Rockets Rumors: Russell Westbrook 'Repeatedly Broke Off Plays' in Playoffs

Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook apparently improvised on his own during the team's Game 6 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs.

The Athletic's Sam Amick reported Westbrook "repeatedly broke off plays and tried unsuccessfully to force his way back into the action when it mattered most."

The postseason encapsulated the risk in acquiring Westbrook for Chris Paul in the offseason.

The 2017 MVP averaged 17.9 points, 4.6 assists and 3.8 turnovers in the playoffs while shooting 24.2 percent from three-point range. According to Amick, James Harden was willing to give Westbrook a wide berth because he thought it might help the nine-time All-Star rediscover his best self. In the regular season, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points and 7.0 assists per game.

Instead, Westbrook dragged down Houston's offense. On/off splits aren't a definitive indicator, but it seems telling the Rockets had a 6.9 net rating when Westbrook was on the bench and a minus-6.1 net rating with him on the floor, per NBA.com.

When the front office sensed a need to reshuffle last summer, it did so by letting Dwight Howard walk in free agency and trading Paul to the Thunder. Making a similar pivot with Westbrook will be tough because he's owed $85.6 million over the next two years and has a $47.1 million player option for 2022-23.

Maybe a new voice on the sidelines can get a different tune out of the dynamic point guard. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski shared a statement from Mike D'Antoni, who confirmed he won't return as head coach:

D'Antoni got everything he could out of what were increasingly thin rosters over four seasons. With limited ways to meaningfully address the squad, a coaching change is the most obvious gambit for general manager Daryl Morey.

Given their friendship, it seems unlikely Harden and Westbrook have the same kind of breakdown Harden experienced with Paul.

That might mean little in the grand scheme of things because Houston's exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers laid bare how much has to change for the Rockets to reach the NBA Finals.