Russell Westbrook stands up for Scott Brooks amid hot seat rumors

Russell Westbrook knows Scott Brooks better than most do, and it definitely sounds like he wants Brooks to continue as Washington Wizards coach.

After the Wizards clinched one of the top two play-in spots in the Eastern Conference on Sunday, Westbrook stood up for Brooks.

“You gotta give credit to our coach, number one,” said Westbrook, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. “Behind the scenes, Scottie is one hell of a coach. … All of the outside noise, it really doesn’t matter because we know how important he is, and I know how important he is to myself and to the team.”

The Wizards finished the regular season on a surge, winning 17 of their last 23 games. But many will argue they succeeded not because of Brooks, who is often criticized for his rotations and his game plan, but rather in spite of him.

Brooks has been dogged by hot seat rumors all season and is also in the final year of his contract with the Wizards. But Westbrook is now in his second stint under Brooks, having previously spent the first seven seasons of his career with him as his coach in Oklahoma City. The fact that Westbrook is still this ardent in his support of Brooks has to mean something.