Los Angeles Lakers head coach believes that the constant under-fire Russell Westbrook has a lot to offer for the side.
It wasn’t a great outing for the guard as he finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in the 27 minutes he played, further fueling the criticism he faces on social media on a daily basis.
But that hasn’t reduced the constant backing from his teammates and Ham, who have been vocal in their support for the 33-year-old.
The new coach feels the understanding between him and Westbrook has certainly been a lot better after the latter’s remarks about his hamstring injury, which he believed was a result of him coming off the bench against the Sacramento Kings in the preseason.
Per a Yahoo report, Ham felt that the point guard still had a lot to contribute if used the right way.
“He’s been around a long time. He’s been a high-level player for a very long time. So, I know what that’s about and how that is,” Ham said, via ESPN. “But on the other hand, you have to be prepared to do whatever your team needs you to do. And that’s called being a professional. So, however, we choose to use him, there has to be a willingness there to sacrifice for your teammates and the overall good of the team if that course of action is going to lead to success.”
The Lakers started Westbrook in both games so far, and he had a solid time against the Warriors notching up 19 points and 11 rebounds.
LeBron James Lauds Russell Westbrook For His Defense Against Clippers
While Westbrook’s shooting suffered, the guard’s defense, which isn’t necessarily his strong suit, rose to the occasion as he was locked in on that part of the game. This saw some positive feedback coming from his teammate, LeBron James.
James was pivotal for the Lakers notching up 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, and following the game, he spoke to the media during the postgame press conference lauding Westbrook’s defense. According to Lakers Daily, he said:
LeBron's message to Russell Westbrook after tonight:
"Flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday. … I thought he played a great game. Defensively he was in tune."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 21, 2022
“Flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday. … I thought he played a great game. Defensively he was in tune.”
Westbrook will surely be in the starting lineup again, especially after his contributions in one of the aspects in the last two games, perhaps pushing the experiment of coming off the bench to a later stage. The Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Sunday (October 23).
