Russell Westbrook has had a poor shooting start to the season, and he has been heavily criticized by both fans and media members alike. While it is clear that he has struggled, part of that isn’t necessarily his fault, as he is a poor fit within the team’s system.
LeBron James has recently called out the media after being asked to comment on Russell Westbrook’s late-game missed jump shot against the Portland Trail Blazers. He claimed that it seemed as though the media members were trying to set him up to say something negative about Russell Westbrook.
“I don’t know. I feel like this is an interview trying to get me to set me up to say something,” James said. “I can tell you guys are on the whole Russell Westbrook category right now. I don’t like to lose. I hate to lose in any — I don’t care what happens over the course of the season, during the course of my career, I hate to lose, especially the way we had this game. But give credit to Portland. You guys are going about Russ and all the things you guys wanna try to talk about Russ but I’m not up here just to do that. I won’t do it. I’ve said it over and over. It’s not who I am.”
Stephen A. Smith has recently blasted LeBron James for his accusations, claiming that LeBron James brought that upon himself. Stephen A. Smith pointed out that James previously stated that the Lakers are not a team of shooters while knowing who the fingers would be pointed at after the statement.
"Don't think you're that damn smart that you get to navigate through this. We, talking about the media setting you up to get at Russell Westbrook: No, my brother. You did that… You gotta own that my brother."@stephenasmith's message to LeBron James 👀pic.twitter.com/n5siIqO0Gq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 24, 2022
“My brother LeBron James… Don’t think you’re that damn smart that you get to navigate through this. We, talking about the media setting you up to get at Russell Westbrook: No, my brother. You did that. Opening night when you said “We’re not a team of shooters”. You knew damn well who everybody was going to look at, and you said it anyway. You gotta own that my brother.”
There is no doubt that this is a good point from Stephen A. Smith. Russell Westbrook is obviously the most prominent non-shooter on the Los Angeles Lakers currently, and when one talks about poor 3PT shooters, Russell Westbrook’s name immediately comes to mind.
The Los Angeles Lakers Do Need More 3PT Shooting
Though LeBron James may have brought on a lot of criticism towards Russell Westbrook with his statement, the fact remains: the Los Angeles Lakers need more 3PT shooting on the roster. Though their defense has improved this season, their offense has cratered due to their poor shooting from beyond the arc.
Hopefully, the Los Angeles Lakers will find a way to add some more 3PT shooting to their roster in the future. They definitely have the ability to add some free-agent shooters to their team, and we’ll see if they do so.
