"We'll try to improve our team"- Frank Vogel gives a cold response when asked about the Russell Westbrook trade situation
Russell Westbrook missed his first game for the LA Lakers this season as the team lost to the Portland Trail Blazers. Although he sat out due to lower-back tightness, coach Frank Vogel was thrown some tough questions about Russell Westbrook's situation with the Purple and Gold. However, the 48-year-old did not hesitate in answering those questions and gave some pretty telling responses.
Vogel decided to keep Westbrook on the bench in the closing minutes of the Lakers' last two consecutive encounters prior to the game against Portland. The LA Lakers secured a win in one of them against the New York Knicks, while they were handed a tough loss against the Milwaukee Bucks in the following fixture.
Many have suspected a tough relationship between the two and a possible Westbrook trade before the deadline. When asked about the subject, he replied by suggesting that nobody is exempt from being traded.
"If there's ways to improve our team, we'll try to improve our team, other than that, I got nothing to say about the trade deadline"
"We didn't contain them well enough and we didn't match their energy." Frank Vogel on tonight's disappointing loss to Portland. https://t.co/BviYF1Bkls
A trade certainly looks unlikely, but it is evident that something is wrong with the Lakers. In his post-game interview after the loss to the Bucks, Westbrook took a shot at Vogel and said he deserved a place in the closing lineup and that he didn't need to reach any benchmark for that to happen.
When asked if he believes so too, Frank Vogel said that his "job is to win games" and if that means having Westbrook sit out in the final stretch then so be it.
"The need of the team always comes first. Russ has accomplished a lot in this league and he's had some great games and sequences for us here. But my job is to win games and when you get in those situations, you have a script of who you believe is gonna be in there and the game will tell you otherwise if a change is needed. We have to do whatever it takes to get the Lakers a win. Sometimes he's gonna be in there for that and sometimes he's not."
Frank Vogel’s response to Russ saying he’s earned the right to close games: https://t.co/QUFwINwDZq
Is Russell Westbrook going to be beneficial for the LA Lakers going forward?
Russell Westbrook has nearly every accolade under the sun to his name.However, he joined the LA Lakers in hopes of winning the championship, which looks to be the only prize left to cement his legacy as an all-time great. Many thought his signing would make the Lakers unbeatable, but things have not gone as planned for the former MVP.
Russell Westbrook in February:
14 made baskets
14 turnovers
He is shooting 28/15/55% in that span. https://t.co/6g7ohkBCZR
He is averaging 18.3 PPG, the fewest for him since his sophomore season in the NBA. Russell Westbrook has also turned the ball over a league-leading 224 times, leading to him being on the receiving end of a lot of negative criticism from pundits.
Fans have also expressed their displeasure as he has many a times been booed by the Laker nation at the Crypto.com arena. Despite all of that, there is no shying away from the fact that he is a real hustler. whose intensity hardly wanes.
“I’m extremely bothered by Russ and those comments after the game. … Accountability is huge and Russell Westbrook has shined away from that word for some reason. ”
—@KendrickPerkins https://t.co/eLWXt6JPq3
Russell Westbrook never brings anything less than 100% to the court and this separates him from many other competitors. There have been questions about his fit with Anthony Davis and LeBron James, but the fact of the matter is that he hasn't gotten enough minutes with them due to their injuries.
The current season will see an abrupt stop during the All-Star weekend, and in recent years Westbrook has come out on the other side of the event a much better player. As seen last season where he finished strong, averaging the fourth triple-double campaign of his career.
If the same happens this year, it would be great for the LA Lakers as they have some pretty tough matchups coming up. If Russell Westbrook is at his best then the Purple and Gold can still make a push to finish in a playoff spot.