Shannon Sharpe goes OFF after Russell Westbrook goes 0-6 from 3 and 0-11 from field against rivals LA Clippers: "Skip and I will get blamed for this and SLANDERING his name!"
Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers lost a close decision to the LA Clippers in their home opener. The former MVP once again started for the Lakers but had a horrific shooting night, missing all of his 11 field goal attempts.
Immediately after the game, Statmuse posted the ghastly shooting numbers, which included 0-6 shots from beyond the arc. Shannon Sharpe, who has been one of Westbrook’s loudest critics, commented on the post:
“Skip and I will get blamed for this and SLANDERING his name.”
Skip and I will get blamed for this and SLANDERING his name. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙃🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 twitter.com/statmuse/statu…
Like Sharpe, Skip Bayless has also been taking shots at Russell Westbrook, albeit in a nastier and more colorful way. The two are co-hosts of “The Undisputed” and would often criticize Mr. Triple-Double on their show.
Unlike LeBron James, who Sharpe has staunchly defended, Westbrook gets almost no such reprieve from the Fox Sports analysts.
The last time Russell Westbrook clanked all of his shots was in 2016 when he missed all three attempts. He was ejected in the second half of that game, which was the reason for the meager field goals.
Before tonight’s game against the LA Clippers, Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless had already called out Russell Westbrook’s refusal to take an off-the-bench role. Both of them agreed that “Russ” was never going to make the sacrifice to help the LA Lakers become a more balanced team.
.@ShannonSharpe reacts to Russell Westbrook not wanting to come off the bench:
“Everyone wants to win a championship but there are very few willing to sacrifice what it takes to win a championship.” https://t.co/e6JIARW0EK
Sharpe and Bayless, however, are not the only basketball pundits who have been criticizing Russell Westbrook’s shotmaking. There are several who have been urging the Lakers to trade “Brodie” because of his inability to consistently hit perimeter shots.
The Crypto.com Arena crowd even got on in the act. Back in the first quarter when the former OKC Thunder superstar took a corner three, a huge “NO!” reverberated throughout the venue. Another such instance happened in the third quarter when some fans mocked Westbrook’s corner three-point shot.
Russell Westbrook’s defense nearly made up for his inept shooting
While Russell Westbrook couldn’t buy a basket, he showed the kind of defensive tenacity that Darvin Ham has been imploring from him. Down the stretch, he had two crucial steals playing defense against the taller and bigger Kawhi Leonard.
On another occasion, the fiery point guard caused “The Claw” to travel while attempting to get off a shot inside the paint. Westbrook’s game-high five steals were instrumental in forcing the LA Clippers to 22 turnovers. The LA Lakers’ backcourt of Westbrook and Patrick Beverley suddenly looked lethal defensively, particularly during this game’s crunch time.
For the first time in a really long while, the former scoring champ showed that he can make an impact on the defensive end. The effort was recognized by LeBron James, who had this to say about Westbrook’s performance:
"Flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday. We all have bad shooting nights, I’ve had bad shooting nights... I thought he played a great game. Defensively he was in tune."
LeBron James’ advice to Russell Westbrook after his 0/11 shooting night: “Flush it down the toilet.” https://t.co/8Fv1lPZ0YA
The LA Lakers are paying Westbrook $47 million to be more than just a defensive pest. There’s no way he can escape the criticism from Shannon Sharpe, Skip Bayless and others if his inept shooting doesn’t change.