“Russell Westbrook is going to get it done this year”: Stephen A. Smith is optimistic about the former MVPs debut with the LA Lakers

NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith talks about Russell Westbrook getting the job done for the LA Lakers despite having the most pressure going into the 2021-22 season.

One of the most polarizing superstars of the current generation, Russell Westbrook is ready to make his debut as a Laker in the upcoming 2021-22 season. The former MVP is under immense pressure, this being his best shot at winning a championship.

Westbrook is the most athletic point guard in the history of the NBA. Though he has struggled with his shooting lately, Russ is a triple-double machine. The 9x All-Star has elite conditioning levels and gives it out all on the court.

However, Westbrook has been subject to a lot of unfair criticism in the last few years. The 2x scoring champion has averaged a triple-double in the last three of his four seasons. Despite this, his critics often accuse him of putting empty stats and being a solo act.

Also read: “I’m the bad guy in the sports world”: Russell Westbrook’s brutally honest assessment of NBA fans as he releases the trailer of his upcoming documentary Passion Play

In a recent segment of Stephen As World, Smith spoke about Westbrook’s prospects in the upcoming season as a Laker.

Russell Westbrook holds the key to the LA Lakers’ success in the upcoming season.

Westbrook is the closest he has ever been to winning an NBA champion this season. The former OKC player has multiple All-Stars as his teammates in the coming season. During his show Stephen As World, Smith spoke about the 9x All-Star receiving more than required criticism.

Citing his previous examples, the First Take analyst spoke about how after Kevin Durant left OKC, Westbrook had nobody. Though Westbrook had superstars such as James Harden and Bradley Beal as his teammates, it wasn’t enough to get the job done.

“But this Lakers team that Westbrook is on now, he’s never had a team like this around him even in OKC. LeBron, Melo, AD, these are players worth modifying your games to.

Russell Westbrook knows the opportunity he has right now in LA. He is from LA. He won’t be able to go home again if he messes this up.”

The upcoming season is Westbrook’s best chance to get at his critics, who have written him off as an empty stat player, unable to win a championship.

Also read: “Russell Westbrook wants to destroy me, as much as I want to destroy him”: Rajon Rondo opens up about the competitive nature between him and his new Lakers teammate