“He’s never played with a quality big” - Nick Wright says Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis may take longer than expected to develop chemistry
LA Lakers marquee signing Russell Westbrook has started to find his rhythm of late as he continues to adjust to playing alongside new teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The former league MVP recorded his third triple-double of the season in the Purple and Gold's 120-117 OT win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Westbrook and Davis have taken some time to understand each other's playing styles. The former has never been paired alongside an All-Star caliber center like AD in his career before. Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright recently mentioned that this could be a reason why the duo could take time to develop their chemistry. Here's what Wright said on a recent episode of First Things First:
"The time it's going to take him (Russell Westbrook) to develop his chemistry with Anthony Davis, probably longer than people expect.....Who's the best big man he (Westbrook) has ever played with? The answer to that question is young Steven Adams, that's it....He (Westbrook) has never played with a quality big, so that's going to take time for him, to learn that."
"It was a great win for the Lakers. ... Russell Westbrook has never played w/ a quality big. It's going to take time for Russ & AD to develop chemistry. Russ wasn't perfect but that was a win they wouldn't have gotten w/o him. He'll get better throughout the yr." — @getnickwright https://t.co/ffTMevH2Eg
Russell Westbrook's integration into the LA Lakers setup was always going to take time. The point guard relies on pace whenever he is setting up the offense for his teams. The Lakers have lacked that before and are now getting used to Westbrook's playing style. Anthony Davis is also transitioning into playing more center this season than he has previously in his career.
With some huge wins in the bag against teams like the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat, the new-look LA Lakers are coming along well. Much will depend on the chemistry between Westbrook and AD moving forward. Frank Vogel and his staff will be hoping the duo can work on their adjustments soon.
Can Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis help LA Lakers win games consistently without LeBron James?
The LA Lakers are yet to win a game in regulation time without LeBron James in the lineup. They have struggled to close out games on multiple occasions. LA ended up losing twice to the OKC Thunder, despite having a lead of 19 or more on both occasions and had to play in overtime against the Hornets and the Heat.
Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis have stepped up on different occasions, but they need to be more consistent and smooth down the stretch. They may find it difficult to record comfortable wins as their pairing is still a work in progress, though.
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Nevertheless, they are two players with MVP-caliber potential. They can dominate their opponents on their day. So there is no doubt that they can help the LA Lakers win games consistently in LeBron James' absence.
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