“He was sent packing… Lakers finished the year 18-9” - Skip Bayless reckons Russell Westbrook doesn’t deserve a ring if Lakers win the chip
Skip Bayless believes Russell Westbrook shouldn't be awarded a ring if the LA Lakers win the championship this season. Westbrook played 52 games for the Purple and Gold before he got shipped to Utah in a three-team trade at the deadline. Playing over half the games makes a player eligible to be named a champion if he gets traded the same season.
According to former Lakers guard Patrick Beverley, who also got traded midseason, Westbrook wants his ring. Here's what Beverley said on his podcast about this:
"Russ goes, 'Hey Pat, if Lakers win, I want my ring.'"
Beverley also shared the same emotion as his former teammate. The duo struggled during their respective tenures with the franchise, causing quite a debate among fans and analysts if they deserve a ring. Bayless was among the ones to believe they didn't deserve it. Here's what he said about Westbrook wanting one on Fox Sports' debate show "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed":
"Maybe I'm taking the not-so-classy opinion here... No, he [Russ] does not deserve a ring... Because he was, to me, the biggest reason that they were on the way to missing the playoffs."
Russell Westbrook's decline in production and performance made him a liability, impacting his market value over the past two seasons. However, Lakers' GM Rob Pelinka struck gold out of this $47 million contract and added pieces that have contributed to the Lakers' resurgent run to the conference semis.
Bayless applauded Pelinka's moves and used that as a reason to discredit Westbrook from getting a ring this year, saying:
"When Russ left this basketball team, it was 25-30. Five games under .500, it was mired in 13th place in the Western Conference... Once he was sent packing, the Lakers finished the year 18-9."
Patrick Beverley says Russell Westbrook wants a ring if the Lakers win the title:
"The key word is deserve. Russ does not deserve a ring. He was the biggest reason they were on the way to missing the playoffs."
— @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/c8iqbZXejf
The LA Lakers were arguably the best team in the Western Conference after the trade deadline when they moved Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley. They had the best record in the conference (18-9) in that stretch.
The Lakers went from 13th to seventh in the standings and eventually qualified for the playoffs as the seventh seed after winning the play-in tournament against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Russell Westbrook wasn't solely responsible for LA Lakers losing run
Russell Westbrook's tenure with the LA Lakers wasn't the best. His career went into a downward spiral with the franchise. Westbrook failed to adjust to playing as a third option. The Lakers failed to make the playoffs in his debut season, with most of the blame being directed at the former MVP.
His confidence took a hit with the constant criticism, which was unwarranted at times. Contrary to popular belief, Westbrook wasn't responsible for the Lakers' dismal run. The point guard just wasn't a good fit on the team. The lack of shooting, size and defense around Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis was the biggest reason the Lakers weren't successful in the former OKC Thunder point guard's presence.
Westbrook, James and Davis are all inefficient shooters, putting them at a disadvantage on offense because of the lack of spacing. LA's lack of size saw the team struggle defensively. Westbrook thrived with the LA Clippers after getting traded, as they were a better jump-shooting team. He had the ball in his hands more than his time with the Lakers, which allowed him to thrive and play freely.
The Lakers get to decide whether they want to award Russell Westbrook a ring. Regardless of their results with him, he played as a true professional and adjusted his game, including accepting a sixth-man role. The former MVP deserves some respect for his contributions, as he did play significant roles in some of their key wins earlier in the year.
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