The Washington Wizards have turned the tables in the last fortnight. They have won seven of their eight games, and many of those victories have come against bigger and more successful teams. 

Both Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal are on Cloud 9 after this dream run, as they have three more games to climb the rankings before the All-star break.

For the Wizards, Russ has especially proved his mettle by staying consistent with his numbers in every outing, irrespective of the end results. 

Wizards’ Russell Westbrook reuniting with his older self

Remember those three consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2019 when Russell Westbrook took the NBA by storm? He played 234 games for OKC while averaging an insane 26.8 points, 10.6 rebs, 10.4 assists, and 1.8 steals. His inhuman ability to drop a triple-double out of thin air has made him immortal in the league’s record books. 

After his most recent triple-double against the ailing Timberwolves (by Q3), he left James Harden years behind in a 25-year record. Take a look –

Russ has compromised his scoring but has regained that playmaking expertise, which he dropped during his stint with the Rockets. But that sacrifice of removing focus from scoring is not costing the Wizards poorly because they possess reliable hands in Bradley Beal. 

Read Also – Former OKC Teammate Opens Up on Russell Westbrook’s Leadership Style

Mr. ‘Trippell Recordbrook’ still has some areas of improvement in his game

While Russell Westbrook is retaining his older self and proving to be a big weapon for the Wizards, there are areas he’s struggling with. His free-throw shooting percentage is at an all-time low of 60.8% this season and similar is the case with his average number of steals at a career-low 0.9.

His three-point shooting has never been comparable to that of The Beard, and that also remains an area to improve.

Having said that, the 32-YO is still very athletic and an elite combo guard, who is smart in his shot creation. That he is showing great chemistry with Bradley Beal has helped him become a better complementing hand than John Wall.

This new duo of the Wizards can really go a long way if they can become a better team in the clutch moments, just as they showed against the shorthanded Lakers.

Read Also – Lakers’ LeBron James Hails Russell Westbrook For his New Initiative