Their win against the Grizzlies on Sunday finally put a point in the win column for the Lakers. Still, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a high level of concern around the league about their potential this season, and whether or not their newest star (Russell Westbrook) is the right fit for the team.
But with doubts circulating, the 9x All-Star has only doubled down on his belief that the Lakers will be just fine.
“It’s all a process,” Westbrook said on his poor start with the Lakers, per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “Everyone wants, as much as we do, we want to win every game, everybody thinks we should win every game, blah, blah, blah. We’ll figure it out.
We’re all figuring each other out,” said Westbrook. “Guys are figuring out how to run with me and play a little faster. I’m figuring out other things, moving off the ball and doing other things. That’s a process. It’s not going to happen in the first week of the season. We all understand that; at least I do. I’m O.K. with the struggle and figuring it out and making sure that we are putting ourselves in position to do the right things so that ultimately at the end of the year we can be playing our best basketball.”
Obviously, the season is still in its infancy, so anything can happen.
With a few more games and some time to get right, the Lakers could easily turn things around and prove they’re the team to beat in the West.
Or, they could continue to struggle as a result of their age and questionable fit.
Regardless, the whole world will be watching to see what happens next and how this talented, experienced squad rebounds from their sluggish start. Westbrook, who turns 33 in November, will be in the middle of it all.
