"The coach wasn't f**king with him" - Snoop Dogg defends LA Lakers' 9-time All Star, highlights ex-coach Frank Vogel's shaky equation with him

Rapper Snoop Dogg blamed former LA Lakers coach Frank Vogel for Russell Westbrook's struggles during the 2021-22 NBA season.

Westbrook averaged 18.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game this season. Those numbers are decent but below par for a player of his caliber.

The 33-year-old was coming off the fourth triple-double season of his career and was expected to have a bigger impact on the LA Lakers.

However, there was tension between him and the coaching staff due to his up-and-down play. Westbrook struggled to play off the ball alongside the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Snoop Dogg lambasted Vogel for not having confidence in Westbrook when he was undergoing a slump. The 2020 championship-winning coach benched the 2017 MVP multiple times during late-game situations.

Here's what the rapper said (h/t Lakers Daily):

"He’s a killer. He’ll find himself out of it. Remember, the coach wasn’t f—— with him. Coach used to sit him on the bench, take him out the game. That f—- with your mentality too."

"When you’re this great, and you’ve got this coach telling you, 'Sit down, hold on,' then when you get in, you definitely reckless because you ain’t in a groove."

Snoop continued:

"Basketball is a groove thing. The coach and the player have to be on the same page to where you understand my minutes affect the way I play, and by you sitting me down, you affecting the way I play because now I can’t do the things I normally do. Now I’m out here rushing and trying to get people involved instead of just running the game. Russell ain’t never sit on the bench.”

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LA Lakers will likely struggle to find a new home for Russell Westbrook

Following their early exit from the 2021-22 NBA season, the LA Lakers are looking to make significant changes to their roster yet again. That includes trading Russell Westbrook, who had an underwhelming first year in Hollywood.

Westbrook's trade value has taken a hit, though. He's also likely to take up the player option, which would see him earn a whopping $47 million next season.

As per a recent report, NBA executives around the league believe that Westbrook's trade value is "extremely negative."

Here's what Hoops Hype's Michael Scotto said regarding the situation:

"Right now, his trade value is extremely negative. All it takes, however, is one team to be desperate to add talent and have bad contracts to make it happen."

"The reality is that 95 percent of teams view that as a terrible contract right now. They're not doing that unless they're dumping a bunch of stuff."

The Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, and Houston Rockets are among the teams interested in trading for Russell Westbrook.

It'll be interesting to see what deal the LA Lakers manage to secure out of Westbrook's massive contract.