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Ramifications of Westbrook to Clippers

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Russell Westbrook is staying in Los Angeles but switching teams, going from the Lakers to the Clippers by way of Utah.

So what does that mean for the other players on the Clippers? Who will be most impacted and which players will see their role change the most?

Here are André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick, John Cregan and Steve Alexander to explain.


More rest for Kawhi?

Since the two point guards who would have been most impacted — Reggie Jackson and John Wall — have moved on? My gut tells me Kawhi Leonard. This is strictly in terms of how it affects within fantasy. But in my opinion Westbrook’s presence will make it easier for Ty Lue to exercise a little more load management for Leonard down the stretch… specifically, the range of games that correspond with the fantasy playoffs. Outside of an all-in-playoff seeding-dependent game? It’s hard to see Leonard playing the back end of back-to-backs for the duration. — Cregan

Less opportunity for role players?

The biggest impact is likely to Terance Mann, Eric Gordon and/or Bones Hyland. In the six games leading into the All-Star Break, Mann averaged 16.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.8 3PG in 29.8 MPG. Gordon averaged 24.0 MPG in his two games with the Clippers, while Hyland averaged 16.0 MPG. My assumption is that Westbrook is going to get somewhere near the 29 MPG he averaged in his sixth man role with the Lakers, and those minutes and on-ball opportunities have to come from somewhere. Gordon was fantasy relevant with the Rockets, while Hyland has shown signs since last season, but it’s hard to imagine that either gets enough minutes moving forward. Mann may be a wait-and-see, because perhaps he and Westbrook can play together in the second unit with Mann doing more finishing, but he also seemingly takes a big hit with Westbrook in town. Leonard and Paul George shouldn’t really be affected at all. — Snellings

It’s likely going to be Mann, who has proven really productive as a complementary scorer and playmaker in the wake of Jackson moving on. Some of this success is due to unsustainably hot shooting, but the bigger correction is that he’s going to have the ball in his hands less often in second units alongside Westbrook. I was tempted to say Norman Powell because of his quietly high drive rates, but his shooting and spacing don’t really overlap much with Westbrook, while Mann’s role appears more fragile. — McCormick

Westbrook will fill the void left by Wall, but his presence also negatively impacts Mann and Powell. It remains to be seen whether Westbrook will start or come off the bench. With Westbrook’s history with George in Oklahoma City, it would be surprising if he wasn’t named a starter. While Westbrook was George’s teammate (2017-2019), he led the league in assists per game both seasons. In light of how productive Leonard and George were with Wall on the floor, the trio of Leonard, George and Westbrook could be a force to be reckoned with. — Moody

A bump for Westbrook himself?

Westbrook will be most impacted! No fantasy relevant Clippers are truly affected negatively here (including Norman Powell, who will still score), including George and Leonard. No Clipper is averaging more than George’s 5.1 APG over the past 30 days, so they actually need Westbrook to run the offense. Few in fantasy depend on Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr. and Hyland anyway. Frankly, Westbrook’s fantasy managers should love this, because George and Leonard miss so many games (a combined 44 between them) that Westbrook may start piling on triple-doubles again. The Clippers may not win more, but they add a productive player and lose nothing. — Karabell

Powell’s scoring to take a hit?

Mann and Hyland are the obvious answers, while George, Leonard, Gordon and Powell will also take hits. The biggest loser might, in fact, be Powell, who was averaging 21.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2 3-pointers over his last six games. Powell has been coming off the bench and while it remains to be seen whether Westbrook comes off the bench or starts, he’s just as much a shooting guard as he is a point guard. And that should mean that Powell’s numbers and minutes take the biggest hit. If you have Powell on your roster, sit tight and see what happens. But at the first sight of trouble, I’d be ready to move on if Westbrook ends up being heavily involved in the offense for the Clippers (and he will be). — Alexander



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