Russell Westbrook has without a doubt had a rough year with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has struggled to be an elite third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to his ball-dominant and inefficient playstyle. People have also criticized Westbrook for being a poor perimeter shooter and providing limited spacing next to the Lakers’ other two stars.
Despite his struggles, the Los Angeles Lakers have elected to keep Russell Westbrook on the roster thus far. It also seems as though that could end up being a prudent decision, as Russell Westbrook has been working on addressing one of his weaknesses as a player.
A recent report by NBA insiders Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Jovan Buha of The Athletic has revealed that Russell Westbrook made improvements to his shooting form during the offseason, and his 3PT percentage on catch and shoot looks has “improved in workouts and scrimmages”.
Westbrook slightly refined his shooting form this summer, and sources say his catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage has been improved in workouts and scrimmages.
Obviously, shooting well in practice is not the same thing as doing it in a real game, but this news is certainly encouraging for the Los Angeles Lakers. Hopefully, we see Russell Westbrook have an efficient year from beyond the arc next season.
The Los Angeles Lakers Could Still Be Good With Russell Westbrook
Though it is obvious that Russell Westbrook was inconsistent last year, it is quite possible that he will end up bouncing back and having a good year with the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith suggested that Russell Westbrook won’t ever play as badly as he did during the 2021-22 season.
“I definitely believe that if Russell Westbrook ends up staying in Los Angeles, as opposed to say, somewhere like Indiana for Myles Turner or Buddy Hield, a couple of picks, which to me is still possible. I know they haven’t offered it, or anything like that, but if that offer comes down the pike, I think you’ll see the Lakers take that offer. If that doesn’t happen and he ends up staying a Los Angeles Laker, I definitely believe this season will be better than the last. I don’t believe that Russell Westbrook will ever be this bad again.”
There is no doubt that Russell Westbrook is still a player that can impact winning and provide a positive impact on the court, due to his slashing, rebounding, and playmaking.
If everything goes right, the Los Angeles Lakers could definitely end up making the playoffs. However, Russell Westbrook will absolutely have to be better for that to happen, and we’ll see how he performs going forward with the team.
