Russell Westbrook has gone through a sharp decline in the sort of numbers and stats that he puts up since his move to the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The move has panned out extremely poorly and Westbrook is now dealing with drama off the court after he called out the media for disrespecting his name. Russ is also clearly distracted by some of the harassment his family has been subjected to, with his wife Nina revealing that they have dealt with death threats.
Whatever the cause may be, it’s not helped his game on the court, the Lakers are still struggling. Kendrick Perkins, who sent a message to Westbrook on dealing with off-court issues, broke down a play from the Lakers’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs, pointing out that Westbrook is mentally checked out from what the team is doing on the court.
“And if you watch this film right here, look, he’s not even involved, like mentally, he’s not even there. He didn’t even move that entire possession. At all.”
Westbrook’s play this season has been below average for a star, let alone the superstar that he has been for his entire career. The defensive side of his game has been scrutinized time and again, with many noticing that Russ is giving up on too many plays and barely hustling.
Westbrook’s calling card has always been the energy and vibrancy he brings on the court every night, and if he doesn’t display any of that, criticism is likely to continue. Not just that, without his energy, the flaws in his game tend to get highlighted more, such as the large number of turnovers he commits every game.
The obvious solution to all these problems is that Russ simply needs to up his game on the court. If he is unable to do that before the season ends, his spell with the Lakers will likely be remembered as one of the worst major moves made by any franchise in the history of the game.
