When will Russell Westbrook make his LA Clippers debut?
Following his rollercoaster ride with the Lakers, the point guard moved across town to the Clippers and now we finally know when he’ll make his debut.
With reports confirming that the Clippers’ newest player will be on the court for the first time in their next game, all eyes will be on a player who has come under fire for his performances with his last team. Yet, he remains a player with obvious talent, which leaves many to wonder what he will do with his apparent new lease on life.
Russell Westbrook set for Clippers debut vs Kings
According to a team announcement, the LA Clippers’ newest player, Russell Westbrook, will play against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. The news of course comes just days after the former Lakers point guard signed with the Clippers on Wednesday. Indeed, it is understood that Westbrook did in fact practice with the team that same evening as well as the following Thursday afternoon, after which the team indicated he would be making his debut on Friday.
Of course, aside from the obvious fanfare surrounding Westbrook, this is actually a very important game for the Clippers who are just a single game behind the Kings in the standings. That’s to say, that the No. 3 seed is still very much within reach for the Clippers and a win on Friday night would definitely help in getting closer to it. Truth be told, it’s a ‘now-or-never’ situation for the Clippers after they stumbled their way through the less complicated parts of their season schedule. At any rate, they will be hoping Westbrook can make an instantaneous impact and we imagine he will be hoping to do the same.
What has Russell Westbrook said?
To be clear, Friday’s game against the Kings will mark the first of a six consecutive games against Western Conference opponents. Given that there is very little space between the 3rd and 10th seeds, there is no margin for error, but that seems to be something Westbrook and his new team are relishing. When asked about joining the team, Westbrook spoke about where the focus is. “The dialogue is just about winning...I think the most important part, the ultimate goal is to win a championship and we know what we have to do to do that,” he said. Indeed, the former MVP couldn’t hide his elation about the new opportunity in front of him. “I’m super excited, man. I’m just excited to get back to playing. I love to play basketball. Not just that, but love to have fun while doing it.”