The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off an incredibly challenging season that saw them fall from championship hopefuls at the start of the year to being the 11th seed and 16 games under .500 by the end of the season. This is with LeBron James averaging 30+ points in a season for only the second time in his career and as a 37-year-old.
One of the main factors that have been attributed to the Lakers’ struggle is the presence of Russell Westbrook. Westbrook was acquired via a massive offseason trade that saw the team lose key pieces like Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Westbrook, who didn’t fit the system.
Under new coach Darvin Ham and a new roster this season, LeBron believes Westbrook can have a successful campaign this year as he revealed during the Lakers media day.
LeBron thinks the Lakers can be successful with Russ this season:
"It's gonna be a great year for him. And we're gonna be right there with him." pic.twitter.com/4u84WLuH3Y
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 26, 2022
“I look forward to being a part of this journey with him this year. It’s going to be a great year for him and we’re going to be right there with him. We’re here and it starts tomorrow. It’s all about putting in the work and when you put in the work, you see the results, so, looking forward to it.”
Can The Lakers Rely On Russell Westbrook?
Even if LeBron is advocating for Westbrook, that is no guarantee of the point guard being a member of the franchise for the entirety of the season. If there are no options on the market, Russ is bound to stay as the Lakers don’t want to unload 2 first-round draft picks just to get rid of Russ.
Westbrook can be a better corner shooter if he tried getting into the spot and waiting for a shot, but that will come with massive personal sacrifice. Considering how LeBron has been defending Russ, there’s a good chance that Russ has committed to doing that part of his role better and that would instantly make the Lakers system better.
There are plenty of guards on the Lakers’ roster looking for playing time. If Russ can’t adjust to the system to start the season, there’s a strong chance he doesn’t find himself getting regular minutes or being shipped off sometime this season.
