"He's going to be by far the biggest reason LeBron can't win this year's ring" - Skip Bayless says Russell Westbrook's recklessness could prevent LA Lakers from winning the NBA title
The Undisputed's Skip Bayless is not a fan of the LeBron James and Russell Westbrook pairing for the Los Angeles Lakers. During today's episode of The Undisputed, Bayless described why he feels that Westbrook's presence on the Lakers roster will spell trouble for LeBron James' chances of winning another championship this season.
"I fear Russell Westbrook is by far the biggest reason LeBron can't win this year's win." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/IwtRcCall2
This discussion is coming fresh off the heels of the Los Angeles Lakers' implosion against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the team surrendered a commanding lead to arguably the worst team in the NBA.
Westbrook was dominant in the Lakers loss, averaging 20 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists before getting ejected late on.
"I fear he's going to be by far the biggest reason LeBron can't win this year's ring. And I'm fascinated tonight, to see what happens in usage rate as LeBron comes back. How much will he want the basketball? Because if he asks for the basketball, LeBron will get it," Bayless said when discussing Westbrook's negative impact on the Lakers roster.
Is Russell Westbrook a problem for LeBron James and the Lakers?
Skip Bayless continued to air his thoughts during the episode, as he explained why he thinks Westbrook getting the opportunity to lead the Lakers in LeBron James' absence was "the worst thing that could happen."
"He (Westbrook) is a hell-bent stat machine. That is a threat to LeBron and the Lakers. I get the marquee value, as they have become the greatest show in basketball. I fear for LeBron's sake that Russ got unleashed! I fear that he got a taste for what it feels like to run the team he grew up living and dying for, with no LeBron James!" Bayless said.
In recent years, many have criticized Westbrook's approach to the game, and have claimed that he's more interested in "stat padding" than helping his team win. Skip Bayless joked that "he's wearing the number zero, as in no rings" during his discussion on Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook assessed his second technical foul and ejected for grilling Darius Bazley with a thousand “DONT DO THAT”s in the final seconds https://t.co/XYrGUJqHFw
In fairness, despite Westbrook's lofty career numbers, he's never been able to turn his stats into sustainable victories for his teams. Westbrook's career average currently sits at 23.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game over 948 regular season appearances.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Westbrook during the off-season as part of a five-team trade, this was the third time in four years Westbrook had been traded. The Lakers hoped that adding a third star to LeBron James and Anthony Davis would help strengthen their roster and allow the team to contend for another championship with a new big-3.
At this early juncture of the season, results have been mixed as the Lakers have stuttered to a 2-3 start, while the team's revamped roster has shown clear signs of teething issues in learning to play together.
The Lakers will play again on Friday night, as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers and their band of 7-foot giants.