"Take accountability... Say, 'I don't play well'" - Magic Johnson advises Russell Westbrook to quit fighting media and fans
Magic Johnson has advised Russell Westbrook to take accountability for not playing at the level expected of him.
Westbrook hasn't had the impact he would have hoped for since joining the LA Lakers. He averaged 18/7/7 in his debut season on 44% field goal shooting and has regressed statistically in the first three games this season.
Westbrook has struggled to settle into a reduced role playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which has hampered his performances. Lakers fans and critics have relentlessly slammed him. On many occasions, he has fought back instead of admitting that he hadn't played well.
During an appearance on the "Club Shay Shay Podcast," Shannon Sharpe asked former LA Lakers great Magic Johnson what advice he would give Westbrook. Johnson, who also got booed by Lakers fans during his playing days multiple times, said:
"Take accountability. If I don't play well, say, 'I don't play well.' When I didn't perform well in '84 against the Celtics, I admitted that. I took accountability."
Johnson revisited the time he was booed by fans following the firing of former coach Paul Westhead. The five-time NBA champion said he performed better, which turned those boos into cheers, and that's what Russell Westbrook will have to do.
"That's what Russell [has] got to do," said Magic Johnson. "Quit trying to fight the media.. the fans, and just say, 'You know what, I didn't play well, I'm gonna play better,' and go out there on the court and perform."
Westbrook has played and competed hard, but his performances haven't helped the LA Lakers win consistently. Over the last year, he has refused to take the blame for his poor performances at times. This has only increased the criticism he has received since his move to LA.
Russell Westbrook's days with the LA Lakers could be numbered
The new season seemingly hasn't changed Russell Westbrook's fortunes with the LA Lakers.
Westbrook's misfit with the Lakers is on full display, despite only three games played thus far. Westbrook had a solid first game against the Golden State Warriors, as he bagged 19 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, shooting 58.3% from the field.
However, he has struggled in the last two games against the LA Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers. Westbrook has scored a combined 12 points on 4-of-26 field goals, including 0-of-9 on 3-point attempts in those games.
He has played decent defense, but his lack of offensive threat is a problem for the Lakers' offense. They are already shooting a league-low 21.2% from 3-point range.
A small sample size suggests the LA Lakers have been highly successful, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the floor without Russell Westbrook. Here are the stats for this metric highlighted by CBS Sports' Sam Quinn:
Very small sample, but, per Cleaning the Glass:
LeBron+AD, Russ OFF (38 possessions):
115.8 ORtg. 102.6 DRtg. +13.2 net.
LeBron+AD, Russ ON (127 possessions):
96.9 ORtg. 104 DRtg. -7.1 net. twitter.com/RajChipalu/sta…
The LA Lakers' latest loss against the Trail Blazers also hinted that Russell Westbrook's lack of offensive production impacted the team's results.
The Lakers were up by eight points with 4:42 left in the fourth quarter when Westbrook returned to action. From that point on, they scored only six points and relinquished an eight-point lead to lose 106-104.
Opposition big Jusuf Nurkic guarded Westbrook during that stretch. Due to the former's poor shooting run over the last few games, Nurkic defended him passively on the perimeter, acting as a secondary rim protector. That closed the driving lanes for LeBron James and Anthony Davis, limiting the Lakers from scoring freely.
Westbrook also attempted an ill-advised shot with the Lakers up by one. He tried to create a 2-for-1 situation with 17 seconds left on the shot lock and 30 seconds left in the game.
The LA Lakers have continued to explore trades centered around Russell Westbrook all summer. There were indications that the higher-ups would wait until Thanksgiving to make any trades.
However, after their 0-3 start and Westbrook struggling to perform, the Lakers could potentially move the nine-time All-Star sooner.
LA could acquire some solid role players who are effective scorers and shooters in a potential trade. It remains to be seen which deal the Lakers will pursue with several teams expected to be sellers because of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.