The Lakers’ big trio of LeBron, Anthony Davis and Westbrook has shown struggles in co-existing on the court, which has given birth to many speculations which include trading Westbrook.
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Since the L.A. Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook this offseason, a proper starting lineup and game plan have been a matter of concern. As both LeBron James and Westbrook are ball-dominant players, head coach Frank Vogel is having a hard time incorporating Russell in the offense.
On the other hand, Anthony Davis has also not stepped up to the expectations so far this season. Ex-NBA turned TNT Analyst, Charles Barkley said, “You [Davis] gotta play better. You are supposed to be in your prime. You are supposed to be one of the 5 best players of the world.”
Due to poor coordination among the trio, speculations regarding Westbrook’s trade have surfaced.
“The trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook simply hasn’t blended as well as Lakers figures hoped, and Los Angeles has held internal discussions on trade scenarios for Russell Westbrook” 😳
– @JakeLFischer pic.twitter.com/5aUNeFxkQt
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) December 14, 2021
The struggles of Russell Westbrook and the fit of the Trio
The Lakers are currently 6th-seeded in the Western Conference. LeBron has only played 16 out of 28 games in this season so far due to injuries and a suspension. Meanwhile, the team was 5-7 win/loss without LBJ. Despite having 5 more possible future Hall Of Famers, the squad fell short without James.
Westbrook is averaging 4.6 turnovers per game this season. He is averaging the most career turnovers per game in NBA history. Even if he makes 0 turnovers the rest of the season, he will still hold the record.
AD is averaging 24 pts, 10.2 rebs, and 3 assists this season. But he’s been criticized by the likes of Shaquille O’Neal for taking 3-pointers [19.2 3P%], rather than playing in the paint.
Because of the underwhelming performance of the whole squad, speculations of firing head coach Vogel have been going in the league. The only way the Lakers can put these rumors to rest is to fix their gameplay asap.
