Are the Wizards starting to make progress playing with Westbrook? – NBC Sports

One of the more uncomfortable stats that has contributed to the Wizards' 8-17 start this season is the fact they have a markedly better record without Russell Westbrook (4-3) than they do when he is in the lineup (4-14).

The takeawayis not that Westbrook should play less, it's that the Wizards need to learn how to win with him when he does play. They have a lot of money invested in him through the next two seasons and he still brings important skills to the table, like rebounding and driving to the rim. Their ceiling as a team remainshigher with him.

So, the Wizardshave to find a way to make this work, and they appear to have made some progress in that goal in recent days. The Wizards beat the Celtics on Sunday and the Rockets on Monday, both with Westbrook in the lineup. It's the first time they have won two consecutive games with Westbrook so far this season.

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Westbrook believes the key difference lately has been how the Wizards played early in those games.

"Were not putting ourselves in a hole and then having to work our way back. That allows us to play the game the right way. It allows us to move the basketball and create shots for everyone on the floor. It allows us to play the way we want to," Westbrook said.

Indeed, the Wizards have had significant trouble early in gamesthis season. They are allowing the most first-quarter and first-halfpoints (31.7 and 62.6) and their -5.2 first-half point differential is third-worst in the league.

Washington then has the eighth-best point differential in the third quarter (+1.2). But by digging holes early, theyhave often not been able to recover. Westbrook suggests going down in the first half changes their gameplan, perhaps leading to more of a rushed pace and, in turn, sloppy play that opponents take advantage of.

Westbrook's own role in the Wizards' losing shows through in on/off numbers. Per Basketball Reference, their point differential is 9.1 points worse per 100 possessions when heplays.Only Robin Lopez (-11.4) shows up worse among their regular rotation players.

Per NBA.com, Westbrook is a -5.3 in the first half compared to -1.4 in the second. He also commits a majority (2.9) of his league-leading 4.8 turnovers per game in the first half.

Monday happened to be the first time this season Westbrook played in the second game of a back-to-back. He had previously sat out the first six games in those scenarios.

As for why Westbrook and the Wizards chose Monday's game against the Rockets, he said it was just a matter of "listen to your body." Head coach Scott Brooks said it had nothing to with him playing his former team. He also didn't know if this would be the new norm moving forward.

Regardless, Westbrook will play in the majority of the Wizards' games when healthy, and now potentially all of them if the back-to-back rule is no more. The Wizards have to continue to find ways to compete with Westbrook playing. The wins against the Celtics and Rockets were encouraging signs.

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Are the Wizards starting to make progress playing with Westbrook? - NBC Sports