The offseason for Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook has been a tumultuous one. He has been bearing the brunt of the blame for the Lakers’ disastrous 2021-22 season and has been repeatedly involved in trade rumors to be sent away from the team. In addition, reports of his role being diminished under the new coach, Darvin Ham, haven’t sat well with the former MVP.
With many expecting Russ to not be able to play like he used to anymore, there is a lot of motivation for Russ to prove everyone wrong. His body is getting older, but he can still try to alter his game to be relevant in the current era. Working with the next generation of stars could give him the energy he needs to work on his skill set.
The Detroit Pistons nabbed Jaden Ivey in the 2022 NBA Draft with the 5th pick, one of the best players in the class. People are hoping Ivey can form a backcourt partnership with Cade Cunningham, so the expectation to deliver is going to be immense. As a result, Ivey decided to workout with Westbrook and share pictures on his Instagram.
Jaden Ivey in the lab with Russ 🤝
(via @IveyJaden) pic.twitter.com/fhoO5XEeLy
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 23, 2022
No matter what anyone feels about Russ, he is still an extremely valuable veteran in the league. The amount of knowledge he can impart to players like Ivey is quite significant and will be extremely helpful for the rookie. If he can take something back from Ivey’s desire to get better, maybe this interaction helps Westbrook readjust his game and accept the reality that he isn’t the same athlete he used to be.
There is production left in Westbrook’s body. His salary makes it hard to justify, but Westbrook could still be a valuable piece somewhere. Will it be with the Lakers this season? Despite attempts to get players like Kyrie Irving, Westbrook might just go into the season as a Laker.
