2017 MVP Russell Westbrook joined the Los Angeles Lakers via trade this offseason, and it’s clear that the Lakers were looking for more firepower to boost their offense. Russell Westbrook is an electric player who can dominate any given game, but on the Lakers, he’ll have to adjust to playing behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost their season opener against the Golden State Warriors, and Russell Westbrook didn’t have the best game. However, despite that, coach Frank Vogel wasn’t discouraged. In his postgame interview, Vogel mentioned that the team wants Westbrook “to be aggressive” and that it’s only a matter of “figuring out the teammates around him”. (1:40)
It’s difficult when you are used to being the guy that has the ball most nights to be able to play off of others like Bron and AD. So it’s just a little bit different for him. He’s going to be great for us, but it’s going to be an adjustment period.
We want him to be aggressive. That part is easy. He’ll stay aggressive, he’ll stay in attack mode. It’s just figuring out the teammates around him and that’ll come.
It’s clear that Russell Westbrook is going to have less usage with the Los Angeles Lakers, and as coach Vogel mentioned, it’ll be an adjustment. Usually, talented players tend to find ways to affect the game even with lower usage rates, and hopefully, Russell Westbrook is able to do the same. The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of shooters on the roster, and they can provide the spacing that Russell Westbrook needs to thrive.
Prior to the season, LeBron James stated that the Lakers “need Russ to be Russ”, and it’s clear that Frank Vogel is taking the same approach by saying that Westbrook needs to be aggressive. Perhaps Russell Westbrook will be able to find his groove as the season goes on, and that will certainly be a boon for the Lakers.
