Russell Westbrook's debut with the Los Angeles Lakers couldn't have gone more horribly. He only had eight points, five rebounds, and four assists along with four turnovers and 4-of-13 shooting. This terrible performance got him in the limelight, as Twitter fans roasted him and the Lakers for that awful performance.
In a media session after a Lakers practice, head coach Frank Vogel took responsibility for the dreadful Westbrook performance. He said: (via ESPN)
“[Westbrook played] pretty good. We didn't get him involved enough, and that's on me. We continue to look at situations to make him useful and not pull away from what [Anthony Davis] and [LeBron James] are doing. Those guys obviously got going, but I didn't do a good enough job getting Russ going, and that's an easy fix. Something that we're familiar with and keep looking at every day and get a little more comfortable with it.”
The burning question for Lakers fans after their big offseason shakeup was Westbrook's fit with the roster. With LeBron being the primary ball-handler of the team, it would be awkward for another ball-dominant guard like Russ to share the court with him. It's going to be a work-in-progress for the Lakers, and already, we can see those growing pains show up.
Of course, anyone saying that this performance will be the norm for Westbrook is overreacting a bit. He has his ups-and-downs, of course: Westbrook is a notoriously slow starter that ramps up as the season progresses. His preseason debut for the Lakers is a cause of concern, but if there's anyone you can count to make a bounce back, it's Russ.
Lakers fans are hoping Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook can figure it out soon. This is the Lakers' best shot at a title, and they'll need Russ at 100% for them to win it all.
Follow Us
Subscribe