Russell Westbrook has had a turnaround for the ages ever since he embraced his new role off the bench. An exit from the Lakers seemed inevitable after his terrible start to the season, but things have changed dramatically since then. In his 3 games off the bench, Russ is averaging 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field.
He was showered with praise after their last game against the Pelicans, and it is great to see him do well after all the criticism he has had to endure since coming to the Lakers. Head coach Darvin Ham wants Westbrook to win Sixth Man of the Year, and things are suddenly looking rosy in LA. Not everyone is happy with Westbrook’s new role, however.
Nick Young Calls Out Three Lakers Players Because Of Russell Westbrook
Nick Young has been talking about Westbrook quite a lot recently. He wanted the Lakers to trade Russ to the Thunder so that he could feel some love again and also said that they would have won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021 if Russ was on the team. He clowned on their roster apart from the Big 3 and recently took to Twitter to take a shot at the media.
To show you how much power the media has, Russ is coming off the bench for Pat bev ,walker and reaves … on any other team they would be 10th man or g league
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) November 4, 2022
“To show you how much power the media has, Russ is coming off the bench for Pat bev ,walker and reaves … on any other team they would be 10th man or g league”
That is quite harsh from Young, and you can’t really say he makes a lot of sense here. For starters, the media isn’t responsible for Westbrook’s benching in any way, shape, or form. He wasn’t playing well, which meant something had to change to make things work and say what you want about the decision; it has worked.
Westbrook pretty much said that, too, as he said the move has worked for everybody. Also, it is incredibly unfair to say that Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, and Austin Reaves are 10th men or G League players. Beverley, in particular, would start for quite a few teams, and while he isn’t a better player than Russ, he is a better fit for LA’s starting lineup. It won’t be too surprising if Bev responds to this on his podcast, so keep your popcorn ready.
