Russell Westbrook’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers will be remembered as one of the darkest phases of his career. The Lakers traded for Westbrook last season when the franchise was looking for a new star to add to the roster and make a new superteam in the league.
The Lakers’ gamble didn’t pay off, as Russ failed to adjust to playing in the team’s system. Now with the 2022-23 NBA season starting soon, Russell Westbrook is aiming to make a comeback. But with the organization trading for Patrick Beverley, many believe they brought him in as a replacement for Russ.
Although Pat Bev and Brodie have mentioned several times that there is no beef between them, Westbrook’s recent actions suggest otherwise. Yes, we are talking about Westbrook ignoring Beverley’s defensive huddle in the Lakers’ recent preseason game.
Chris Broussard Thinks There’s Some Friction Between Russell Westbrook And Patrick Beverley
Westbrook received a lot of backlash from fans for his actions in the last Lakers game. But the former NBA MVP defended them by mentioning it wasn’t his intention to ignore Pat Bev’s defensive huddle.
If it were any other player in the NBA, the situation would have been diffused after Russ’ cleared things up. However, everything that Russ does is put under the microscope. The same thing happened with this incident, and NBA analyst Chris Broussard gave his take on Westbrook not joining Beverley’s huddle.
Russell Westbrook not joining Patrick Beverley’s huddle something or nothing?
"This is a harbinger of what's to come. Russ is not built to be a role player. He's going to try but it is not in him. He doesn't have the mentality, make up or the skill set." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/iO1iwv6Mk1
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) October 13, 2022
“I’m sure it bothers Russ that Patrick Beverley, who hasn’t been half the player that Russ has been historically, and has been there for all of two weeks, is coming in there and acting like he’s Isiah Thomas. I’m sure that rubs him the wrong way. This is bigger than that. This episode is a harbinger of what’s to come. Russell Westbrook is not built to be a role player and that’s what they’re asking him to be. I think he’s gonna try, I think he’s gonna say the right things, but it is not in him. He doesn’t have the mentality, the makeup, or, to be honest, even the skillset. Where it’s going to come out is things like this – body language, facial expressions, sighs.”
Broussard is sure that Patrick Beverley trying to act as a leader of the Lakers, is bothering Westbrook. Because at the end of the day, when we look at their respective careers in the NBA, Russ is head and shoulders above Beverley. Lakers fans will be hoping Broussard’s assessment of the situation is incorrect; otherwise, the team may be in for another disappointing season.
