Russell Westbrook Likely Won't Play Both Ends of Back-to-Backs, Says Wizards HC

Don't expect the Washington Wizards to count on Russell Westbrook every single night during the 2020-21 season.

As Fred Katz of The Athletic noted, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks—who also coached Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder—said the 32-year-old point guard likely will not play on both ends of back-to-back games this season.

That is also how the Houston Rockets handled Westbrook during the 2019-20 campaign.

Washington acquired Westbrook this offseason in a trade that sent John Wall to the Rockets, and the hope in the nation's capital is that he will help lead the team to the postseason for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

The 2017 league MVP is a nine-time All-NBA selection, two-time scoring champion and nine-time All-Star who should give Bradley Beal some help in the backcourt that was largely missing the last two seasons when Wall was sidelined by an injury.

While Westbrook may be somewhat past his prime, the UCLA product still averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. Much of his game is based on his athleticism that allows him to blow past defenders and finish at the rim.

Not playing him on both ends of back-to-backs should keep him fresher as the season progresses, which could help him unlock that explosiveness when he is on the floor.

It is notable Brooks revealed this plan, as the NBA recently announced it will allow more flexibility for resting players this season with such a short turnaround from the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN noted the league sent a memo to teams giving more freedom for resting on back-to-backs and letting teams "rest a key veteran player who played a substantial role on a team that advanced deep into the 2020 Playoffs, or to rest a player who is still returning to full strength after recovering from COVID-19."

Age and injury history will also be considered for how often players can rest.