Amid the unmitigated disaster the 2021-22 NBA season has been for the Los Angeles Lakers, a singular scapegoat has emerged: Russell Westbrook.
Many feel that he has been an abysmal fit for the team and that it gave up too much capital in order to acquire him last summer.
Still, LeBron James has made it clear that he has Westbrook’s back and that he’s still looking to make their partnership work well.
Via LakersNation:
“For me, just try to give him, when he’s off the ball and I have the ball, try to get him some good looks at the rim, which I was able to do tonight,” James said.
“I was able to hit him once off an offensive rebound I hit him for a layup underneath and then they doubled off him and I was able to hit him for a cut, he was able to get a dunk at the rim. In transition if I’m handling the ball and he’s running up ahead, just try to kick ahead. But sometimes when you’re seeing the ball go through the hoop, it helps. So that’s part of my responsibility.”
There have certainly been times that the Los Angeles-area native has played well this season, but he has been inconsistent at times, and his lack of outside shooting is a problem.
But head coach Frank Vogel has made it clear that he still believes in Westbrook.
Via LakersNation:
“We’re all going to keep supporting him,” said Vogel. “We all have to play better as a team. The coaches got to coach better, the players got to play better. I know he’s going to be hard on himself, but we’re all being hard on ourselves right now.
“I thought the fact he had zero turnovers, after the last game our team had 24 turnovers, was a positive. He’s just not finishing at the basket right now and he’s not knocking down threes. Usually, he’s going to make 30 percent of them. He’s just struggling in both areas right now, but we’ll keep supporting him, keep putting him in positions to succeed.”
The Lakers reportedly tried to trade Westbrook prior to the trade deadline but weren’t able to find a deal that was agreeable.
The team reportedly had an offer from the Houston Rockets that would’ve given it former All-Star John Wall for Westbrook and a 2027 first-round draft pick, but management turned it down.
Rumor also has it that James’ agency, Klutch Sports, was pushing for the Westbrook-Wall deal.
For better or worse, Westbrook will be a Laker for at least the balance of this season, and although he certainly has his flaws, he also has several skills and talents that can help the team reach the playoffs and at least be competitive once there.
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