Russell Westbrook is a numbers guy. Stats matter a lot for the Los Angeles Lakers star, and right now, his numbers are pointing to the undeniable fact that head coach Darvin Ham made the right decision in having Russ come off the bench.

Westbrook started for the Lakers in the team's first three games of the season. During that span, Russ put up averages of 10.3 points on 28.9 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest. LA lost all three of those contests.

Russ then had to sit out a game due to a hamstring injury, and upon returning, he was relegated to a role with the second unit. The move has worked wonders for him, though, with Westbrook now averaging 16.3 points on 46.2 percent shooting, 7.7 boards, and 6.7 dimes. He's actually playing a bit more at 29.8 minutes per game, and more importantly, the Lakers have gone 2-1 since Russ' realignment (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):

Westbrook has significantly outplayed starting point guard Patrick Beverley, who has logged 26.1 minutes per game over the last three. In that stretch, Beverley has averaged 3.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.

You have to remember, however, that unlike Westbrook, Pat Bev has never been a numbers guy. What he bring to the table doesn't really show up in the box score, which is also the reason why he's still the one who closes games for coach Darvin Ham.

For his part, Westbrook appears to have embraced his new role. There was a lot of talk surrounding Russ' willingness to come off the bench, but it's been so far, so good for the former league MVP.