It’s not a secret that Russell Westbrook is having a terrible moment with the Los Angeles Lakers right now. He’s been unable to find his spot on the team, earning plenty of criticism from fans who just wanted him to thrive in Southern California.
His inability to improve his shooting and adapt his game so he can impact the matches in different ways has cost him a lot of bad comments, with NBA fans already guessing where he should play next.
He’s been linked with several trade rumors in recent days, although there’s no clear sign rival teams will try to pursue a deal with the Lakers. That said, the Purple and Gold just have to stick with Westbrook and try to work with what they have right now. That’s why Kendrick Perkins outlined three things the Lakers must do to fix the Westbrook situation.
In a recent edition of ESPN’s NBA Today, the big man explained what needs to be done to solve this issue.
1. Let LeBron run point
2. End bank shots
3. More postups
.@KendrickPerkins has the perfect plan to fix Russell Westbrook:
1. Let LeBron run point
2. End bank shots
3. More postups pic.twitter.com/HE7vWGlXAY
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 13, 2022
Perkins emphasized the bank shots ‘rule,’ a task Russ has struggled at not only with the Lakers, but during his entire career. He’s not a shooter and his numbers have always shown that. He’s yet to make a 3-pointer since December, which is terrible even for a player with his shooting woes.
The 2008 NBA champion doubled down on these comments, going further and saying the Lakers should take extreme decisions to stop Westbrook from taking bank shots.
The Lakers should fine Russ every time he attempts that bank shot! Carry on…
The Lakers should fine Russ every time he attempts that bank shot! Carry on… https://t.co/7ESSpd72z5
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 13, 2022
In recent days, footage surfaced showing how much Westbrook struggles with mid and long-range shots. He simply can’t make them. It’s either an airball or a brick, but he can’t sink them. Even he admitted he can’t make those shots, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stop trying.
The Westbrook experiment has turned out to be a bad move for the Lakers. They couldn’t have other players instead of Brodie and now are suffering from the bad fit. They remain confident things can get better in the next few days, but not everybody shares that optimism.
