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It appears that Russell Westbrook has regained the trust of the Lakers fans. Westbrook has been phenomenal since deciding to finally come off the bench. As a result, LA fans have been showing the point guard a lot of love, especially when he checks into the game.
Just recently in their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Russell Westbrook was sent to the line sometime in the second quarter. Before taking his free throw, the crowd began to chant "MVP", which is very reminiscent of his OKC Thunder days.
Westbrook won't be winning that award anytime soon, but it's great to see Lakers fans beginning to respect him as a player again.
Russell Westbrook has been hot off the bench
Russell Westbrook fans have long been waiting for the day that the explosive point guard will awaken once again. It appears that there is a Westbrook resurgence happening in LA this 2022-23 season. His efficient performances began when coach Darvin Ham finally convinced him to come off the bench. This was a role that Westbrook initially seemed to dislike.
In fact, last season, former LA Lakers coach Frank Vogel had already suggested the idea to Russell Westbrook. At the time, he felt like it was degrading and didn't deserve to be treated like a role player. Apparently, coach Ham was able to change Westbrook's perspective. As a result, transitioning into a bench player is finally paying off for the Lakers star.
At the start of the season, Russell Westbrook was still named a starter until October 24. He then acquired a hamstring injury after their game against the Portland Trail Blazers. This forced Westbrook to miss the LA Lakers' first game against the Denver Nuggets. Upon his return, he officially became a bench player and LA fans have loved every bit of it so far.
Ever since coming off the bench, Russ has averaged 18.8 points, 7.2 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. Formerly nicknamed "Westbrick" due to his underwhelming season last year, fans no longer have reason to call him that.
Looking at Westbrook's last five games, he's been shooting just a little over 40% from long distance and 50% from the field overall. Those figures are even better compared to LeBron James' career-low 21% from 3-point territory.
Due to his efforts to embrace his new role and perform efficiently in it, Westbrook is beginning to prove that he isn't the problem after all. Russ has been flirting with triple-doubles these past five games and everyone is just waiting for him to finally get one this season. His best game so far this season was when they lost to the Utah Jazz on November 5. Westbrook scored 26 points, 10 assists, and two steals.
It's becoming clear that the Lakers need a better bench to assist their big three. Russ and LeBron James are two players who love finding the open man and creating plays. Unfortunately, the rest of the Lakers squad, with the exception of Anthony Davis, are struggling to deliver.
