Substitute&Basic salary&The hope for the playoffs is slim! The ending has been determined. Why is Westbrook still willing to go to the Kings?

According to ESPN reporter Shams, nine-time All-Star player Westbrook has agreed to sign with the Kings (a one-year base salary of US$3.6 million). The 2017 MVP winner will enter his 18th season.

I believe that everyone will feel happy for Westbrook when they wake up this morning and see the big news at 0:16 in the morning: He has refused to execute players since mid-June, and it took more than 4 months to finally finalize his next home!

The historical triple-double king should not be missing in the new season. His fighting spirit has long become a lost art. Westbrook is about to enter his 18th season in the NBA. He is no longer young. He is now 36 years old and 338 days old. He has truly reached the age to watch and cherish.

Westbrook still has gas in the tank. He was an important contributor to the Nuggets' victory over the Clippers in the tiebreaker in the first round of this year's playoffs.

Westbrook had a wonderful season with the Nuggets: he averaged 27.9 minutes per game in the regular season, 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and his three-point shooting percentage reached a record high of 32.3% (1.3/3.9) in the past seven years; in the playoffs, He averaged 24.1 minutes per game, 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.9 steals per game, and shot 31.7% from three-point range (1.5/4.8) - ranked 7th in the Sixth Man of the Year selection for two consecutive years. He is more than enough to serve as a substitute averaging about 25 minutes per game.

In the Nuggets VS Clippers series in the first round of this year's playoffs, Westbrook averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, and his three-point shooting percentage reached 41.9%. He averaged 5.2 three-pointers and hit 2.2 three-pointers per game. It is no exaggeration to say that "Westbrook killed the Clippers."

The Nuggets made full use of Westbrook's characteristics last season. The pick-and-roll between him and Teacher Yue was quite threatening. Different from the traditional defender holding the ball, the Nuggets used Teacher Yue to hold the ball and Westbrook used Teacher Yue as a screen wall, maximizing their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses.

At this age, Westbrook's ball-handling impact, organization, and defensive enthusiasm are still online. He can be a ball-handler in the second team. His biggest shortcoming is indeed unstable shooting, which has also seriously delayed his progress in finding a home in today's small ball shooting era - especially his poor three-point ability. Now the NBA attaches great importance to this skill when re-employing.

Bruce Brown returned to the Nuggets on a one-year contract. The 2023 championship hero shot 40.4% from three-pointers last season. His space value is obviously more suitable for the teacher. Murray and Braun have to spend a lot of time at the 1st and 2nd positions. The Nuggets have Brown with better shooting ability, and Westbrook's original role has naturally been replaced.

The Kings have been eliminated from the play-offs for two consecutive years. Especially after sending away Fox, they are short of manpower at the 1st position. They really need Westbrook.

The Kings have been ranked ninth in the Western Conference for the past two seasons and have been eliminated from the playoffs for two consecutive years. Their competitiveness is indeed not enough in the extremely involved Western Conference. Signing the historical triple-double king for 3.6 million in one year supplements his immediate combat power, which can be said to be a great value for money.

The Kings sent away Fox in February this year, and handed the ball control to DeRozan, LaVine, and Monk. However, these three brothers have all finished the organization and are not purely from the No. 1 position, and the effect is not good.

The Kings signed Schroeder for 45 million in three years this summer, and their intention is very obvious. They are to strengthen the No. 1 position, improve the inherent deficiencies of the lineup, enhance competitiveness, and hit the playoffs.

Now, the Kings have signed Westbrook, and Schroeder and Westbrook are available in the point guard rotation. The breakthrough and organizational abilities of these two brothers are obvious to all. LaVine, DeRozan, and Monk can all play the role of end points with peace of mind, which is of great benefit to the division of labor in the entire lineup.

Westbrook's biggest shortcoming is undoubtedly shooting. If the Kings want to maximize Westbrook's role, they should refer to the Nuggets and let Westbrook serve as a ball-handling blaster in the space lineup. Westbrook's impact on tearing up the defense, breaking through the ball vision, and speeding up the ability can all help the Kings.

If Westbrook is allowed to be an off-ball shooter squatting outside the three-point line for a long time, then the significance of signing Westbrook will undoubtedly be lost. Whether the Kings can give Westbrook the ball is the key.

The competition in the Western Conference is brutal. Westbrook joins the Kings but may not be able to enter the playoffs.

The Kings' starting lineup can basically finalize four positions, Sabonis Jr., Keegan Murray, DeRozan, and LaVine; last season, Monk started 45 games. In the new season, Schroeder, Monk, and Westbrook are all players with theoretical starting capabilities.

Considering that Sabonis, DeRozan, and LaVine all need the ball, especially DeRozan and Westbrook, both of whom are not good at three-pointers. The two brothers are on the court at the same time, and Westbrook also needs to hold the ball. Westbrook playing as a substitute is obviously the best solution for the lineup.

After the Kings signed Westbrook, the lineup looked luxurious on paper, with Sabonis Jr., DeRozan, LaVine, Westbrook, Monk, Schroeder, Murray, Ellis, McDermott, and Devin Carter, a 10-man rotation, but defense was a big problem.

The Kings’ defensive efficiency ranked 23rd in the league last season. The personal defensive plus-minus of DeRozan, LaVine, and Sabonis all ranked in the middle and lower reaches of the league. The characteristics of the core stars also fundamentally determine the overall competitiveness of the Kings. Strong offense and weak defense, high-end games rely heavily on offensive touch, especially in the Western Conference. The Kings’ 40 wins and 42 losses last season were the most tragic situation.

The King's signing of Westbrook will not lead to a qualitative change in the team's strength, and there are many powerful enemies in the Western Conference: Thunder, Rockets, Clippers, Nuggets, the first echelon of the Western Conference championship; Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Lakers, and Warriors are all powerful teams. So far, there are 9 playoff-level teams; there are only two completely bad teams in the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers and Jazz, and the Kings' life is not easy at all.

In fact, everyone understands that the Kings will be struggling on the edge of the play-off threshold regardless of whether they sign Westbrook. But having Westbrook means more hope and allows Westbrook to continue fighting. This is actually a signing that is full of human touch for the sake of box office..

Westbrook also understands that joining the Kings is of little significance in competing for the championship, but it is of great significance to continue playing in the 18th season. He loves playing basketball and charity, and can give back to the fans. Knowing that substitutes, basic salary, and hope for the playoffs are slim, he needs to fight game by game to make it possible, but this is Westbrook.

Not everything has a satisfactory outcome. Enjoy this journey and live in the present. This is enough. Watch and cherish it!