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With training camp now open, the LA Lakers will look to find a path back to their winning ways, one that they swayed away from during the 2021-22 NBA season.
A significant aspect of the Lakers' downfall last season was Russell Westbrook's on-court struggles and Anthony Davis' injuries. In the 40 games Davis did play, however, he averaged a near double-double with 23.2 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game.
Westbrook's shooting and scoring haunted him all-season long, and while he did gain some momentum towards the end of the season (shot 41.5% from three-point range in his final ten games), it was too late to make amends by then.
The Lakers eventually missed the play-in tournament, finishing 11th in the Western Conference with the eighth-worst net rating in the league.
Shannon Sharpe on FOX Sports' "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," sounded off his opinion on Westbrook's trade, why the LA Lakers can't trade him and more. Sharpe stated:
"Skip, normally, when the boss doesn't want you on the job, he gets your a** up out of there. Russell Westbrook is the exact same player he's always been.
"The only thing that was different last year and when he was in OKC after KD left, when he went to Houston and when he went to the Wizards was expectations.
He had none in OKC, he had none in Houston, he had none in Washington. ... Russ can't go anywhere in the NBA where they want him, and he knows it."
LA Lakers could still trade Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook's performances last season have seen his name put into a myriad of trade packages, rumors and what not.
At the trade deadline, it was suspected that the LA Lakers would trade him for John Wall, who at the time was with the Houston Rockets, but their unwillingness to move their first-round picks eventually led to the trade falling apart.
Shams Charania reported last week that the Lakers and Pacers have engaged in trade talks surrounding Myles Turner or Buddy Hield, a trade that has long been rumored to include Westbrook.
However, a more important statement came from general manager Rob Pelinka himself, who pointed to the LA Lakers' picks not being as sacrosanct as we would have thought.
"Let me be abundantly clear: we have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game on our team.
"So of course, we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals that give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end. He committed to our organization. That's gotta be a bilateral commitment, and it's there." (via) CBS Sports
Guess the Lakers players!
