There’s no doubt that Russell Westbrook has struggled during his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has been a poor fit with stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, due to his ball-dominant nature and his lack of 3PT shooting ability.
Throughout his time in Los Angeles, Russell Westbrook has often been criticized by both fans and analysts alike. Though some of the criticism definitely went overboard, there were some valid points made as well.
Magic Johnson has recently given Russell Westbrook some advice, amidst the point guard’s recent shooting struggles. Johnson suggested that Westbrook needs to “take accountability”, and admit when he’s not playing well.
“First, take accountability – that’s number one. If I don’t play well, say I don’t play well.
“When I didn’t perform well in ’84 against the Celtics, I admitted that. I took accountability and said, hey, I didn’t perform well; I was the reason why the Lakers lost that series. And I had to say to myself, ‘I’ve got to get better.’ So what did I do? I went out and that whole summer I trained hard and got better. And then we played them (Boston) again in ’85 this next season. Man, I was on fire. We won. You didn’t hear that no more.”
Quit trying to fight the media, quit trying to fight the fans. Just say “You know what? I didn’t play well. But I’m going to play better”.
There’s no doubt that Russell Westbrook has frequently lashed out in the past when speaking about his poor play. Perhaps that will change in the future, and maybe Russell Westbrook will improve his play with the Los Angeles Lakers going forward.
The Los Angeles Lakers Should Trade Russell Westbrook
Trading Russell Westbrook seems like the natural solution for his poor overall fit with the team. In fact, it was recently revealed that the Los Angeles Lakers could resume trade talks with teams like the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers in the future.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a trade involving Westbrook isn’t likely until after Thanksgiving. That’s around the same time that Dennis Schröder, who at this point is undoubtedly a better point guard than Westbrook, could return from his thumb surgery.
When that time comes, Los Angeles will explore trade combinations with the Pacers that involve center Myles Turner and/or wing Buddy Hield. Those talks are currently on hold, but Turner and Hield would both add much-needed shooting, and Turner would provide rim-protection depth behind the oft-injured Davis.
Utah has been connected to the Lakers for months, too. League sources say that before the Jazz sent Bojan Bogdanovic to the Pistons, the Lakers offered Westbrook, a future first-round pick, and second-rounders for Bogdanovic and others. Sources expect the Lakers and Jazz to resume talks later in the season with some combination of other players discussed. (Utah has Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gay—three veterans who can all shoot).
There’s no doubt that it could be beneficial for both Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers to part ways with one another. Both parties would be able to get the fresh start they desire.
Hopefully, we see the Los Angeles Lakers make a move involving Russell Westbrook in the future. It is obvious that he has been disappointing for the Lakers, and perhaps they will be able to get better fitting players in return.
