The Los Angeles Lakers finally won their first game of the season, defeating the Denver Nuggets 121-110 Sunday night. LeBron James led the way with 26 points with Russell Westbrook once again coming off the bench.
Despite starting with the second unit, Westbrook made a large contribution. He finished with 18 points with eight rebounds, eight assists, knocked down a couple triples and hit all four free throws. In the two games since Lakers head coach Darvin Ham announced Westbrook would come off the bench, he has played very well.
Lakers since Russ came off the bench:
+18 with Russ on the floor
-16 with Russ off the floor pic.twitter.com/hSKFmVjDxX— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 31, 2022
The Lakers are a +18 with Westbrook on the floor. Whereas, they are a -16 when he is sitting. Granted, it is a small sample size of just two games. Nevertheless, the Lakers have got out to quick starts and Westbrook has found rhythm and not forcing things.
Despite playing 32 minutes Sunday (starters minutes), he turned the ball over just three times. That's a lot for most players, but not for Westbrook. He also scored 18 points off the bench in Friday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Russell Westbrook has been criticized across basketball and at times it has appeared inside the Lakers organization. Some of that is obviously deserving, as he has struggled to fit in since first landing in Los Angeles last season. But moving the former All-Star to the bench just might be the recipe for success for the Lakers.
He provides a scoring punch and some leadership to the second unit.
The Lakers will look for their second straight win at home against the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night.
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