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Russell Westbrook continues to find himself at the center of the LA Lakers' struggles. Westbrook, a veteran guard, has shown a rapid decline, getting benched a couple of times recently during the end of close games.
Not long ago, Westbrook said "life would go on" if he didn't win a championship this year with the Lakers. But in an ESPN report published Friday in which he commented on his lack of minutes down the stretch, Westbrook stressed all he cares about is winning.
On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" Friday, sports analyst Shannon Sharpe called out Westbrook for the apparent contradiction.
"Now, all of a sudden, you care about winning – when in your own words, it's not the end-all-be-all, life goes on?" Sharpe said. "No, it hurt your pride that you got benched. I take what he says with a grain of salt."
Russell Westbrook running out of time in Los Angeles?
After being acquired in August from the Washington Wizards, the hope was that Westbrook would give the LA Lakers another dangerous weapon in their rotation. Since then, it's been a nightmare situation as the fit just hasn't seemed to work. With the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline nearing, the basketball world awaits to see if the Lakers will try to move on from the failed experiment.
It could be a challenging task for the Lakers to move on from the 33-year-old guard, as Westbrook has a large contract that will require a creative package in order to entice another organization.
It's been clear Westbrook hasn't looked like the same player of old when he's been wearing a Lakers uniform. The energetic point guard has struggled with his inefficient play, and many wonder if his game is on the decline. In his last five games, Westbrook has averaged 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 28.8% from the field.
Los Angeles (22-23 entering Friday's game at the Orlando Magic) is awaiting the return of forward Anthony Davis. The eight-time All-Star may return during the six-game, East Coast road swing, according to reports.
Los Angeles has missed AD. Although LeBron James has turned in MVP-caliber performances, Westbrook's turnovers and poor shooting have handicapped the team. The Lakers are 6-9 without Davis since Dec. 19. They are tied for seventh in the Western Conference, seven games out of fourth place but only 3.5 games out of fifth.
