It's been a rough start to the season for the Sacramento Kings, who currently hold a 3-11 record and have lost their last six games in a row. But despite some disappointing results, Russell Westbrook continues to bring the kind of energy and intensity that's been the trademark of his career every single night. Westbrook is proving that if anyone can save this team, he can.
Kings fans have already seen two triple doubles from Russ in this young season. He put up 23 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists against the Warriors on November 5th, and logged 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists against the Timberwolves in NBA Cup action last Friday. On the year, he's averaging 14.4 points while shooting 40% from three, along with 6.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists. But the statistical output is far from the most notable thing about how he's been performing.
It's been the hard hustle and gritty mentality Russ has been playing with night after night that has uplifted this group as a whole. For a team that's been criticized in the past for not always showing enough fight, this kind of infectious effort has been exactly what this team needs.
Russell Westbrook is a culture-changing player for the Kings
For as much criticism as Westbrook gets for his inefficiency and turnovers, he's always one of the most beloved teammates by players around the league, no matter where he goes. You can watch talking heads sit around and debate about it on TV all you want, but there's no denying Russ is an energy-shifter in the best way possible.
You can count on one hand the number of players in the league today whose teammates have loved them as much as Westbrook. He has always been a total culture-changer, and it really does seem that him being a terrible fit with the Lakers between 2021 and 2023 served to make so many forget the other 16 seasons of his career where that has been true.
The public perception around Russ had gotten so low this past summer when no one was signing him that people forgot just how impactful this guy is based off of his intangibles. He may be 37 years old now, but his overall impact and the way he changes the vibes for his teams easily offsets his deficiencies.
Sacramento is still struggling to get wins, but they feel closer to success just because of Russell Westbrook. The Kings desperately needed a veteran who could change the tone and upgrade the team's culture more than anything, and that's exactly what they have now.