers’ coaching staff with the idea of him coming off the bench. The 35-year-old believes the change can help L.A.’s first unit develop chemistry while also injecting life into their reserve players.
Westbrook reportedly made it clear to Lue and company that he wants to do whatever it takes to help the team win.
The Clippers are 3-7 and have lost all five of their games since they acquired James Harden in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Lue has been experimenting with different lineups and pulled one notable player from the rotation this week while doing so. Since acquiring Harden, the Clippers have gone with a starting lineup of Harden, Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac.
Westbrook was also moved to the bench with the Los Angeles Lakers last year after beginning the season in the starting lineup. That appeared to create some serious tension between him and his coaches, but Westbrook volunteered for the demotion this time.
Westbrook is averaging 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists across 10 games this season. It will be interesting to see if his scoring output increases in a reserve role.
