Kendrick Perkins believes Russell Westbrook should shut it down this season: “Russell Westbrook is broken, and I’m not talking about his jump shot”

Russell Westbrook’s homecoming to the Los Angeles Lakers has not been what he has imagined. The media have constantly criticized him as the Lakers have struggled to win games all season. Kendrick Perkins, the former NBA player who played with Westbrook while on the Oklahoma City Thunder, believes Westbrook should shut it down this season.

A big part of this thought process from Perkins has to be the recent news of Westbrook’s family receiving death threats. After all, basketball is just a game, and fans should see that, but sometimes fans can cross a line that should not be crossed. Being constantly criticized by the media, and now this has taken a toll on Westbrook.

Perkins would explain how he has seen Westbrook slowly break over the season due to a lot of the pressure and criticism he is receiving. Perkins said in ESPN's “NBA Today,”:

“Russell Westbrook is broken, and I’m not talking about his jump shot. Yes, we can go down the line and say how he should play better, but I can see, I can see it in his body language, and now we are finally realizing that Russell Westbrook, he's human.”

Perkins would continue by explaining how tough it is to deal with the criticism that NBA players go through. With the chances of the Lakers playoff chances slowly slipping away every time they lose, Perkins believes it is time for Westbrook to call it a season, saying:

“I am almost to the point where I think it is best for Russ to just not play the rest of this season because he is just not there.”

Should Russell Westbrook shut down this season?

Los Angeles Lakers Russell Westbrook with the ball

Westbrook has had one of the worst careers since being drafted into the NBA. Many of his stats are at the same level as his second season in the NBA, while he is in his 14th, not where you want to be.

Much of the criticism has come from his play on the court and just not fitting in within the Lakers. He has not meshed with LeBron James and hasn’t had a chance to play enough alongside Anthony Davis due to injuries. Joining the Lakers has not been a good fit for the former MVP.

The criticism that has been said about Westbrook is primarily genuine. He has not played well for the Lakers, and he is doing nothing to improve. He plays without energy or drive and has been caught standing around looking lost in games. He is also making $44 million, which means you would hope he would contribute to winning, which he hasn’t.

All this off-court stuff about the Westbrook family makes the situation weird. It might make sense to take a step back from the NBA and focus on the next team Russell Westbrook will be on, which will be his fourth new team in four seasons.