Alexander: Russell Westbrook makes an (almost) successful Clippers debut

LOS ANGELES — The length of Russell Westbrook’s honeymoon with the Clippers might hinge on a couple of mitigating factors.

First, he has more good players around him. His new team has two superstars, the same as his old team. But the complementary players, including those the Clippers picked up at the trading deadline, are far more skilled than those the Lakers had around him. (And there is no small irony in the idea that the Lakers assembled a better supporting cast by trading Westbrook).

Second? It’s early, and this could change, but I suspect Clippers fans won’t have breakdowns every time Westbrook takes a chance that doesn’t work, which is bound to happen frequently. That’s just the type of player he is.

Plus, now that his gargantuan contract has been bought out and he’s basically playing for the veteran’s minimum with the Clippers, the “are you getting what you’re paying for” question no longer applies.

The Full Russ was on display Friday night, in the course of an historic and occasionally hysterical game between the Clippers and the Sacramento Kings, a 176-175 double-overtime Kings victory – no, that’s no typo – that was the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. It was basically what an All-Star Game might look like if players actually cared. They tried defending, honestly, but were just overmatched.

And while Westbrook’s stats weren’t eye-popping on such a crazy night, they were impressive given that he’d had just two days of practice with this group. He scored 17 points and, more significantly, had 14 assists, a sign that he’d already developed on-court compatibility with Kawhi Leonard – for instance, zipping a pass from the corner to Leonard for a wide-open 3-pointer out front – while picking up where he’d left off with Paul George from when the two were both in Oklahoma City. Given that Leonard finished the night with 44 points and George with 34, this was a good sign.

“He knew enough” of the offense from two days of practice, Coach Ty Lue said. “Knowing PG’s plays, knowing Kawhi’s plays, that’s the most important thing. So he picked those things up right away. There’s still a lot more that we can still incorporate and learn on the fly. But I thought he did a good job knowing the plays and knowing the play calls, and he did a good job with it.”

“What hurt us was (Sacramento’s) ball pressure, getting up the floor and picking up full court. That’s when we turned the basketball over. So to keep him in the game and on the floor to initiate because the pressure doesn’t bother him, I thought was key for us. And it was big. When he fouled out (with 1:49 left in the second overtime), it really hurt us.”

It is not insignificant that George and Leonard both lobbied for Westbrook, George particularly publicly and emphatically, and if the account provided by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was accurate the two stars convinced Lawrence Frank to give Westbrook a shot.

Leonard sidestepped the question of how much input he had, but noted: “Once he got here, I just told him, be yourself and have fun out there. And I just believe in him, so (I’m) just trying to give him confidence and letting him know that we’re happy to have him.”

And maybe that’s the bottom line: With the Lakers, too often he was treated as a third wheel, his determination to play his style and his game considered a detriment. The Clippers expect and encourage him to push the pace and take chances, and while it’s to be determined whether that will ultimately be productive, that encouragement in itself might be liberating.

“I’m just trying to find ways to be effective while I’m on the floor and (to do) whatever’s asked of me, screening or whatever, rolling, handling, whatever that may be, cutting,” Westbrook said. “And I just try to do different things to impact the game and (use) my IQ to be able to make plays for others.

“… I see so many things that I’m thinking about now for when I go home and watch the film tonight, just how I can be able to help make the game even more easier for them so they don’t have to work as hard. And, you know, we’ll get there.”

He didn’t make any subtle references to his situation with the Lakers – the past is the past, right – but the contrast was obvious. He received a nice roar from a crowd announced as a 19,068 sellout when he was introduced with the starting lineup, not as loud as Leonard and George but loud enough. And he got a standing ovation as he came off the court at the end after fouling out as recognition for a full night’s work, 39:27 out of 58 possible minutes.

“I mean, it’s a blessing, you know, just the excitement in the building,” he said. “The enthusiasm from the fans and just the support that they have, not just for me but for our overall team, was great. And, you know, hopefully we can be able to keep that going as the season goes along. And I’ll do my part by playing as hard as I can, you know, when given the opportunity.

“… I think that’s something I don’t take for granted, being somewhere where given an opportunity to go play. Not just that, but the support of the organization, my teammates, the fans overall,” he said later, adding: “The support system around us was an all-time high.”

Interpret that as you will. Maybe it was a subtle reference to his former team. Maybe it wasn’t.

And maybe, with a different environment, we will see a better Russell Westbrook.

Those suggestions that the Clippers were crazy to take him on, or that he might be a net negative? Sure, it’s the ultimate small sample size of only one game, but you wonder if maybe their organization knows something we don’t.

jalexander@scng.com