Russell Westbrook is the man in the spotlight of hate once again, as his poor decision-making in clutch time against the Portland Trail Blazers has come under fire. Westbrook took an ill-advised mid-range jumper with plenty of time on the clock to allow the Trail Blazers to get the ball to Damian Lillard who scored a clutch 3 to take a 2-point lead.
After Westbrook’s 0-11 night against the Los Angeles Clippers, this loss really put Westbrook at the center of hate from Lakers fans. Jamal Crawford has stepped up to defend Russ from fan scrutiny by pointing out how unfair it is to say that all the Lakers issues are because of him.
The fact that most are putting all the Lakers problems on Russ is wack…
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) October 24, 2022
Westbrook shouldn’t be blamed for Rob Pelinka’s poor job of constructing a competent roster. He gave so much up to acquire Russ that he hasn’t recovered. For fans, it’s easier to blame the guy that they see messing up on the court as compared to Pelinka, who overlooked the downside of the evident concerns around the fit of Westbrook and LeBron James.
Who’s Fault Is This Lakers Catastrophe?
It’s really hard to point fingers in just one direction when a championship-winning team becomes a team that can barely make the play-in tournament in just 2 seasons. Pelinka’s poor roster decisions like acquiring Westbrook for 3-and-D players like Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the primary issue.
Not only did they lose those players, but the Lakers could also no longer afford to keep Alex Caruso on the roster. Instead, the Lakers could have traded just Kuzma for Buddy Hield, and kept Caruso and KCP, while also having the money to sign DeMar DeRozan. That roster looks a lot better compared to the aging cast that the Lakers put together in its place.
LeBron and AD deserve blame for their inability to stay healthy, but it’s hard to blame an athlete for that. Jeanie Buss chose to extend Pelinka’s contract this offseason despite the dire situation of the Lakers roster, so this situation may unravel further through this season and the next few years.
