Takeaways from Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul after facing off against their former teams early in the season
Before the season started, many people thought that the duo of Russell Westbrook and James Harden wouldn’t fit well into the Houston Rockets system, but they’ve shown people that they can not only coexist but further pose to be a threat for many teams as seen through the first week of the 2019-20 NBA season.
Westbrook let his game do the talking as he has averaged 22.5 points, 12 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game thus far. Although it is still early in the season, it is evident that Russell Westbrook is fitting well within the Rockets as and the chemistry between him, James Harden, and his Rockets teammates seem to be working formidably on and off the court.
Rockets fans are excited to see the fun Russ and Harden have been having through videos of their pre-game dance rituals that have gone viral in these past few weeks.
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Russell Westbrook was attentive during the game, on the win rather than what team he was facing. While Westbrook has many close friends on the Thunder, in an interview via ESPN he explained:
"“When I hoop, I have no friends… Spalding, that’s my friend, and my teammates, but that’s it.”"
Westbrook is proving to be solely focused on the Rockets play and further developing chemistry with his teammates on and off the court. There are a number of mistakes that need to be cleared up, but so far so good entering the 2019-20 season for the Rockets.
Chris Paul also faced his former team on Monday night. Paul posted 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists in his return back to Houston, and received a standing ovation when the Rockets honored him with a tribute video.
The Thunder (1-4) have yet to find their ways as a team, but having CP3 lead the way for them will be huge as the season moves along. Their sole win came against the Warriors, who have also been a subject of backlash through their play. The Thunder have a number of younger players, so having the 14-year vet to guide them, can help them throughout the year.
The Rockets and Thunder are scheduled to face off two more times this season. It’ll be interesting to see how the fans will react when Russell Westbrook returns to Oklahoma City, on January 9th.