“I don’t think he has confidence in his shooting ability” - 5-time All-Star says Russell Westbrook doesn’t put enough time in his shooting, says he can work on his repetition
Russell Westbrook had a season to forget on both ends of the floor in his first year with the LA Lakers. He attempted several wild shots over the course of the 2021-22 NBA season. That drew a lot of attention from analysts and experts in the game.
Former Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller, second in all-time 3-pointers made, gave out some advice for Westbrook. He believes all he needs to do to improve his shooting is to practice beyond exhaustion.
While Russ is not known for his shooting abilities, he seemed to have lost his touch altogether in his time so far with the Lakers. He finished the season averaging 18.5 points, his lowest points average in over a decade.
On the Dan Patrick Show, Miller was asked if he could make Russ a better shooter. Miller acknowledged that it might be too late to change things, but stated that he could work on his repetition.
(From 14:00)
"I can work on his repetition, but I think Russ is who Russ is at this point in his career."
When asked what is wrong with Russ' jumper, he said:
"I don't think there is a lot of follow-through. I think his mechanics are wrong. I think he holds the basketball in awkward positions but that's okay because that's how he shoots. I always tell people, you shoot how you shoot.
"I will work more on his repetition. I don't think he puts enough time in his shooting, truthfully. I think he shoots up to a certain point where he feels good and that's it. You've got to shoot until you are exhausted, and then that's when the shooting starts. That's when the shooting starts, is when you're past exhaustion.
"He is who he is and that's okay. I would just want to build on him being more consistent. I just don't think he has confidence, I really don't. I don't think he has confidence in his shooting ability, and that's why I would want to work on getting him past exhaustion because he works so hard doing everything else in his game rebound, playing hard, defense.
"He works hard on everything else. That's where I want to get him so when he is exhausted from doing everything else in a ball game, he can rely on making a 15 18 20-foot jump shot."
Russ made some crucial shots for the Lakers during the regular season. One of them was a clutch three-pointer against the Toronto Raptors that sent the game into overtime. However, he was left wide open on occasion because players were somewhat confident he would not make the shot.
Russell Westbrook might stay with the LA Lakers for at least one more season
Throughout the 2021-22 season, Westbrook was included in several trade rumors because of his performances. Many believed there was no way they would start the 2022-23 season with him on their roster.
However, there is a high chance that the Lakers will have another run with him. Reports have revealed that they are unwilling to give up any future first-round picks in exchange for Westbrook.
Per to Jovan Buha, the Lakers don't plan to use a first-round pick to trade Russell Westbrook.
Look, I hope this is a leverage smokescreen. If it is? It's been a damn effective one, because I'm really starting to believe the Lakers are stubborn enough to keep Russell Westbrook. https://t.co/a2GWgNt6OS
Westbrook's massive contract is also doing them no favors, as it is a big reason teams are not lining up to trade for the All-Star guard. The hope is that new head coach Darvin Ham might figure out a way to utilize Westbrook.
However, it is worth pointing out that nothing is concrete yet. Right now, all the attention is on the NBA Finals featuring the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.