"More athletic than skilled as of right now; Yes, Jordan was too, right" - Gilbert Arenas claims LA Lakers' 9x All-Star can still be a major contributor

The LA Lakers have been under the radar throughout the summer, owing to a lot of changes on the roster and staff. Russell Westbrook received much of the blame for the Lakers’ subpar performance last season. But that didn’t stop new coach Darvin Ham from claiming he’s determined to best utilize the nine-time All-Star.

However, the recent arrival of Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz has re-established a cloud over Westbrook’s status for the upcoming season. For starters, the two guards do not have a friendly rapport, which is, in fact, quite the opposite. To add to that, Beverley is considered a better defender, albeit in recent seasons, as opposed to Westbrook.

While most analysts have been critical about Westbrook’s 2021-22 season and his subsequent worth, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas still has faith in the guard.

“He’s a triple-double bucket. Yes, he’s worth it,” Arenas said. “More athletic than skilled, as of right now, yes. (Michael) Jordan was, too, right? LeBron was, too. You know, eventually, when their athleticism starts to wind down – that’s when they start working on, you know, skilled stuff.”

Westbrook’s first season with the Lakers was plagued by many problems, including his inconsistent shot-making and poor defense. He played 78 games, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists. The last time he recorded a scoring average lower than last season was during the 2009-10 season – which was his second year in the league.

The Lakers brought him on with the hope of easing some of LeBron James’ playmaking duties, but a lot of things went wrong for the franchise. Anthony Davis was on and off, while the aging roster’s defense was exploited by opponents.

The Lakers seem to have made some smart moves over the summer. But with Westbrook still in the mix, it’s in their best interest to get the most they can out of him.

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LA Lakers need to help reinvent Russell Westbrook

Although Westbrook was continually criticized for his performances last season, he did show up every now and then. The ask from Westbrook is not to average a triple-double, but to step up and play to his strengths. He still has a lot of speed and can distribute the ball well. He just needs to deliver to the best of his abilities, realizing that there are areas that he can still improve upon – even as a veteran.

Gilbert Arenas drew upon the changes James has had to make over the years while offering advice to Westbrook:

“When he (LeBron) started getting slower, he started working on his body more, right? He started working more on the details. You know, that’s all Westbrook has to, just work on the little details.

“He (Westbrook) needs to practice going full speed – stopping and shooting.”

Westbrook could be an effective contributor in the Lakers’ system, provided he puts in the work and makes smarter decisions. He just needs to put his head down and work with his personal trainer or Darvin Ham to recognize and work on the gaps in his game. This could go down as the most important summer of Westbrook’s career.