Signing Russell Westbrook was an odd move for the Sacramento Kings. To be fair to Brodie, he has actually found a groove and has been playing quite well. But bringing him on board didn't give the Kings the one thing they absolutely needed, and that is direction.
If you get right down to it, every team in the NBA is working towards the exact same goal: winning the NBA Championship. It's more important than personal accolades or glory. And if you're not chasing that specific dragon, you simply should not be in the league.
Westbrook is currently in his 18th NBA season and has yet to win an NBA Championship. He's been close, particularly in his prime years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even though he's an absolute legend with a long list of accomplishments, you know he still wants that chip.
Unfortunately for Russell, he's not going to get there with this incarnation of the Kings. They are currently one of the worst teams in their conference and in the entire league. It's not likely to get better anytime soon, given the issues the front office faces in roster building.
Signing one player wasn't going to help the Kings
As great as Russell still is at this stage of his career, he was never going to be a difference maker for the Kings. The roster is just too unbalanced and needs too much work. When he was signed, Scott Perry talked about Westbrook being the catalyst to change the culture as his main contribution.
That still might be the case, but more needs to be done. While the goal is always the NBA Championship, how each team gets there is different and up to them. They each need their own specific direction, something the Kings have been lacking for a long time.
Saying that Westbrook was signed to "change the culture" is just another way of saying "give the team direction." That's an incredibly unfair expectation to put on him. He's a big personality with a game to back it up. Still, giving the rudderless Kings direction is more than one person can handle.
Resurrecting this team is a long-term process that requires total buy-in from every level of the franchise. That means everyone has to be part of the shift and work towards that goal. Westbrook can contribute to that, but the front office can't put that success solely on his shoulders.