Westbrook had a bad time with the Lakers. He didnt fit in to the offense, played well off the bench, and eventually left. He was the scapegoat the entire time.
His time with the Clippers has been a feel-good story. He took a minimum contract to go play for a team that appreciated him. He got to play his game and, while still turnover prone, had a positive impact on the team.
Now that Harden is there, he seems to be in the same situation he was with the Lakers. The offense is a mess and he is taking a lot of the blame for it. Now he is moving to the bench. If they continue to lose, is he going to get shipped to a bad team for size?
I hope not. Russ plays hard and has many skills that would be valuable to a team. His shot left him a long time ago and he is turnover prone, but he can also move the ball around and initiate the offense when the rest of the stars are focused on playing iso.
Does this feel like its becoming a Lakers situation?
Here's the problem with his role on the current team.
They just traded for a player that does a better job of this than he does.
This was also part of the problem with him being on the Lakers. He's playing alongside a better playmaker/point guard so the ball isn't warranted in his hands and everybody knows Russ' offensive value is heavily marginalized when he doesn't have the ball.