"He sure did!!!!" - LeBron James backs Russell Westbrook with an emphatic post his Instagram story

LeBron James took to Instagram to acknowledge Russell Westbrook’s playmaking against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers’ account shared a post of all Russell Westbrook dimes from the match-up, which LeBron reshared on his story; with the caption “He sure did!!!!”

Russell Westbrook has been under immense pressure recently, with the Los Angeles Lakers struggling to find consistency. But Russell Westbrook has put up strong performances in the last few games. He has had a triple-double in four games, including the recent matchup against the Blazers. Over that four-game stretch, Russell Westbrook averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds and 11.3 assists.

LeBron James' repost is a clear indicator of his excitement at things finally going their way. After a rough start to the season, LeBron James had to face a lot of questions regarding the Lakers’ “Big Three”. The major concern was whether Russell Westbrook was the right fit for title contention, considering his high turnover rate. After a recent game against the Brooklyn Nets, LeBron James even shared words of support for Russell Westbrook after a poor shooting night, saying:

“He gave us extra possessions, he gave us a lot of looks around the basket, which I know he can’t stand (failing to convert) as well. But as far as the effort piece, if a guy plays hard, if a guy leaves it all out on the floor, I got no problem with that. It’s a make-or-miss league.”

In that same stretch of four games, LeBron James has put up an all-star level performance himself. He scored 30 points or more in all those outings, averaging 37.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists. LeBron James even scored a season-high 43 points against the Portland Trail Blazers in a 33-point blowout.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are showing signs of revival, but will have to keep this going and get better for a realistic chance. Turnovers and poor defensive covering are still seen in spurts, even in wins. Russell Westbrook’s energy is key in the Lakers’ current system, to get open shots for a lot of good deep shooters they have on their roster. Malik Monk and Avery Bradley have to take up a lot more of the scoring responsibility, delivering consistently throughout the game.

The Los Angeles Lakers currently have a 19-19 record and are placed eighth in the Western Conference standings, behind the Dallas Mavericks. With Anthony Davis out for a while, the responsibility of carrying the team will fall into the hands of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. Even though they have put up good numbers, closing out games is still a problem with the exception of the Portland Trail Blazers match-up.

The expectation from the Lakers is to perform like that on an everyday basis and that will be crucial for them for the rest of the regular season.