“Locker room with Vogel was great until f**k face Westbrook showed up”, “His play is toxic as f**k, “Darvin knows the game” - Fans tear into Russell Westbrook after Darvin Ham says Russ has a lot left in the tank
Russell Westbrook has the backing of new head coach Darvin Ham. The Lakers' new head coach was very vocal about having Westbrook in his plans for next season. Ham is eager to work with him after having had lengthy conversations with the guard.
However, Lakers fans aren't buying this one bit. They flooded to Reddit to voice their disapproval of having Westbrook on the roster next season. The social media platform saw a huge number of Lakers fans having a go at Russell Westbrook. Some even blamed the poor chemistry of the roster on the guard.
NBA fans react to Darvin Ham praising Russell Westbrook
A Milwaukee Bucks fan also took time out to give props to Darvin Ham. Ham was the assistant coach for the Bucks until the end of this season. He was part of the championship winning staff last year.
Russell Westbrook has a player option coming into next season worth over $47 million. In all likelihood, Westbrook will trigger that option and stay with the Lakers with the only way out from the franchise via trade.
Can the Lakers win with Russell Westbrook?
Russell Westbrook's return to his native Los Angeles to play for the Lakers alongside LeBron James was viewed as a homecoming. The Lakers came into the season with championship aspirations, but the move did not go well as the Lakers (33-49) crashed.
Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. He shot 44.4%, including a paltry rate of 29.8% from beyond the arc. Westbrook also averaged 3.9 turnovers a night. His pace proved to be incompatible with the league's oldest roster.
The notion of Westbrook coming off the bench isn't unfounded as he has struggled to impact the game with James on the floor. That just might be the only way forward if the Lakers can't get enough compensation to unload him this summer.
Coming off the bench would mean that he would be the orchestrator for the second unit. Westbrook could punish an opponent's secondary point guard with his pace and explosiveness. The second unit of the Lakers can surround Westbrook with shooters, which will create a pathway to the rim for him to attack with ferocity.
This would also allow James to be the ball handler for starters and thereby surround himself with shooters, alleviating Westbrook's lack of shooting. Given his enormous salary for next year – a player-option worth over $47 million – the Lakers might have to keep on their books and try to find a way to win with him.