“All these guys you played with and not one championship” – Stephen A. Smith questions Russell Westbrook’s NBA legacy
LA Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook has had a dry spell since the beginning of the new year. In his last six appearances, he has averaged 10.8 points in 28.6 minutes per game.
Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith has questioned Westbrook's NBA legacy. With his poor season, Westbrook will likely be left out of the All-Star Game for the second season in a row. That hasn't happened since his first two seasons in the league, when he was with the OKC Thunder.
Smith said Westbrook's inability to secure a championship even though he has teamed with some of the league's best players in his first 13 seasons is a cause for worry.
"We are at some point where Russell Westbrook, the only reason why he wouldn't be traded is because of his salary," Smith said. "He's not even an All-Star this year.
"When we looking at that perspective, when we looking at the players he's played with, at some point in time everybody is going to look at that. Where we seeing all these guys you played with and not one championship to show for it. And now you're struggling and people gonna look at him, and he's got to accept that."
Smith vindicates Russell Westbrook from being the cause of LA Lakers' woes but questions his legacy
His debut season with the Lakers has been a sour experience so far for the 33-year old. He still holds the record for the most turnovers in the league, while averaging 18.5 points per game in 45 games.
The Lakers (22-23) suffered their fourth loss in five games, losing 111-104 to the Indiana Pacers (16-29), Wednesday night. They are tied for seventh in the Western Conference, seven games out of fourth.
While much of the criticism of the Lakers has fallen on Westbrook, Smith said otherwise. Shifting the blame from Westbrook, Smith criticized coach Frank Vogel, saying he should share part of the blame for the Lakers allowing so many points.
"I don't think it's Russell Westbrook's fault," Smith said. "Russell Westbrook is who he is. Frank Vogel is the head coach. I do have a problem with you being like 18th in defensive efficiency and 27th overall in points allowed per game. ... The objective of the coach is to figure it out. I can't completely absolve Vogel, while I'm not blaming him."
New story: Frank Vogel’s decision to bench Russell Westbrook was sanctioned by Lakers management, sources told ESPN. With the team teetering around .500 at the midway point, the staff in essence was told “you got to do what you got to do” with Westbrook es.pn/3nE7kDi
Smith also took a stab at Westbrook's legacy, highlighting that the point guard has never won a championship despite playing with top players in the league. While the season hasn't come to an end, Smith is certain the Lakers will not be winning the title and Westbrook will remain without one despite being part of a super team.
"Although I'm not pointing a finger at Russ, if you're Russell Westbrook, these are your teammates: Kevin Durant, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Victor Oladipo, Paul George, James Harden again, Bradley Beal, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and you don't have one single title to show for it," Smith said.
"It's a legacy question, because obviously this is the first season with LeBron and AD, and it's not over yet. What I'm saying is, if you're Russell Westbrook, at some moment in time, you're gonna look at things through those lens."