The Los Angeles Lakers are putting every effort into developing a plan for Russell Westbrook. The Lakers are prepared to try everything to resume contending now that they have a new head coach.
The Lakers’ offseason hasn’t been particularly noteworthy. They hoped to revamp their roster in order to assist them to resume winning games. They haven’t signed any players who are likely to make a difference. The lineup appears underwhelming without the “Big Three” of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Patrick Beverley, a defensive expert, and Dennis Schroder, a quick guard, were most recently recruited.
Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported that the Lakers’ new head coach is thinking about deploying Russell Westbrook as a potential sixth player.
How Westbrook will approach this kind of job is the real concern. The former MVP has remained in the starting lineup ever since he joined the league in 2008 when he was a rookie. Fortunately for the Lakers, Westbrook is committed to Ham’s ideas.
The nine-time All-Star might take on a new position at the start of the 2022–23 NBA season, per Amick and Buha’s sources: According to their sources, “the possibility of Westbrook serving as a bench player is being heavily studied.”
It’s possible that this is the last time an All-Star will need to perform to earn a starting position. The Lakers’ new guard signings may have improved their chances of making a run in the playoffs, but they also run the risk of causing a divide among the players.
After just one “poor” season, Russell Westbrook shouldn’t lose his starting position
ALSO READ: To Become the Greatest of All Time, Chris Bosh Must First Pass Lebron James
A player’s spirits may suffer if they lose their place in the starting lineup. It may damage their pride, especially for All-Stars like Russell Westbrook.
Blaming the Lakers’ nine-time NBA All-Star for everything was unfair, despite the fact that he contributed to some of their issues. One was that the front staff assembled a subpar squad around the stars. Rob Pelinka, the general manager of the Lakers, assembled an elderly, washed-up club that struggled to defend against other teams.
Only 40 games were played by the one player that most supporters thought would be the team’s leader. The Lakers’ collapse was brought on by Anthony Davis’ inability to remain healthy and perform in crucial games.
Therefore, it was unjust to place the whole burden on Russell Westbrook. He had a terrible time picking up Frank Vogel’s method, and neither did the supporting cast members. This season, the LA Lakers want to return to the postseason. However, if they keep having trouble, supporters and the team should stop blaming Russell Westbrook and start looking at the greater issue.