Entering tonight’s matchup against the Timberwolves, Lakers coach Darvin Ham was hoping a new strategy would help his team grab their first win of the season.
And while the Lakers ended up with another loss (putting them at 0-5 overall), there was some light at the end of the tunnel. Notably, it was Russell Westbrook who stood out.
Russell Westbrook Shines In First Game Off The Bench This Season
In what has otherwise been an ugly season for Westbrook, he actually played pretty well on Friday, pouring in 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists on the night. On Twitter, fans couldn’t help but be hopeful after his bench debut.
@russwest44 great game !!! 💪🏽 #LakeShow
— Victor Alcázar Jr. (@vicx1974) October 29, 2022
Everyone says the Lakers need to free themselves of Russell Westbrook .. maybe it’s the other way around .. the Brodie can still play!
— Ben Stinar (@BenStinar) October 29, 2022
Russell Westbrook coming off the bench pic.twitter.com/XFq3KWumbp
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 29, 2022
That was by far the best half of the season for Russell Westbrook. He hasn’t looked this explosive all year. Coming off the bench seems to suit him.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) October 29, 2022
That was point guard Russ lakers fans, not him sitting in the damn corner.
— ᴇʀᴀ 🕷️ (@TheWestbrookEra) October 29, 2022
https://twitter.com/casualtakeking/status/1586160372188184576
THIS IS RUSSELL WESTBROOK! SHUT THE FUCK UP AND ENJOY GREATNESS 💯💯💯 #whynot pic.twitter.com/a8uPsxFxYF
— Beastbrook (@Beastbr00k0) October 29, 2022
Russ off the bench and played his best game. Lakers actually shot “better” from 3. Yet here we are. 0-5.
— Laker Central (@LakerCentral365) October 29, 2022
Impact wise, Russ has easily been the Lakers' best player tonight.
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 29, 2022
Westbrook is best with the ball in his hands, and coming off the bench allows him to do that as the orchestrator of the offense. It’s really no surprise that he found success with the second unit.
The question is, how will he handle a permanent bench role?
According to Kendrick Perkins, the answer isn’t good.
In a recent appearance on NBA Today, league analyst (and former big man) Kendrick Perkins went out and blatantly said that he doesn’t think Westbrook is going to handle it well at all.
“This is an audition for Russell Westbrook,” said Perkins. “Not just to help the Lakers get wins but because the rest of the world is going to be watching to see how he handles this situation. And I honestly don’t believe he is going to handle it well. Just remember, the reason he missed the last game was because he had a hamstring injury that he basically blamed on Darvin Ham and the coaching staff for having to come in off the bench because he wasn’t used to that. I’m telling y’all this right now, Russell Westbrook is not happy about this situation and this is just the first step of the ending of Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers.”
With season averages of 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, Westbrook is having a pretty rough season by his standards and the Lakers will certainly need more from him if they want any hope of salvaging this campaign. Tonight was a good start, but it ultimately proved nothing.
For now, all they can do is put out what they have, hope for the best, and wait until the opportunity comes to make the move they feel is right for them.
