The expectations were significant for the Los Angeles Lakers after the addition of Russell Westbrook was finalized using a trade with the Washington Wizards. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the helm, the bar was set at winning an NBA title or bust.
Fast forward to today, the Lakers have severely underachieved. They find themselves holding a 27-35 record through 72 games, which places them ninth in the Western Conference standings entering Saturday’s NBA action.
One player that has been at the forefront of the blame game has been Russell Westbrook. For many reasons, the sentiment is justified. He loses focus easily when defending and often prioritizes standing in the paint to pad his rebounding stats as opposed to running out to contest a shooter.
The lack of development Westbrook has experienced as a jumper throughout his NBA career has seemingly caught up to him. No longer being the franchise cornerstone requires fitting alongside those who are and an outright inefficient scoring profile isn’t going to be justifiable.
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Now, with all things considered, Westbrook isn’t the full source of the Lakers’ problems, of course, Regardless, it’s clear he isn’t a fit, and finding him a new home would be the best outcome for both sides.
Given the state of Russell Westbrook’s current situation with the Los Angeles Lakers, let’s dive into three reasons he should entertain an offseason buyout.
