“When he had that role after Kevin Durant left… He was an MVP of the league” - Tim Legler believes Russell Westbrook and LeBron James are stepping on each other, believes Russ should play with the second unit
Los Angeles Lakers superstars Russell Westbrook and LeBron James seemingly got in the way of each other this season. The Lakers, as a result, suffered a horrendous campaign with their two omnipresent superstars struggling to establish chemistry on the court.
On ESPN's morning show Get Up, former NBA player Tim Legler believes the Lakers can get back into contention if Anthony Davis and LeBron stay healthy. He also said that Russell Westbrook should be utilized properly with King James on the court. Legler said:
"When I said use Russell Westbrook properly, it might not happen, he might not accept it but to me that means coming off the bench and being the guy staying true to who he is as a player, staggering your minutes opposite of LeBron James as much as you can and letting him go be full throttle with the second unit group of guys. When he had that role after Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City, with that kind of roster, he was an MVP of the league. You have to stagger his minutes with LeBron, otherwise they're stepping on each other's feet."
How can LeBron James and the Lakers win with Russell Westbrook?
It is not an exaggeration to say that Russell Westbrook has been a major impediment for the Lakers this season. What should not be mistaken is that he is not the only problem with the roster.
For starters, Westbrook and his turnovers have been a major problem. The guard's sheer pace is too much for the league's oldest roster to handle. This has led to Westbrook turning the ball over 3.9 times a night. He has also blown wide-open dunks and layups, not to mention his shooting struggles from the perimeter and the line.
The only way forward for the Lakers seemingly is to put Westbrook on the bench. As part of the rotation, he can be the primary ball handler and orchestrate the offense coming off the bench, with LeBron James not on the court. This would allow Los Angeles to surround him with bonafide shooters and space the floor better.
But this would also mean Westbrook taking a seat in the final moments of the game. Westbrook was signed to ease James' workload, but the Lakers have instead ended up needing more from King James.
Via @EliasSports, LeBron James is the 6th player with at least 3 triple-doubles vs his former team in NBA history. Tonight marked the first time he scored 30+ points in a triple-double vs the Cavaliers. https://t.co/LwH9r5UEwX
As things stand, the Lakers are stuck with Westbrook and have a bleak chance at moving him in the summer. Until then, new head coach Darvin Ham has a lot to think about in terms of how to deploy Westbrook alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis.