"Gonna have to guard Kyrie": Draymond Green vouches for 'X-factor' Russell Westbrook starting vs Mavs

Russell Westbrook is known as one of the more mercurial and explosive guards in the NBA. His offense and astute playmaking are part of his repertoire that makes him one of the best point guards in the business, and that along with his improved defense has Golden State Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green vouching that Westbrook deserves to start for the LA Clippers when they take on the red-hot Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Speaking on his 'The Draymond Green Show' podcast, the 4x NBA champion explained why Westbrook had to be moved from the bench to the starting lineup alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden.

“The X-factor in this series is going to be Russ because Russ is gonna have to guard Kyrie with Kawhi being on Luka. Russ is the X-factor for that team. No surprise they struggled for the last 1.5 months because Russ missed most of that time.

"At some point in this series Ty Lue is gonna have to scrap Russ off the bench and move Russ into that starting lineup in order to win this series. That’s my take”.

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A defensive presence himself, Green's logic was spot on. Kyrie Irving is one of the marquee guards in the league who used pace and his handles to good effect. Westbrook is perhaps the only guard in the Clippers lineup quick and experienced enough to keep Irving quiet.

One puzzle that LAC head coach Ty Lue will have to sort out is how he fits Terence Mann into the plan, considering that the latter was one of the better defenders who provided more spacing on the floor.

Simply put, this series will be decided by the defense both teams bring to the table. The Clippers and the Mavericks are offensive juggernauts, and slowing down their stars will be a major challenge for both teams.

Russell Westbrook believes in his defense

Over the years, Russell Westbrook's efforts on the defensive end have met with harsh criticism. In addition to his erratic shooting, there have been multiple instances where turnovers were a major issue. However, the former MVP believes he is still one of the elite defenders in the league.

"Ain't too many people defending better than me at this point, if we are keeping this honest."

Russell Westbrook is averaging 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists this season. He is also one of the more experienced playoff campaigners on the LA Clippers side, averaging 24.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists in 116 playoff games. Only time will tell if he can get the side past the Mavs.