Patrick Beverley confirms Russell Westbrook won't come off the bench

Russell Westbrook found his future with the LA Lakers hanging in the balance this offseason. With the team's acquisition of Patrick Beverley and constant trade talks, the former MVP wasn't even sure he would start the season with the Lakers. Considering that coach Darvin Ham had two elite guards on his hands, many wondered who would be the team's starter.

Although Westbrook has been a starter throughout his career, a rough previous season combined with the addition of Beverley created great uncertainty. With Ham saying that he intends to play the two alongside one another, many wondered whether this meant they would both come off the bench.

During this week's "The Pat Bev Podcast," the former Euro MVP talked about the team's starting point guard role. The way he sees things, Westbrook will without a doubt be the team's starting point guard when he's ready to go for the start of the season.

Catch the conversation below beginning right after the 13 minute mark.

"Obviously, you know, he's the main, primary ballhandler. He's not going to come off the bench. We all know that. That was just to try to see how he works with the second unit. To be the catalyst, I need him in the first unit with me. Downhill point guard, big size, pass the rock. ... We all know he's a Hall of Famer. He's a starter."

With Beverley and Westbrook starting, the team will boast one of the league's most active backcourts. With Beverley's leadership on defense combined with the elite playmaking ability of Westbrook on offense, the Lakers' starting unit could be fearsome.

Russell Westbrook's nightmare spell with the LA Lakers

LA Lakers guard Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook's first season with the Lakers was a difficult one. Although he went through some shooting slumps, the team's biggest obstacle was its inability to stay healthy.

Over the course of the 82-game season, the Big Three of Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis played just over 20 games together. Without spending much time on the floor together, the Lakers' core was unable to build momentum for a playoff run.

In the absence of the other two stars, Westbrook, who missed just four games last season, was left to shoulder most of the blame for the team's failures.

As pointed out on the "The Pat Bev Podcast," those who didn't watch Westbrook play last season thought he was playing horrendously. In fact, he wasn't doing nearly as badly as those online made it seem.

With the Lakers' season beginning Tuesday, it will be interesting to see how things play out in Los Angeles.