“Iron sharpens iron” - Former NBA champion believes Russell Westbrook and former All-Defensive player could be the most dangerous defensive backcourt in the NBA
Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to have a bounce-back year for the upcoming 2022-23 season. It was a nightmare of a season last year for the Lakers, as the team went on to finish eleventh in the Western Conference.
After acquiring Westbrook via trade during last year's offseason, the hope was that the Lakers would have enough firepower to contend for a title. Unfortunately, Westbrook saw a rapid decline in his play and never got into a rhythm with his new team. The hope is that Westbrook can regroup and have a strong season for the Lakers, as the team will be motivated to prove that last year was simply a fluke.
He won't be alone, as the team recently acquired veteran guard Patrick Beverley for some added depth. While Westbrook and Beverley have had their own history when it comes to trash-talking, some are convinced that the pairing could work. Speaking recently on ESPN's "First Take," analyst and former NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins said he believes that Beverley and Westbrook could be the "most dangerous backcourt in the NBA." Perkins says that although the two competitive players have had their differences, "iron sharpens iron."
"One of the few guys that could affect the game and help a team win the game without scoring one single point at the guard position, that is Patrick Beverley. Somewhat of what the Lakers wanted Russell Westbrook to be last year...Iron sharpens iron, so when you bring Patrick Beverley over there, now all of a sudden Westbrook can't get away with the things that he got away with last year because he has Pat Bev who's going to push him...They actually could play together."
Russell Westbrook looks to bounce back in 2022-23
There's no denying that there will be plenty of attention on Russell Westbrook's future status. After picking up his player option for the 2022-23 season, Westbrook is set to earn north of $47 million. It would seem more likely that the team would try to give it another run by seeing if Westbrook could bounce back in year two with the Lakers.
There's still plenty of speculation involving Westbrook, as many believe he could be the next name to be on the move. With the Lakers still needing to make moves to contend in the Western Conference, it would seem as if Westbrook could be one of the last potential "assets" available on their roster to entice teams.
Pat Beverley’s arrival makes it more likely Russell Westbrook will not play with the Lakers this year, per @jovanbuha
L.A. may trade him or send him home the way the Rockets did with John Wall last season https://t.co/i8hrhiHnPJ
If the team wants to upgrade their roster, they will most likely have to attach any future draft selections in order to intrigue other organizations. In his last season with the Lakers, Westbrook went on to post averages of 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Along with a low 29.8% from three-point range.