"He was the heartbeat of the team" - Patrick Beverley criticizes Lakers' 'horrible mistake' of benching Russell Westbrook
Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook, after a long and much-publicized feud, suddenly became the best of friends last season. The two were teammates playing for the LA Lakers for about five months before they were shipped out before the February trade deadline.
Beverley watched as first-time head coach Darvin Ham made the former MVP into one of the NBA’s best players coming off the bench. On "Gil’s Podcast," “Pat Bev” had this to say about Westbrook’s tenure as the Laker’s sixth man:
(1:42:50 mark)
“There’s ways how to operate your team without overmanaging it. When coaching, sometimes you just gotta put the dominoes out there. … I thought it was [bad for the team]. I thought it was bad for Russ [to come off the bench]. He was the heartbeat of the team.”
Kenyon Martin, a former NBA player who is one of the show’s guests, loudly exclaimed after Beverley’s response:
“That’s a horrible f***ing decision! Let’s just call it what it is.”
Patrick Beverley added:
“I don’t think it was a decision that was made this year. I think it was a decision that was based on the season before and I don’t think that’s fair. [Based on] the slander that he was getting, the Frank Vogel [issue].”
Russell Westbrook’s first season with the LA Lakers was contentious at the very least. His exit interview following the team’s elimination from the play-in race left many stunned.
“Brodie” ripped former coach Frank Vogel for not allowing him to succeed. He even called out LeBron James and Anthony Davis, practically calling the team’s superstars liars.
The following season, the Lakers made significant moves, replacing Vogel with Darvin Ham. Patrick Beverley was also brought in, which only added to the drama and intrigue considering his testy relationship with Russell Westbrook.
While Beverley and Westbrook became close buddies, Ham’s idea of making the triple-double king a sixth man initially received pushback from the point guard. Ultimately, the coach and the team turned Westbrook into their best player off the bench.
Westbrook’s play improved as part of the bench unit. He even became the favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. Despite his uptick in performance, the Lakers looked like they were missing the playoffs yet again.
General manager Rob Pelinka eventually sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal. “Brodie” agreed to a buyout with the Jazz and then later signed with the LA Clippers.
Patrick Beverley insists Russell Westbrook should have been part of the starting unit
Before the 2022-23 season, Russell Westbrook had started every game in his career except during his rookie year. In his second season with the LA Lakers, he was part of the first unit in just three out of the 52 games he played.
Here’s what Patrick Beverley had to say about how Darvin Ham made the wrong decision with his starting five:
“Him [Westbrook] coming off the bench and I’m starting. … It was just a bad combination. They should have started me, Austin [Reaves], Russ, Bron [James] and AD [Davis]. That’s how it should have started. Obviously, I’m not the coach but that should have been the starting lineup since we walked into the door.
“He’s [Ham] a first-year coach, he’s trying to figure it out. Our job is to play. … All that beef about Russ, maybe none of that happens.”
Before Russell Westbrook came off the bench, fans and basketball analysts criticized him. Westbrook’s turnovers, terrible shooting, lack of hustle and defense when he’s not the primary playmaker were glaring.
Westbrook was a glaringly bad fit on a Lakers team that hoped he could adapt his game and flourish. Instead, he became the NBA fans' favorite punch line for almost two seasons.