It's safe to say Russell Westbrook is not having a great time in Los Angeles. The new Lakers acquisition was brought in to help LeBron James, but he's been much maligned for underperforming to start the season.

If there's a play that could describe Westbrook's stint with the Lakers so far, it might be this one. Against the Hawks, Russ made a contested pull-up shot from inside the free-throw line, earning an and-one in the process. After draining the shot, Westbrook threw his hands up in the air. (via ESPN)

Related NewsArticle continues below
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden.
Lakers’ LeBron James sends strong message to Jayson Tatum amid Celtics star’s injury
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) on the court during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.
Lakers’ LeBron James has hilarious reaction to NBA Draft Lottery results
Nike Kobe 8 Year of the Horse, Nike Kobe, Kobe Bryant, Nike Kobe 8 release
Nike Kobe 8 ‘Year of the Horse’ returning Spring 2026

A quick look in the stats sheet show that Westbrook isn't exactly slumping in terms of shooting, at least by his standards. So far, the Lakers star is shooting 45.2% from the field and 30.0% from deep. Bad numbers, yes, but this is basically on-par for Westbrook in his career. His shooting struggles just become more noticeable because he takes a lot of shots every game.

It's not fair to pin all the blame on Russell Westbrook for the Lakers' struggles. Yes, him underperforming is a factor for this team merely hovering over .500. However, taking into account the injuries to key players (including Anthony Davis and LeBron James) and COVID-19 wrecking this crew, it's a miracle that this team isn't a bottom-feeder.

Of course, that doesn't mean much for this Lakers crew. For a team with championship aspirations written all over them, being a game above .500 isn't enough. The Lakers need to find another gear for them to catapult into serious title consideration. That gear might just come from Westbrook regaining his 2017 MVP form with this team.