“They don’t see the intangibles” - Paul George has high praise for Russell Westbrook after Game 1

The LA Clippers took a risk late in the season by adding Russell Westbrook through the buy-out market. The former MVP flamed out after spending the first half of the season with the crosstown rival Lakers, ending a tumultuous and unsuccessful run that began in August 2021.

Westbrook has struggled to adjust to a lower usage role in the later years of his career but looks to be finding his footing with the Clippers. At the core of Westbrook receiving a chance is Clippers standout Paul George. While the eight-time All-Star remains out injured as the playoffs are underway, he has been vocal in his praise and belief of Westbrook.

"This is the reason why Russ was such a huge pickup for us," Paul George told Bleacher Report. "They just see Russ for the shots that he misses. They don't see him for the rebounding, the defense.

"Look at the block on KD (Kevin Durant) to start this series off and the block on D-Book (Devin Booker) to finish the game. They don't see the intangibles, and they look past everything else that he does. They solely lock into whether he make or miss shots and judge him off of that. People don't judge him off who he is as a basketball player."

Russell Westbrook's impact on winning

The Russell Westbrook experience was on full display in the 115-110, opening-game victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The two-time scoring champion finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and three blocks.

He shot an inefficient 3-for-19, including just 1-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. However, he stepped up when it mattered most. Westbrook knocked down a pair of free throws with 17.1 seconds remaining to put the Clippers up three points and made a game-ending block on Devin Booker to seal the deal.

Despite struggling to score efficiently, Westbrook made a strong impact with his hustle and on the defensive side of the ball. He tallied five offensive rebounds, including three in the final 2:40 of play, and wreaked havoc on defense.

With Paul George looking unlikely to return during the first-round series, Russell Westbrook's impact has become even more important. George was vocal in bringing Westbrook in and he rewarded him with his opening game impact.

The Clippers hold a 1-0 series lead against the Suns with Game 2 set to pick up on Tuesday.