With a few weeks to go until the NBA’s annual trade deadline, there has been no shortage of rumors over the past few days. In Los Angeles, star guard Russell Westbrook has been at the center of many of these rumors thanks to the overwhelming narrative that he is the biggest problem with the team.
Still, despite all the noise, the former MVP has some people on his side.
In his podcast, Warriors forward Draymond Green came to Westbrook’s defense, arguing that the Lakers’ issues stem from more than just one guy.
“I’ve been hearing a lot of Russell Westbrook trade talks, trade rumors going around. The reality is, I’m not sure Westbrook gets traded. I don’t foresee it happening nor do I think it really should happen. You haven’t really had the opportunity to see the team healthy and how they could grow together healthy. And I also don’t like how Russell Westbrook gets all of the blame for everything going wrong. It’s just not possible that one guy is to blame for everything going wrong. Just been keeping up with those trade rumors, we know it’s that time when the trade deadline is approaching over the course of the next few weeks… and obviously, Russell Westbrook is the biggest name in these talks.”
Westbrook, 33, is in his 14th season in the NBA. After 11 years in OKC, and one season each in OKC and Washington D.C., Russ came to the Lakers with something to prove.
Unlike many of his ex-teammates, the UCLA product has yet to demonstrate that he is a Championship-level player. In fact, his struggles with shooting and controlling the ball have many convinced he is a liability on the floor.
Over the past few months, those beliefs have only intensified within the community and if Russ wants to shut them down once and for all, he’s going to have to lead an impressive turnaround for the Purple and Gold.
In 48 games so far, Westbrook is averaging 18.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game on 43% shooting.
