Stephen A. Smith concerned by Russell Westbrook’s recent struggles: “He’s that bad!!!!”
Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers continue to find themselves in hot water. After last night's lopsided home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, basketball fans around the world are wondering if the Lakers will ever get back on track.
The team continues to struggle with inconsistent play throughout the 2021-22 NBA season and veteran guard Russell Westbrook has seen a rapid decline in his play.
After being acquired this offseason via trade, many thought that Westbrook might be the missing piece of the puzzle that the Lakers needed to contend for a championship.
Unfortunately, the fit hasn't seemed to work, as Westbrook has continued to disappoint with his play on the court. Speaking today on ESPN's "First Take," sports analyst Stephen A. Smith went into detail about how shocking it's been to see the superstar guard play at this type of level recently.
"I don't know if I've ever seen a superstar struggle to this degree."
Smith continued throughout his segment to go into detail about how Westbrook has simply looked like a completely different player at times this year compared to his days of being a dominant player on the court.
Westbrook has been one of the more "disappointing" players on the Lakers roster this year and Smith reiterates that the talented guard has been struggling on the floor. Last night's game was a prime example of Westbrook's rough season as he registered just 10 points on 3-11 shooting with 4 turnovers to 5 assists.
"The bottom line is...he looks that bad"
.@stephenasmith is concerned with Russ’ recent play 😳
“I don’t know if I’ve EVER seen a superstar struggle to this degree.” https://t.co/FDww59z0qH
Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle
After last night's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers find themselves in ninth place in the Western Conference with an overall record of 26-29 on the year. It seems as if the team is trending in the wrong direction and the Lakers are running out of time to get back on track.
With the NBA trade deadline set to take place on February 10th, many are wondering if the organization will look to make some changes. That could put Westbrook's future with the Lakers in doubt if the team is able to find a suitor.
Russell Westbrook in February:
14 made baskets
14 turnovers
He is shooting 28/15/55% in that span. https://t.co/6g7ohkBCZR
Although Westbrook has been one of the most exciting players in the league over recent years, his play this season has noticeably declined, raising questions as to whether any rival teams would be willing to trade for the veteran guard.
In his last five games, Westbrook has averaged 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game while shooting 33.3% from the field and 23.5% from three.
Time is running out for the Lakers to make a charge up the standings and get themselves back into the conversation for the NBA playoffs. It will be interesting to see if Westbrook's time with the Lakers runs out as well.