The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook problem is far bigger than any other. The LA team is having a lackluster season and it calls for attention now.
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At this point, the Lakers will be better off without Russell Westbrook. Even if they are way short of a deep lineup and do not have a guard, who could fill up for Brodie, they will fare better in games if the former OKC Thunder MVP doesn’t play for them at all.
Whether they find a decent trade piece for the 9-time All-Star or not Lakers should start looking to move him to bench or even shut him off for the season altogether if it means he might start working on his game.
After the Wednesday night game against the Sacramento Kings, the Purple and Gold team will again be starting from the .500 mark. Thanks to one of the coldest games of Russell Westbrook’s career ever.
Russell Westbrook in his last 3 games:
9 PTS, 4-14 FG
6 PTS, 2-12 FG
8 PTS, 2-14 FGHe has shot 20% in that span.
YIKES. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/i9i4mCTLRy
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 13, 2022
Yes, there will be countless games that might speak something else scoresheet-wise. But his game against the 16-27 Kings will beat them all. Even after being mocked by the opposition throughout the game, the triple-double machine couldn’t prove anything, but his critiques’ correctness in his assessment.
Russell Westbrook is going colder each day
After building a 14-point lead late in the second quarter, the Lakers gave it up in the final few minutes during that same period that saw the momentum shift going into the second half. The Kings outscored the Lakers 40-23 in the third and created a 13-point lead of their own.
And when the Lakers tried coming back late in the third, Westbrook deprived them of getting anywhere close to the Kings turning over in two back-to-back possessions giving the Lakers another 5-point deficit, putting the comeback back on ice. He was mocked by the Kings in an utter disregard for the NBA’s top-75 player of all time.
Look what the Kings put up after the game LMFAOOOO pic.twitter.com/e4xpJwcinP
— Guru (@DrGuru_) January 13, 2022
Austin Reaves spurred a late comeback in the fourth, along with buckets from LeBron and Malik Monk. When the Lakers had the chance to cut the lead to a 1 possession game, Brodie dared to attempt a three after being 0/5 from downtown in the game.