The Lakers have continued to struggle despite LeBron James’ stellar form this season and a lot of the blame has been laid at the feet of Russell Westbrook, who has struggled since arriving in Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, the former MVP has once again been the subject of a lot of speculation regarding his place on the team, with rumors that the Lakers could move to trade him soon.
Westbrook has already expressed that he has no regrets about his move to the Lakers despite the intense criticism he has received. He has since opened up on the rumors that suggest he might or should be traded to improve the Lakers’ chances of making a deep run in the playoffs (via The Athletic).
“I never worry. Do the job. Be professional. Every year, my name is in trade rumors. It never, never, never seeps into how I approach what I do.”
Westbrook is averaging 18.7 points a game, a very low total by the standards he has set throughout his career. His turnover averages are above his career numbers at over 4 a game and he is shooting below 30% from three-point range as well. There is no doubt that Westbrook has been poor this season, although his mentality doesn’t seem to have suffered for it.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both instrumental in bringing Westbrook to Los Angeles, with the duo having conversations with the point guard about uniting to make a run at the championship. Their team’s struggles are thus viewed in some circles as self-inflicted wounds. For his part, this is Westbrook’s, 4th team since the start of the 2018-19 season, so it seems he has gotten used to the noise surrounding potential trades.
The Lakers’ record has dipped below .500 again following their blowout loss against the Denver Nuggets and they are just barely clinging on to the 7th seed in the Western Conference. The Clippers and Timberwolves are both just half a game behind the 2020 champions. Westbrook may be part of the problem, but he seems focused as ever and if Frank Vogel can find a way to harness it within reason, they could be a problem when Anthony Davis makes his return.
