Coming into the 2022-23 NBA season there were plenty of question marks surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers. The biggest one was what they were going to do with point guard Russell Westbrook.
There were rumblings that Westbrook could be coming off the bench, something he reportedly discussed with head coach Darvin Ham in the offseason. Despite whatever progress may have been made at this point, Westbrook has made it very clear that he prefers starting, going as far as to say he doesn’t know how to come off the bench.
After seeing Kawhi Leonard do it in his return to the LA Clippers’ lineup on Thursday night against the Lakers, it leads some to question just how committed Westbrook is to helping the Lakers win games.
Westbrook has drawn the ire of a lot of people and that isn’t going to stop after his performance on Thursday night.
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Westbrook went 0-for-11 from the field, missing all six of his 3-point attempts in the process. He grabbed only three rebounds with four assists and five steals to round out his stat line. Numerous former teammates have come to the defense of Westbrook recently and another did following the game Thursday.
Paul George, who played two seasons with Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder, shared some genuine disappointment in how his former teammate is being treated by fans and people in the media. He doesn’t understand why there is such vitriol being thrown toward him.
“I don’t get the shade or hate that they put in him… I just want him to keep having that joy… I hate to see that it looks like that’s not there for him.”
George is likely onto something with that assessment. Westbrook has looked like a totally different player with the Lakers in more ways than just his level of production. After being teammates with him and now playing against him, George can see that Westbrook’s demeanor and attitude have changed.
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It is certainly not easy dealing with as much as Westbrook is, as people call him out constantly on social media and even jeer him at the arena. That would weigh on even the strongest people as no one would have fun being in the position that Westbrook currently is in.
