Official announcement! The triple-double king has settled in the Kings! Can he explode again?

"Here comes Westbrook."

When these five words appeared on the King's official social media, the comment area instantly exploded.

Some fans beat gongs and drums: "Congratulations to Westbrook for continuing his career!" Others sighed and shook their heads: "Did the King hit the gun himself?"

From the perspective of public opinion, this may be the most loved and feared signing in the entire offseason this year.

But according to reporter reports, the Kings have actually been in contact with Westbrook throughout the offseason. This signing was not a spur-of-the-moment move. As early as the beginning of the offseason, reporters had already revealed a lot of inside information. Westbrook could have chosen the player option to stay in the Nuggets, but the Nuggets management gave him a warning early:

"We have to train young people in the new season, and your playing time will be compressed."

This has been very obvious. In the new season, Westbrook will not only retreat to the second line, but may even gradually withdraw from the rotation. Such an answer was obviously not what Westbrook wanted, so he boldly jumped out of the contract and wanted to fight for freedom.

Just this jump almost caused him to fall out of the alliance.

For most of the offseason, he failed to find a suitable next home. It wasn't until the start of the regular season that the Kings extended an olive branch. Judging from Westbrook's recent public opinion environment, it seems that this is not just a simple signing, but more of a redemption opportunity.

Just from the perspective of the team, this redemption may not be his one-man show, but may also be a big gamble by the Kings.

Judging from the team's paper lineup, the current Kings seem to have no shortage of defenders.

Although Fox left the team, Schroeder was successfully recruited during the offseason, and Monk served as the sixth man. There are still several young people eyeing the back positions. For this Kings, what they lack is not guards, what they really lack is shooting ability.

Looking at the data, the Kings' three-point shooting percentage last season was only 35.7%, ranking 19th in the league. Among the Kings, the most accurate is LaVine (44.6%), who was traded in the middle of the season, followed by Keon Johnson (43.3%), and then center Sabonis Jr. (41.7%).

These three seem to have good three-point statistics, but except for LaVine, the other two do not average many shots per game, and they are unable to handle the three-point shooting task. As for the remaining main players, their three-point shooting percentages are basically below the failing level.

Looking at Westbrook, his three-point shooting percentage last season was only 32.3%, which was even far lower than the league average.

In short, when Westbrook is on the court with the ball, most defenders will choose targeted shots; once the threat from the outside is lost, his ability to break through and distribute the ball will naturally be interfered with, and the assist efficiency will also decrease, which will even affect the assist-loss ratio data.

This is why, although he can still rush and pass in the Nuggets last season, his influence in the game has declined significantly; as long as opponents learn to contain the basket and shoot from the outside, Westbrook's value will be difficult to play.

From an optimistic perspective, this signing is not meaningless.

In a sense, the Kings signed Westbrook probably not for the goal of hitting the playoffs, but more for stability; for the Kings, a team with an erratic culture, after losing their core last season, they urgently need someone who can set an example in the locker room.

Looking back at the 2022-23 season, the Kings finally got rid of the drought in the playoffs and achieved a dark horse performance of third in the Western Conference. Everyone is looking forward to their rise. But unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Although they only won two fewer games than the previous year, their record ranking dropped directly from third in the Western Conference to ninth. The next year, fate repeated itself, and they were still ninth in the Western Conference, but the team could not even break through the play-offs.

The revival once seemed like a short-lived dream.

From third in the Western Conference to the edge of the play-offs, the Kings have declined much faster than they have risen. All fans thought the rebuild was complete, only to find out it was just the beginning of another cycle.

From this perspective, what the Kings management is interested in may not be Westbrook's performance on the field, but more about the appearance of the game and the team's mental strength. And Westbrook, who never admits defeat and fights to the end in every game, may be able to rekindle the fighting spirit of this young team.

On social media, as soon as the news of Westbrook's joining came out, fans in the comment area immediately divided into two groups:

"Westbrook shouldn't be forgotten like this. He is still one of the most dedicated players in the league." "The Kings are going to be finished, and there is no space left. Not yet." Like training young people. "He can at least bring some blood when he comes. The Kings are so lacking in this temperament."

Westbrook fans are naturally optimistic, and this signing is a new starting point for Westbrook; but some Kings fans still prefer to be cautious, worried that Westbrook's ability without the ball will slow down the team's rhythm.

From a technical and tactical perspective, this concern is not groundless. Sabonis, the core of the Kings, is a high-position organizing center. The team's offensive system emphasizes space and rapid conduction. If Westbrook cannot stably hit open three-pointers, it directly means that the defense can infinitely shrink the penalty area, thereby limiting Sabonis' high-position support system.

This is not a question of "can Westbrook fight?" but a question of "can he coexist?"

But from an overall perspective, the Kings' record in recent years has been stuck in the play-off range. Choosing to sign Westbrook will not instantly make them a strong team at the playoff level, and it will be difficult to change the core structure of the team. This signing is more like a test to let the management see if this team can compete again.

If the performance in the first half of the new season is ups and downs, it is not ruled out that the Kings will initiate transactions in the middle of the season. By then, the Kings are likely to fall into a rebuilding cycle again and start their plans for the 2026 draft in advance, so Westbrook’s signing will be irrelevant..

Looking back at Westbrook's career, from a runaway boy in the Thunder, to a controversial figure in the Lakers, to the bench rotation of the Clippers and Nuggets, the Turtles have never bowed down despite their troughs. Today, he is no longer a triple-double monster, but it is undeniable that he is still the most stubborn soul in the league.

The only question is, can such a fiery soul find a place in the king's system?

What the King needs is projection and space, while Westbrook brings passion and possible chaos. This is a paradoxical union, but it may also be a miraculous rebirth. Perhaps a few years later, fans will inadvertently recall this moment: Westbrook, whom no one wanted, lit up the beam again in Sacramento.

Or, all of this will eventually end in silence. But at least at this moment, Westbrook is still playing, still fighting, and has not given up yet.