The Los Angeles Lakers experience is about to get a little bit uglier for Russell Westbrook, as the team attempts to try some changes ahead of the start of the 2022-23 NBA season.
The Purple and Gold have only won one game during the preseason, and they hope to close it out with a win against the Kings, who are on the other side of the road with a 3-0 record.
After his terrible performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he starred in questionable moments, refusing to join his team’s huddle before the game and later on when Patrick Beverley tried to gather everybody to talk about defense.
Russell Westbrook Will Have New Role On Los Angeles Lakers
This has been a possibility that new head coach Darvin Ham has been studied for a while now, and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the rookie head coach is ready to apply changes tonight, sending Russell Westbrook to the bench, trying to make him the leader of the team’s second unit.
There's a hope that Westbrook can play freer and faster with ball in his hands on second unit — and have to worry less about fitting away from ball around the starting group. It is certainly an idea they'll continue to discuss with start of regular season next week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 14, 2022
The Lakers are planning to bring Russell Westbrook off the bench in the final preseason game vs. Kings tonight. Darvin Ham and Westbrook have been exploring possibility of Westbrook quarterbacking second unit and they’ll try it tonight.
There’s a hope that Westbrook can play freer and faster with ball in his hands on second unit — and have to worry less about fitting away from ball around the starting group. It is certainly an idea they’ll continue to discuss with start of regular season next week.
This could be a win-win situation for both teams, as Westbrook has struggled to mesh with LeBron James and Anthony Davis when they’re all together on the court. It would be a big adjustment to make for Russ, but he has stated before that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win games.
