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By Ricardo Sandoval
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Los Angeles Clippers will be getting back a key piece to their rotation sometime next week. The Clippers' top reserve point guard, Russell Westbrook, will return to the lineup sometime next week. Possibly even as soon as their game on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.
If Westbrook isn't back by Monday against the Pacers on the road, he will return some time during the Clippers' four-game road trip. LA could certainly use the help. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was first with the good news:
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Westbrook has missed the last three weeks of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left hand he suffered in early March against his former team, the Washington Wizards. While the former NBA MVP may not be his team's best player, or even a starter, the Clippers have missed the aggressive approach and the intensity he brings off the bench.
In its 11 games without the nine-time All-Star, Los Angeles is 6-5. Outside of his intensity, the Clippers have missed his ball-handling ability, as he takes a load off primary ball handlers like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The two-time First-Team All-NBA player has become a vital player in the Clippers' rotation since last season, changing the energy and flow of the game for the better.
For the season, Westbrook is averaging 11.1 points per game on 45.2% shooting from the field, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 58 games. The future Hall of Fame point guard last played on March 1st and only played 10 minutes. He scored six points on 2-for-3 shooting from the field and only one assist before exiting the game.
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The Clippers are gearing up for a crucial playoff run. Los Angeles has all the tools to head deep into the postseason, with superstar talents and complementary role players alike. The Clippers currently sit at 44-25, in the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They are five games behind the number one-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
With only 13 games remaining in the regular season, all signs point to Los Angeles sitting as the number four seed and hosting the first round of the playoffs, most likely against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Clippers are about to get healthy with the advent of Westbrook's comeback, and that's the only thing that matters as we enter the best time of the year. If a healthy Clippers team doesn't get it done this year, they are the only people to blame.
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