Russell Westbrook has always been a controversial player, even when he was in his prime. That has definitely been the case this season because he is on the underperforming Los Angeles Lakers.
Many have suggested that the best move the Lakers could make is moving on from Russell Westbrook. He obviously isn’t the best fit next to LeBron James, even if he is a good player.
During the Lakers’ recent loss to the Indiana Pacers, coach Frank Vogel benched Russell Westbrook for the last 3:52 of the game. Westbrook ended up shooting a paltry 29.4% from beyond the arc.
Frank Vogel benched Russell Westbrook for the final 3:52 minutes of the game
Westbrook finished the game 29.4% from the field 🥶 pic.twitter.com/QUgzFcRtJp
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 20, 2022
After the game, Frank Vogel explained why he benched Russell Westbrook during that time. Vogel claimed that he was playing the players that “were going to win” the Lakers the game.
“Playing the guys that I thought were going to win the game”😯
– Frank Vogel on benching Russell Westbrook pic.twitter.com/3njOdgpOU2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 20, 2022
It is clear that Frank Vogel hasn’t gotten the best out of Russell Westbrook this year. It is, however, easy to see why his decision was made. The Los Angeles Lakers were playing from behind for the last few minutes, and they needed players that could score, and Russell Westbrook wasn’t having the best shooting night.
Perhaps we’ll see Russell Westbrook bounce back going forward. He has always been an inefficient player, but there is no question that he is currently not doing as well as the Los Angeles Lakers would like. At some point though, he will likely bounce back from his slump.
Many analysts and fans have suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers should trade Russell Westbrook. With that being said, that is easier said than done, as it was previously reported there’s almost no trade interest in Russell Westbrook due to his large contract.
Frank Vogel has often been viewed as a scapegoat for the Lakers’ problems, but his decision was justified in this case. Hopefully, the Lakers figure out how to utilize Russell Westbrook in a better fashion in the coming days.
