Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal

Look. This is not an intuitively obvious move for the Los Angeles Lakers. We understand that.

The glaring similarity between Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons is their poor shooting. With that in mind, they’re likely to pose the Lakers similar fit issues alongside James. Still, let’s look at the differences between them.

Simmons is roughly 7 inches taller than Westbrook. That seems like a good starting point. It makes him at least viable in the role we’ve proposed for him.

If Simmons is willing to change his game, there are clearer paths toward him doing so. He can still function as a point guard in transition: he’ll simply need to relinquish the ball in the Lakers’ set plays.

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The other key difference between the two comes on defense. Simmons is one of the best defenders in the NBA, while Westbrook is prone to mental lapses on that end of the floor. If he’s willing to change his game, Simmons will improve the Lakers in 2022-23.

Westbrook is unlikely to do the same for the Brooklyn Nets. Is landing him worth the draft capital they’re receiving here?