Darvin Ham credited for resurrecting Russell Westbrook's career by Skip Bayless: "Last year he was the worst starting player in basketball"
Russell Westbrook's tenure with the LA Lakers got off to a rough start. If the veteran's recent performances are a sign of the future, things are looking upward.
Westbrook was acquired by the Lakers via trade prior to the 2021-22 season. Since then, expectations have been high for the former superstar floor general. Westbrook's first year with the Lakers was a nightmare, as he saw a rapid decline in his play. He went on to finish with 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, but shot just 29.8% from three-point range.
During the 2022-23 offseason, the Lakers made a decision. They went out and hired first-time head coach Darvin Ham. Although offseason rumors suggested that Westbrook could be on the move, Ham remained confident in his veteran guard.
Fast forward to this season and Westbrook has started to showcase improved play on the court. Much of the thanks has been to Darvin Ham's moving of Westbrook to a sixth-man role off the bench.
Appearing recently on "Undisputed," analyst Skip Bayless went on to praise Ham for his work with Russell Westbrook. Bayless pointed out that Westbrook's career has been "rehabilitated" by Ham. He even went on to say that Westbrook was the "worst starting player in basketball" last season.
"Darvin Ham has done a miraculous job of rehabilitating Russell Westbrook as a basketball player."
"Last year he was the worst starting player in basketball and it wasn't close."
"Darvin Ham has done a miraculous job of rehabilitating Russell Westbrook as a basketball player. Last year he was the worst starting player in basketball and it wasn't close." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/yWqyVZpUIa
Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers look to bounce back
Coming into the 2022-23 season, LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham remained confident with his plans, which included getting Russell Westbrook back on the right track. After a slow start to the season, Ham made an eye-opening move when he moved Westbrook to the bench.
So far, it looks to be a smart decision. In the 20 games in which Westbrook has come off the bench, he's shown the ability to be more efficient. In those games, he's averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 42.3% from the field.
Russell Westbrook diving hard on the floor for a loose ball in the clutch. Love to see that type of hustle
It's not the same production that Westbrook has produced throughout his career. At the same time, it's shown that Russell can still be an effective talent in the NBA. The hope now for Westbrook and the Lakers is that the team can get back on track.
After a disastrous start to the 2022-23 season, the Lakers found themselves at 2-10. Since then, the team has started to show signs of life. The Lakers went on to win five out of six games, but recently have had a pair of consecutive losses, including Wednesday night's loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Westbrook and the Lakers will hope to get back in the win column on Friday night. They will take on the Philadelphia 76ers before heading to Detroit to play the Pistons on Sunday.