"Can't make a f***ing shot, boy" - Russell Westbrook gives an incredibly honest assessment of his ongoing shooting slump
For the second straight game, Russell Westbrook had another disastrous night trying to score the ball. The former MVP finished 2-14 from the field, including 0-5 from three-point distance, and had only 8 points in the LA Lakers’ loss to the Sacramento Kings. With all the criticism surrounding him, the recent slump has only made him a little more irritable.
In a post-game interview following the loss, Dan Woike, the LA Times beat writer covering the Lakers, brought up Russell Westbrook’s slump. The 33-year-old superstar was a little testy but factually replied to Woike’s statement (via Kyle Goon):
“Man, who you telling? Can’t make a f****ing shot, boy.”
Russell Westbrook when @DanWoikeSports mentions he's in a slump: "Man, who you telling? Can't make a f***ing shot, boy."
That he can’t make a shot was seemingly the highlight of the entire evening despite yet another impressive performance from LeBron James. The Sacramento Kings technical staff made it abundantly clear that they were going to needle Russell Westbrook with every miss. Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center crowd busted their lungs lustily hollering “Ice, ice baby” to poke fun at Westbrook.
In the LA Lakers’ last two games, the triple-double king has only made 4 of 26 field-goal attempts with a ghastly 0-6 from beyond the arc. The 15.38% shooting is just not enough for someone who’s getting paid $44 million this season.
Russell Westbrook last 3 games:
9 PTS, 4-14 FG
6 PTS, 2-12 FG
8 PTS, 2-14 FG
He has shot 20% in that span. https://t.co/CekiIYzWYb
It wasn't just the misses, though, which was very frustrating for Laker Nation. There were several questionable attempts that really boggled the mind. One such example happened with a little over a minute left in the game, with the Lakers down by just four points.
Russell Westbrook called his number, took too much time dribbling the ball and eventually settled for a contested three-point shot.
The miss practically deflated the entire LA Lakers’ positive vibe and energy. The miss was soon followed by a basket from the Kings to extend the lead and eventually seal the game.
That incomprehensible sequence was just one of many lapses that have happened this season for Russell Westbrook, particularly in the last two games.
Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers have not been able to solve their interior defense
One of the LA Lakers’ biggest problems in going small-ball is their ability to stop their opponents’ inside scoring. The Lakers are the second-worst team in the NBA in points allowed in the paint with 49.7. In the last 3 games, that has ballooned to 62.7, the worst in the NBA by a country-wide margin.
LeBron James, playing the 5, has its significant benefits, but it also makes the Lakers more vulnerable, especially against active and bruising bigs. Without a true big inside the paint, their opponents are just making a living inside the paint for higher percentage shots.
Final from Sacramento https://t.co/LUlGXSqGgK
While Brodie and the Tinseltown squad have managed to limit their turnovers recently, they have also been unable to stop the bleeding in the paint. It seems like they can’t effectively and simultaneously turn around two very basic and crucial statistical areas this season.