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Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Clippers are trying to find their rhythm after the arrival of fellow megastar and former NBA MVP James Harden. The Clippers have been winless in the Harden era (0-5) and their current losing skid overall is six games.
The LA franchise has won just three of its first 10 games. In search of chemistry and amid role distribution by coach Tyronn Lue, Russell Westbrook has requested to come off the bench, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
"Los Angeles Clippers star Russell Westbrook - the vocal leader of the team - has requested to come off bench to help the first unit establish some continuity," Haynes tweeted.
NBA fans praised Westbrook for his move, while others said that Harden should be the one to come off the bench for the Clippers. Russell Westbrook has appeared in all 10 games so far, averaging 14.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 5.7 apg.
"Harden should instead"
Ty Lue says the Clippers need Russell Westbrook's leadership
After the arrival of James Harden, the Clippers have four megastars in Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. With all four of them being ball-dominant guys, they will need some time to build chemistry and find some momentum.
The current losing skid has put more pressure on the team, but coach Ty Lue knows that getting his players to play the way he wants will take time. Lue may need to make sacrifices regarding his megastars and Westbrook's request to come off the bench may be exactly what he seeks at the moment.
Still, the veteran coach continues to praise Westbrook and admits that his leadership skills are vital for the Clippers' success.
"Every night it could be different. But we need his leadership every single night. We need the way he plays every single night, his passion on the floor. ... He understands that. And [we have] a constant dialogue and communicating," Lue said of Westbrook, via ESPN.
The former NBA MVP and the Clippers will look to snap their current six-game losing skid on Friday when they host the Houston Rockets (6-3), who are on the opposite side, as they are on a six-game winning streak.
It will be interesting to see if they can stop the skid, or if the pressure will continue to mount in LA.
