“He basically was like ‘it’s not me, it’s you’ to everybody in the organisation” - Brian Windhorst on Russell Westbrook making sacrifices for the team after Darvin Ham’s comments, says he doesn’t buy it
The LA Lakers appear to have decided to continue with Russell Westbrook on the roster. Coach Darvin Ham stated that Westbrook will have to make some sacrifices going forward. But NBA analyst Brian Windhorst does not believe Russ will be willing to do so.
Westbrook had a poor 2021-22 campaign. His presence as the third star did not produce the desired results for the team. They ended up missing the playoffs and finishing the season with 16 games under .500.
Darvin Ham, in a press conference for his unveiling as head coach, was clear about Westbrook's importance to the team. Seeing as the likelihood of him leaving reduces, they are looking to use him in a different capacity.
While it seems like the Lakers have a solid plan, Windhorst is not buying it. On The Hoop Collective with Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps, Brian said:
"He [Darvin Ham], even had like a whole pitch for how Russ' new role was gonna be, defense-first and sacrifice, which I'm not sure what that means. I hope it means coming off the bench.
"But the stance, the posture, that Westbrook had one at the end of the season, where he basically was like, 'it's not me it's you' to everybody in the organization.
"To hear that, if you're Darvin Ham and Rob Pelinka, and then assume that you're going to sell him on some altered role regardless of what he says, I don't buy it."
Windhorst pointed out that despite Frank Vogel's support, Russ remained upset about getting benched late in some games.
"Last year, they stuck with Westbrook and stuck with Westbrook and stuck with Westbrook, and no matter what you want to say about Frank Vogel, I don't know how Russ could have been mad at him.
"I know that a couple of times he benched him going down the stretch, and Russ complained and said his back was hurt from sitting on the bench and so he skipped the game.
"He stuck with Russ way longer than he had any rational reason to."
It will be interesting to see what new role the coaching staff will utilize Russell Westbrook in. Although the idea of him being the sixth man has been floated around, the Hoop Collective team does not believe Westbrook will agree.
Can the LA Lakers win with Russell Westbrook?
There is a lot to consider when answering this question. The Lakers have a great chance to win if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy.
The duo have shown just how lethal they can be, even without a third star on the team. So, winning with Westbrook is a possibility.
“People act like his career started last year, everyone here knows what he’s capable of, I’m exited to work with him”
Darvin Ham on Russell Westbrook https://t.co/qwNS0YIMs0
However, the All-Star guard will need to make a few changes to his game. Defensively, he needs to do a better job of staying in front of his man.
Former NBA player Reggie Miller has said that he thinks Russ lacks confidence in his shooting. If Mr. Triple Double works on his repetition, he could drastically improve his shooting.
Outside of Russell Westbrook, several other players will need to step up for the Lakers if they wish to win. Talen Horton-Tucker did not make the jump many expected, shooting a career-low 41.6% from the field despite taking a lot more shots.