After every Lakers loss, Russell Westbrook becomes the target of criticism and hate by fans, who often see his aggressive playstyle as detrimental to the team.
But even after their 13-point defeat against Memphis (in which Russ scored 9 points), Anthony Davis came to his defense, citing that his presence and play create opportunities for everyone else.
“I think at the beginning of the year, Russ was a little bit passive. He was trying to get guys involved, pass the ball. He’d be at the rim—he had one tonight where he tried to kick it out to Melo (Anthony) where he could have laid the ball up. We tried to tell him to be himself. Don’t try to be anybody else. The more you’re aggressive, the more it’ll open up for everyone else. As of late, the last 7-10 games, he’s been very, very aggressive. And when he does that, it opens the floor for everyone else as far as shooting.”
Amid calls to ‘take a back seat’ or to ‘cool off,’ Davis insists that for the Lakers to be at their best, they need Russ to play with the same fire and energy that has defined his career since the beginning.
“Before every game, I tell him to be himself. That’s why we brought him here, to be Russell Westbrook and not anybody else but that.”
Westbrook was brought to the Lakers in an offseason deal that sent Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell to the Wizards.
Since Westbrook’s arrival, he’s been a controversial member of the team, mostly due to his poor shooting and the occasional out-of-control bursts he has on offense.
Nevertheless, neither LeBron James nor Anthony Davis has shown any signs of displeasure with their star point guard. They’re going to keep trusting in what he brings to the table.
We’ll see what the end result will be.
