[OFFICIAL] Russell Westbrook as a Los Angeles Laker thread

It really began with the Wall-Westbrook trade last season, so it's really trading Wall plus a lottery-protected pick for 3 serviceable players. Not bad.

 

We need to win at all cost!!! The Bucks were always playoff losers however with injuries during the playoff last year they became CHAMPS. Now, they have the confidence of a championship that they didn't a year ago. Memphis was a subpar team with a unknown star(Morant) and that it. They had a little luck in the playoff last year, got victories in the playoffs and now they play with CONFIDENCE AND THE SWAG. I know most people here wants to TANK for more talent but we can trade now to get young talent. We have enough draft picks for next year but we need to win now. We did not draft Harden, Chris Paul, Westbrook, Dwight Howard, Ariza or Gordon. We traded for all of those players and we came very close to win a CHAMPIONSHIP. We have enough draft picks, we need young talent for now. Even if we play John Wall for 20 minutes a game we need to WIN NOW!!!

 

So you’re saying they can’t trade for talent in 2 years after Wall’s contract is done and we have to start giving picks to the Thunder and we can only trade for it now.

Got it!

 

The anonymous scout believes that Westbrook belongs in the second unit and added that the 32-year-old is a “volcano” that is going to erupt.

“To me, he’s best with the second unit, having the ball in his hands and pushing the pace,” the scout said. “With (James), (Westbrook) will rebound and push it, but many times, no one runs with him… certainly not (James) or (Davis). He is a poor defender on a team FULL of poor defenders. Not a great fit there either. It is just a matter of time before the (Westbrook) volcano erupts. He is so passionate and being an LA kid, wants so badly to succeed … I just don’t see it as a great fit. (James) and (Davis) are NOT changing the way they play, nor can they. I predict a 5-7 seed and first round exit in the playoffs.”

 

Not gonna lie, after experiencing it with Clutchfans, seeing other fan bases reactions when Westbrook joins thier team is pretty funny.

It's like seeing an emotion grenade slowly roll into a fan forum then go off.

Happy, amazed, confused, angry all in a matter of weeks. It's not even playoff time yet

 

LeBron had to adjust his game in order to compensate for Westbrook's shortcomings. Dude is shooting NINE 3s a night and hitting them at a 33% clip. With all these 3s he's attack the basket less so less FTs. Like this is wild.

 

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/11/2/22757924/lebron-james-russell-westbrook-los-angeles-lakers

Stats and breakdown with evidence as to why Westbrook is killing Lebron’s game this year. lol

 

LeBron is feeling the Russ-effect.

 

Great imagery.

BOOOOOOOOM!

 

Westbrick strikes again.

 

the spacing with LBJ AD and Westbrook was hilarious to watch against the Rockets.

There was one play where Lebron drove, kicks it to WB at the 3, he dribbles into the key with AD in it has no where to go, and literally hands the ball to AD who throws up a bad hook with defenders all crowded there.

 

Lol. Wonder if he gets fired like Calvin when he slipped up and said Harden quit

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...nba-insiders-weigh-in-on-disappointing-start/

Around the NBA, opinions from executives, scouts, former players and those who have worked and moved in LeBron's orbit vary.

A sampling:

"They're a **** show."

"I still trust LeBron to figure it out."

"LeBron's gotten old. It's here. That old LeBron in terms of durability and reliability is either gone, or almost gone."

"They need to make a big move. You might even have to move Russ. That roster is too flawed."

"They have LeBron. They're going to be fine."

To get a sense of what the larger NBA community thinks, CBS Sports talked to more than a dozen executives, scouts, former players and those who have worked with LeBron. Here are some of their views.

Top NBA executive No. 1

"Frankly? They're not very good. Not by LeBron-and-the-Lakers standards. They're old. They're poorly put together as a team. LeBron, as he always did, brought in a bunch of guys he wanted to play with instead of who he should play with. It's the same story. Rob (Pelinka) didn't put together that team, LeBron did. And I'm not sure he's still going to be able to make up for that. Honestly, they're a **** show."

Projected Western Conference finish: "Middle of the pack. They're going to disappoint."

Projected postseason run: "They're really flawed, but the West may not be as hard as last year. It's a tough call. They could go out early again or make the Finals."

Top NBA executive No. 2

"They're not as good as we thought they were going to be. And you know what the real issue is? LeBron. Maybe he's going to be like Tom Brady, but I don't think so. I think we're seeing it now. LeBron's gotten old. It's here. That old LeBron in terms of durability and reliability is either gone, or almost gone. There's no way he's going to be able to carry this team in the regular season, and they need that. They're not great. And I don't know if he can carry them in the playoffs. You can see his age starting to kick in."

Those comments, which came before Thursday's news that LeBron will miss time with an abdominal injury, reflected what others said: That maybe, just maybe, LeBron's stunning run of durability is finally giving way to his age as he approaches his 37th birthday.

Said another former executive who's worked for a LeBron James team in the past: "I can see that man. Injuries -- you're not immune anymore. And those shoulders aren't getting by the same way. And if he can't do that and collapse defenses by getting your shoulder down and getting by guys, the formula of putting a bunch of shooters around him doesn't work anymore. If I don't have to leave to guard LeBron to help because he's guardable, then that approach of shooters around him doesn't work anymore."

Both sources doubted the Lakers will finish atop the Western Conference or make the NBA Finals.

NBA scout familiar with the Lakers

"What do I think about them? Less than I thought going in. My opinion has changed some, but long term I still trust LeBron to figure it out -- if he's fully invested. But I think their ceiling is a lot lower than I thought it might be. That is buoyed by the fact long term I don't think anybody in the West has looked all that great. Yes, Utah has looked really good but we've seen that before with Utah, and I'd still take the Lakers over Utah in a series. What's Jamal (Murray) going to look like in the playoffs? Same with Kawhi and the Clippers? The initial results and returns on the Russ fit are not great and those concerns have proven to be founded. But LeBron is the best problem solver in the history of the league."

Projected Western Conference finish: "Fifth."

Projected postseason run: "I'd be surprised if they get to Western Conference finals. But, again, it is LeBron."

Former NBA player

"It's a tough one because in my heart of hearts, just from experience, when you put LeBron with a bunch of great players, even if it doesn't look great, it works out. I'm also a big Russ fan. I think what he does can be integrated into a winning formula. But they're not doing it. They're not playing the way they need to play to have a player like Russ on the team and have him be impactful. For that reason I'm really worried about it. Twenty games is the right barometer (to judge a team), but I see signs offensively and mostly defensively why there are reasons for real concern. They don't look like anyone's afraid of them, and that's a problem for LeBron. Because he's still great but he can't be that LeBron for 98 games. Not anymore. And AD may be the best No. 2 ever, but there's no track record that we can just put the saddle on you and ride into championships. And I love Russ -- I love him -- but it's not working. They need to make a big move. You might even have to move Russ. That roster is too flawed."

Projected Western Conference finish: "Fourth or fifth."

Projected postseason run: "Second round. However, I do think they're built to somehow find a way to get in there and then it's a recalibration of, in a seven-game series, and things slow down, and all the BS that happens in the playoffs -- the calls, the benefit of the doubt LeBron's going to get from the officials, the pressure he's shown he can handle -- and it's hard to bet against them."