“Let’s not be prisoners of the moment and start disrespecting that man career” - Kendrick Perkins says Russell Westbrook is a top 75 player despite his recent struggles

Russell Westbrook's spot among the NBA's top 75 has been questioned by many. [Photo: New York Post]

Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers are having a subpar season. The Lakers (27-31) are barely staying afloat, while the triple-double king is looking like a shadow of his great self. If not for general manager Rob Pelinka’s reluctance to include a first-round pick, Westbrook could have reportedly been playing for another team after the trade deadline.

The Lakers’ difficult year has largely been placed on the shoulders of Westbrook, who is averaging way below his usual numbers. Despite obvious fit issues, the former MVP has been forced into a role he hasn't played since his first two years with the OKC Thunder. With the way the 33-year-old has been struggling, it’s easy to overlook what he has accomplished in his 14-year career.

Former NBA player and now ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, however, is reminding critics of Westbrook’s overall body of work, tweeting:

“Russell Westbrook is a Top 75 Greatest Player ever! Let’s not be prisoners of the moment and start disrespecting that man career because he’s struggling with the Lakers. Carry the hell on…

Russell Westbrook is a Top 75 Greatest Player ever! Let’s not be prisoners of the moment and start disrespecting that man career because he’s struggling with the Lakers. Carry the hell on…

The 2022 All-Star weekend happened without the NBA seeing Westbrook join the celebration. While the league honored its top 75 players during the festivities, the Lakers superstar was conspicuously absent. He was selected as the 68th member of the illustrious group, which caused an uproar among his detractors.

Russell Westbrook is having the season the Lakers should have expected. His FG% is exactly his career average and his Effective FG% is a little higher than average while his 3% is down a little. His turnovers are his lowest in 8 years and he is still averaging 18.3/7.8/7.5.

Several basketball pundits consider Dwight Howard, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Manu Ginobili and Tracy McGrady, among others, as more deserving of his spot.

Westbrook’s case, though, is as good as any in NBA history. He is a two-time scoring champ and a three-time assists leader who is also the all-time best in triple-doubles. The only thing lacking in his impressive resume is an NBA title, which he is still hoping to grab with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers.

What’s next for Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers?

Anthony Davis' recent injury will only make the LA Lakers' brutal schedule even tougher. [Photo: NBA.com]

The LA Lakers (27-31), ninth in the Western Conference, will face the toughest schedule in the NBA in their remaining games. The absence of Anthony Davis for the next four to six weeks will only make the rest of their regular season more difficult.

Rich Paul wanted @stephenasmith to tell the world that the report he wanted the Lakers to trade Russell Westbrook and a pick for John Wall was "a damn lie."
silverscreenandroll.com/2022/2/21/2294… https://t.co/fUJue7JZvP

Russell Westbrook and LeBron James will face a tough task ahead of getting a play-in spot. They are slated to face the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns twice in the next few weeks. With such a brutal set of games and AD’s absence, the Hollywood squad will need Westbrook to be at his best to survive for a play-in spot.