“It is the nature of the beast, and in a certain perspective, they build you up to break you down” - Steph Curry says he’s proud of the way Russell Westbrook has conducted himself amidst criticism

Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has come out in full support of Russell Westbrook as the LA Lakers guard's struggles this season have led to his family receiving death threats.

Speaking to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Warriors guard praised Westbrook for the way he has handled the situation without escalation. Curry said:

"It is the nature of the beast. And in a certain perspective, they build you up to break you down. The real ones who have done amazing things in this league know what that means. He’s a professional, and I’m proud of the way he’s conducting himself, and I’m there for him."

Curry continued by commending Westbrook's reaction and response to his wife and kids being subjected to heckles and whistles during games. Curry said:

"The fan perspective, it is kind of b.s. when it crosses the line in terms of attacking somebody personally, their name, and not keeping it to just basketball. That’s why we’re all here is because of basketball.

"But at the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do to speak up for yourself and also understand that the guys that know what’s going on in this league respect the type of player he is. Russ definitely has my support."

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How can the Lakers win with Russell Westbrook?

Russell Westbrook in action against the Charlotte Hornets

It is not an exaggeration to say that Russell Westbrook has been a major impediment for the Lakers this season. But what should not be mistaken is that he is not the only problem with the roster.

For starters, Westbrook and his turnovers have been a major problem. The guard's sheer pace is too much for the league's oldest roster to handle. This has led to Westbrook turning the ball over 3.9 times a night. He has also blown wide-open dunks and layups, not to mention his shooting struggles from the perimeter and the line.

The only way forward for the Lakers (28-37) seemingly is to put Westbrook on the bench. As part of the rotation, he can be the primary ball handler and orchestrate the offense coming off the bench, with LeBron James not on the court. This would allow Los Angeles to surround him with bonafide shooters and space the floor better.

But this would also mean Westbrook taking a seat in the final moments of the game.

Westbrook was signed to ease James' workload, but the Lakers have instead ended up needing more from King James.

As things stand, the Lakers are stuck with Westbrook but have a shot at moving him in the summer. Until then, coach Frank Vogel has a lot to think about in terms of how to deploy Westbrook alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis.