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No one in the LA Lakers’ lineup has received as much blame as Russell Westbrook for the team’s disappointing season. The former MVP had his worst season in over a decade and is reportedly on his way out of Hollywood before training camp starts.
Jeanie Buss, however, didn’t see last season’s failure as Westbrook’s fault. On “The Athletic’s NBA Show,” the team governor explained what she thought was the nine-time All-Star’s impact last season:
“He was our best player last year. He played pretty much every single game, showed up, worked hard. I would have loved to have seen what this team would have looked like if they stayed healthy."
"It’s really tough to win when Anthony Davis isn’t on the court. LeBron was hurt a lot of the season, but Russ showed up every game and played hard every night. I really appreciate him for who he is and what he brings to the team.”
Russell Westbrook’s 78 games were the highest of anyone from the LA Lakers last season. LeBron James had 56, while Anthony Davis finished with only 40. AD hasn’t played more than 40 games in the previous two seasons.
“Brodie’s” impact, the way Buss described it, wasn’t shared by the coaching staff, particularly Frank Vogel. Westbrook was benched occasionally because the former coach played guys he believed could help them win games.
That Vogel often preferred Stanley Johnson, Avery Bradley and Talen Horton-Tucker over Russell Westbrook was telling. Johnson and THT have already been traded, while Bradley remains unsigned.
“Russ,” who was asked to make an impact off the ball, refused to set screens. In a game against the Indiana Pacers where he was benched, he disregarded the defensive game plan, a huge reason they blew the game.
It was on injuries, not Russell Westbrook, that caused the LA Lakers to miss the playoffs, per Jeanie Buss
Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and LeBron James have played only 21 games together. They were 11-10, which was disappointing for fans of the team. According to CBS Sports, they were outscored by 34 points in 393 minutes when they shared the floor.
Without having the ball in his hands, “Russ” often looked disengaged and lethargic. He would blow coverage, walk back on defense, refuse to box out and stand on the perimeter waiting for things to happen. His fit around “King James” was a problem the Lakers couldn’t solve last season.
New coach Darvin Ham will reportedly run the offense through Anthony Davis, presumably LeBron James as the playmaker. That would put Russell Westbrook on the periphery of the offense.
Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka and Ham have all been saying the right things about the former OKC Thunder superstar. But, it wouldn’t surprise many if “Russ” is gone before even training camp starts.
