"Russell hasn't added to his game" - Richard Jefferson on Russell Westbrook's struggles in recent years
Russell Westbrook's inability to develop his jump shot has led to a steep decline in his on-court performance. The 2016-2017 NBA MVP has regressed from being a perennial All-Star in the league to a role player. During a recent appearance on JJ Redick's podcast, The Old Man and the Three, former NBA veteran Richard Jefferson shared his thoughts on Westbrook's struggles, stating:
"Russell hasn't added to his game. When the positives - his athleticism started to drop a tinge. His control of his body because he's still fast but he doesn't have the same type of control - once that started to drop, he started to struggle and I'm just like, I know you work hard, Russell. I know that, but I also see that if he was shooting 35% from three, his game would be completely different than it is right now.
"When I'm critical sometimes, it's from looking at a guy that's been in the league eight, ten, twelve years and never really added anything... What are you working on? What are you really doing? Are you really putting in the type of work that you should? Because some of these things are so simple."
Check out Richard Jefferson's comments on Russell Westbrook below (starting at the 1:06:38 mark):
Westbrook has bounced around the league since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder following the 2018-2019 season. He is on his fifth-team in five years. The nine-time All-Star has been traded four times and waived once in that span.
How has Russell Westbrook performed this season?
Russell Westbrook spent much of the 2022-2023 season with the LA Lakers. In 52 games, the 2016-2017 NBA MVP averaged 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. He averaged 3.5 turnovers per game, however, and shot just 41.7% from the field, 29.6% from 3-point range and 65.5% from the free-throw line.
Westbrook was sent to the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline in a three-team deal. He was subsequently waived by the Jazz, signing with the LA Clippers as a free agent. The nine-time All-Star has played 18 games for the Clippers. In that span, he has averaged 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Westbrook has averaged 3.5 turnovers per game for the Clippers as well, while shooting 48.4% from the field, 32.3% from 3-point range and 66.2% from the free-throw line.