Russell Westbrook has definitely been a polarizing figure among Los Angeles Lakers fans during his tenure. A lot of people have criticized him for his inefficient and turnover-heavy playstyle. Despite that, it seems as though Russell Westbrook is enjoying a mini-comeback because he is being deployed off the bench.
During the ongoing game against the Utah Jazz, Russell Westbrook had an elite first half. He put up 14 points on 83% shooting from the field while shooting 100% from 3PT range and the free throw line. A lot of NBA fans reacted to this, with many of them praising the point guard for his performance.
Russell Westbrook was near perfect in the 1st half:
14 Points
83% FG
100% 3P
100% FT pic.twitter.com/bfkzEAVHjp
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 5, 2022
Lebron is washed and I’m not tryna see no stats the eye test shows
6th man of the year
6moty, better than Desmond Bane as well
He played great defense too. Unfortunately Lebron decided to not show
don’t care markkanen is owning
yessir look at russ man
He stole LeBron basketball powers.
let russ cook second half take LeBron off.
Lebrons taking Westbrooks place as the bricklayer of the team
Carrying us
He needs help
HES BACKKKK
Too bad we can’t get a damn stop to save our life
Lebron is worse than Russ now bruh
This is definitely a fantastic first half for the guard, and hopefully, Russell Westbrook is able to continue playing at a high level in his new role. It is clear that he feels more comfortable in the way he’s being used, and that may have dividends for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Russell Westbrook Coming Off The Bench Helps Him And LeBron James
When two ball-dominant players are on the same team, they often need to be staggered to get the best out of both of them. Russell Westbrook coming off the bench allows him to get some minutes without LeBron James, and coach Darvin Ham previously explained how the move could help both stars.
“Some guys play better off the ball, some guys play better with the ball in their hands, and through no fault of their own, that’s just how they’re built, you know?” Ham said. “You’re not gonna have LeBron James play without the ball in his hands for, you know, 80, 85 percent of his minutes that he’s on the floor, you know? At some point, you’ve got to allow him to orchestrate. Same thing with Russ. And so to create some type of balance, we wanted to look at this, the setup of this type of rotation and see if it works for us. The door’s not closed on Russ starting, and the door’s not closed on (whether) this works, you know. We got to explore it even further.”
It is obvious that the Los Angeles Lakers have found a way to utilize Russell Westbrook, which means that he could help lead the team back to the playoffs. His coming off the bench could also extend his career and get him another long-term contract.
Hopefully, we will see the Los Angeles Lakers get back to the playoffs and make a deep run. The team faltered last year, but if Russell Westbrook plays well, then making the playoffs is definitely a possibility.
