The Lakers have looked a little shaky in the preseason but are looking way better than they did last season. They won their first preseason game in 2 years against the Golden State Warriors yesterday and will hope to continue that momentum through the rest of preseason and the start of the regular season.
The Lakers are still trying to perfect the fit with LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, with Westbrook shooting more corner 3’s, as was expected after Darvin Ham joined the team as the new coach. Matt Barnes believes this isn’t the right way to use Russ, advocating for LeBron to play off-ball and Russ to play as the primary point guard.
“I think Bron may have to take a small step back to allow Russ to be Russ. You think – you get older your game’s going to change a little bit. You’re going to find a way. I think Russ is going to be Russ. And I think what makes him great sometimes is his downfall…”
“But one thing I do know you can’t put Russell Westbrook in the corner. He’s always had the ball in his hands. So, we all know the Lakers are at their best when Bron has the ball in his hands, but I think that, what could happen is allow Russ to have the ball in his hands the first two and a half quarters to really get a feel. Obviously, Bron’s going to have it sometimes there. A.D. (Anthony Davis) will have it sometimes there.
“But, allowing Russ to get his rhythm, so by the time LeBron takes over at the middle of the third quarter and the fourth quarter, when he has the ball is his hands the majority of the time, Russ is already in rhythm.”
Even though LeBron is a forward on paper, he has been the Lakers’ primary ball-handler since he joined the team. James has better off-ball skills than Russ, so his giving up the ball to Russ might be beneficial for the whole team.
Can Russell Westbrook Lead This Lakers Team As Their Point Guard?
Westbrook wasn’t given full autonomy as the point guard of the team last season, which definitely restricted him and hurt his confidence. This season, Ham looks to be setting up designated roles for Westbrook to play and perfect over the season. Being a distributor will be crucial for those plans.
If the off-ball pieces are working, the Lakers could try playing 5-out with Westbrook as the guard. This creates open looks and easy opportunities to score, as Westbrook coming downhill is still something defenses struggle to defend. If Russ can highlight these facets of his game, the Lakers could be in for a good season.
