“Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry fit better with LeBron James, AD than Russell Westbrook”: Shannon Sharpe explains the need for Lakers to pursue good PG shooters in 2021 offseason
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers are in the hunt for a new point guard, but who out of Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook fits the best?
Each bring their own skillsets, and they’re each incredible NBA players. CP3 is just coming off an NBA Finals run with the Phoenix Suns vaulting his legacy as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, Lowry was an NBA champion a couple years ago, and Westbrook averaged a triple double for the season once more.
So, who should the Lakers look to target? Well, according to Shannon Sharpe, the Lakers should look to avoid Westbrook and try and target one of CP3, Kyle Lowry, or even Lonzo Ball.
Chris Paul, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and Lonzo would be better fits with LeBron, AD and the Lakers. They’re not better players than Russ, but better fits. If Russ adapts his game, it could work. pic.twitter.com/eE5sbqoMfr
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) July 22, 2021
Should LeBron James And The Lakers Acquire Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Or Russell Westbrook?
Shannon Sharpe does have a point about the fit of Russell Westbrook on LA. It’s not that he isn’t a great player, it’s just that he would have to play a very different brand of basketball than what he’s used to if he’d want to succeed on the Lakers.
Why is that? Well, the Lakers have two superstars in LeBron and AD, one of which often runs point guard for the Lakers and the other who demands a high number of touches per game to score inside.
Adding Westbrook would mean LeBron would have to compromise on being a point guard (so Westbrook could play his normal position), taking away key facilitation, or that Anthony Davis would have to receive the ball less.
This isn’t to say that Westbrook isn’t a great facilitator or that he can’t defer to his teammates, it’s just that CP3 or Kyle Lowry would do that job better. They aren’t ball dominant guards unlike Westbrook.
Another problem is the issue of spacing. The Lakers thrive on the ability of LeBron and AD to suck defenders in, leading to open looks for their shooters. Westbrook really isn’t the kind of shooter either CP3 or Lowry are, and so once more, he’d take away a big part of the Lakers’ game plan.
CP3 and Lowry are both knockdown shooters, which means they’d provide the Lakers with even more spacing than they could imagine. That’s why the fit works better.
Of course, these are all hypotheticals because nobody really knows how it would work out when several stars play together. Russell Westbrook has changed his game before, and he can surely do it again. Additionally, if it came down to getting Westbrook or not getting him, the Lakers and LeBron would surely pull that trigger.
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