Russell Westbrook’s arrival in Los Angeles last season to be a part of the Lakers was met with cautious optimism, to say the least. Many wanted other players like DeMar DeRozan and some wanted the Lakers to keep the role players they gave up to accommodate Westbrook within the team.
It’s safe to say that even the most cautious fan would not have predicted that the season would turn out as poorly as it did. Westbrook couldn’t fit in as planned and his poor shooting and turnovers were highlighted even more when the Lakers started losing games and it became apparent that they wouldn’t make the playoffs.
This led to a lot of criticism and speculation about his future that has carried on into the offseason, although Westbrook was in a good mood on Tuesday, posting a video of himself singing in his car. And another positive report has now come from Shams Charania, who said on the Pat McAfee Show that the Lakers management wants it to work with Russ next season.
"The Lakers front office & coaching staff want to see it work in Los Angeles with Russell Westbrook" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/UN9vXrlo0p
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 28, 2022
“His future is in LA. The Lakers want to see this work. From everything I’ve been told, different trade scenarios that have been thrown out, I guess, speculated on. But with the new coach Darvin Ham, I really believe this front office group, this management group, the coaching staff, Russell Westbrook, they all want this to work.”
Westbrook is a player that is highly capable of averaging massive numbers and contributing to winning, and even if he had a bad year, can bounce back and perform at an All-Star level once again.
The key for the Lakers next season will likely be how much they can rely on Anthony Davis to stay healthy. If all their stars can be on the court together, then there is an excellent chance that they can make it work and Westbrook, who is picking up his player option, can rewrite his story with the Lakers.
