[OFFICIAL] Russell Westbrook as a Los Angeles Laker thread

LeBron is not playing well. At least not to his lofty standards of putting up numbers, playing some level of defense, and WINNING. Right now, all he's doing is putting up numbers.

You could even say that all he's concerned about is his numbers. Especially his scoring numbers. He wants to win the scoring title at 37 is my guess.

And who will blame him? Westbrook has become the greatest scapegoat of all time since he became a Laker. He wasn't one for Durant, George, or Harden. All of those players took heat for failing to succeed with Westbrook.

No doubt LeBron is playing a hand in that as NO ONE in the media, not even his #1 fan/hater Skip Bayless is calling him out on his pisspoor defense and his blatant stat chasing. All the heat is on Westbrook.

I'm not saying that Westbrook is undeserving of the criticism, but LeBron is set to come out of this season with an elevated legacy because he'll win the scoring title even though the Lakers are trash and he's giving zero effort on defense. That's wrong.

Just saying.

 

Lots of people criticized Westbrook when he was with those other guys. But if you are saying Lebron is not receiving as much as those other guys did…we’ll no he isn’t and probably shouldn’t.

He is 37 after all. Plus, Lebron already has 4 rings.

Those other guys Westbrook played with hadn’t won anything and were in the middle of their primes.

So yeah people will probably not be as critical of a 37 year old, still playing at a very high level 4 time champ.

 

this is incorrect. westbrick took heat with all of those guys and rightfully so. westbrick has been on the decline for years and not been a positive on the floor for a long time. greatest scapegoat? not even close. He deserves every bit of heat hes gettting. Hes been flat out terrible. he isn't a scapegoat. he's every bit of the reason why the teams he's on don't do well for the past several years

 

Lol. Don’t think Durant or Harden want to team up with Russ again.

 

LeBron is not playing at a very high level; he is stat padding at a very high level.

Westbrook has earned his criticism, true, but LeBron deserves his own fair share. That's all I'm saying.

I agree with most of what you said except your comments about Russell being a scapegoat.

LeBron is smart enough to know that he could never make a winner out of Westbrook. LeBron knew that his only use for Westbrook would be as a scapegoat while he's accumulating meaningless statistical achievements on a losing team.

I guess there's a chance ego made him believe that he could turn Russell into a winner, but at this point, he's doing what he always does when he knows he can't win: stat pad.

 

I think you are giving too much credit to LeBron's smart.

 

I audibly laughed within the first 20 seconds watching this. Should be on Comedy Central. The sheer amount of times he has shot the ball and completely missed the rim in this video is astounding. He is quite literally going to hurt somebody with all those airballs or the way the ball violently caroms off the backboard. Guys are going to need to start wearing helmets with him out there.

 

SMH if he were on rockets id blamed it on silus...

perhaps silus is giving him free lessons on weekends or something?

 

now it just seems you want to use lebron as the scapegoat rather than address who the real problem is which is absolutely westbrick, with his usual terrible declining play and terrible bball iq.

 

Legend says Westbrook missed 40% of his dunks this season.

 

Take this last game as an example. It was a typical Westbrook game with terrible shooting, he took care of the ball, but overall he had another terrible game. He deserves a low grade for his game.

LeBron had 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. For those numbers he received all kinds of praise and sympathy for having to play with Westbrook. But he shot the ball 29 times and had a -12 plus/minus to Westbrook's -2. He also had at least 2 lazy, negative defensive plays in crunch time and 1 headscratching play on offense.

Yet all we see in highlights is LeBron's best plays, Westbrook's worse plays, and his crunchtime miss. And all we hear about is how bad Westbrook shot and how great of a game LeBron had. The truth is LeBron did more to cost the Lakers the game than Westbrook.

So, that hasn't been the norm for the Lakers's season, but LeBron is not having a great season. At least not an impactful season. He's stat padding and the media is brainwashing everyone to praise him and blame only Westbrook for the Lakers's disappointing season.

 

And we hear about how bad westbrick is for good reason. Because he's terrible and just dumb on the court

 

Walking with Westbrook: Why the Lakers star isn’t letting his struggles steal his joy

Hollywood has its history of producing thespians, so maybe Russell Westbrook was merely acting as he took a slow walk down the tunnel of the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento late Wednesday night.

The Lakers star had just finished his latest unflattering shift at the office, a cold-as-ice night in a loss to the lowly Kings that inspired the brutally honest admission that he “can’t make a ****ing shot” of late, when he headed for the exits in the most curious of moods. All this scrutiny that surrounds him, with so many people wondering why the Lakers added the Why Not? guy last summer and rival teams recently revealing that there was some internal regret about the choice, yet here he was sporting the kind of smile that belied the mood of the moment and, for that matter, the all-black outfit he’d chosen to wear.

This kid from Compton Avenue who is now a 33-year-old man, the Triple Double King and future Hall of Famer who is struggling so mightily to find his way with the hometown team he’d always dreamed of joining, wants you to know the truth about why he’s still happy to be in Laker Land. And while some fans may not like the answer, especially considering the Lakers (21-21) look nothing like a title contender these days and Westbrook is widely seen as the primary reason why, his reasoning has absolutely nothing to do with basketball.

“Yeah, man, (he’s happy because) I get to see my kids, my family, my mom, my dad,” he told The Athletic while he headed for the team bus. “To me, that’s more important than anything else. I’m able to be home and be able to embrace them. They get to see me, and as they get older I get to see my kids every day and take them to school every morning. To me, that brings joy.”

The sequence of events that led to our conversation was quite unique. For starters, Westbrook had been surprisingly forthcoming, insightful and even humorous during his postgame news conference with the handful of reporters who were on hand. That’s not his chosen style in most most interview sessions, let alone one that took place during one of the worst stretches of his famed career.

The last time I’d taken part in one of these types of sessions, back when Westbrook was a minus-23 in his Lakers debut against Golden State at (then) Staples Center on Oct. 19, he brooded afterward in the kind of way that tends to make a room shrink. It was LeBron James, if you remember, imploring Westbrook to take solace in the fact that he could go home and hug his kids that night.

Truth be told, it was this prickly personal history that had even inspired a disagreement among reporters after the Kings game about whether it was worthwhile, or wise even, to request Westbrook’s participation in the latest media session. Yet next thing you know, from the formal press conference that was aired for all the world to see to a brief side discussion with reporters afterward to our chat in the hallway afterward, it was as if he was making a run at the Magic Johnson award that goes to the most media-friendly (high-profile) player every year. And if Westbrook was acting, this was an Oscar-worthy performance.

Narrator’s voice: He wasn’t acting.

“I swear, nobody can imagine it for me because everybody thinks about basketball as the end-all-be-all, but it’s really not, you know?” he continued. “Sportswriters, everybody’s got their own opinion. But I really believe that me being able to do (be in LA) and embrace my kids, it makes them — it puts a smile on my face regardless of what’s happening now.”

So while the Lakers may have had second thoughts about this pairing, in other words, he has not.

“No,” he said when asked if he had any regrets about the move. “Nah. I mean, not at all, because — like I told you — it’s bigger than basketball for me.”

The family component is clearly the saving grace for Westbrook’s spirit. Playing in LA means having his loved ones close by in this place where he rose to prominence at Leuzinger High and UCLA, and where he’s still holding out hope of a storybook finish in these next few months.

There are his parents, Russell and Shannon, his wife, Nina Westbrook, and their three young kids (older son Noah and twin daughters Jordyn and Skye). Take one glance at their latest Christmas picture — the one with the silly faces, the beautiful tree and blessings all around — and it’s easy to see that these claims of bliss and peacefulness are indeed very real.

But when it comes to the day job, Westbrook knows that there’s no running from the reality that his stature — and more specifically, his salary — has everything to do with the criticism that will continue to come his way unless the Lakers pull off a miraculous turnaround here. With annual earnings of $44,211,146 this season, he’s the league’s fourth-highest paid player behind Steph Curry, James Harden and John Wall. James ($41,180,544) is sixth and Davis is 15th ($35,631,360).

Enormous pay-days have always come with hefty expectations in pro sports, and so it is that the Lakers’ struggles have mostly fallen at his feet. After all, as the thinking goes for so many fans, James and Davis already showed they could win a title in 2020. Unless Westbrook can show that his presence takes them to a new level, then the wrath will most certainly continue. Yet by any measure, that has simply not been the case.

It was fair to assume that his individual production would decline because of the choice to join two other stars. Sure enough, Westbrook is averaging 18.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists while playing more minutes than any other player in the league so far. But the Lakers’ net rating is better when he’s off the floor (plus-0.3) than on (minus-1.9), with the offense marginally better and the defense significantly worse. Davis’ recent absence has only compounded the problems, as the Lakers have lost seven of 12 games since he sprained his MCL.

To hear Westbrook and James tell it, there’s a human element that is proving quite problematic at the moment. They all agreed to sacrifice back in the summer, when Westbrook came to James’ house and discussed these sorts of things before the deal with Washington went down. But as is always the case in situations like these, those choices are always easier to stomach when they lead to success that everyone can enjoy. The losing, however, has a tendency to complicate matters on that front.

“We’re all trying to figure it out as a team, as a unit, to be able to say, ‘Ok, how can we figure this out?’” Westbrook said in our chat. “And I know I’m the one who has got to make the biggest sacrifice — and I understand that — so I’ve got to be able to figure out a way to be able to make the best out of it and make the best for this team and that’s it.”

Watch Westbrook closely on any given night, and you might see the frustration get the best of him. He’ll sit by himself on the bench while Lakers coach Frank Vogel gathers the team during a timeout, or camp out in the corner when the play doesn’t call for the ball to be in his hands. When asked recently about the way he has been used, he described it as “all over the place” and said “my job changes every night.” Hence the discomfort.

“Trying to figure it out,” he told me. “I mean, we still don’t have the answer. We done changed the way we play a couple times (laughs). Just for me, it’s trying to figure out the best way to be able to implement how I play the game with this team.”

But with the trade deadline nearing on Feb. 10, what if this team decided it was done playing with him? While a deal is widely believed to be extremely unlikely, in large part, because he has a player option worth $47 million for next season, the mere fact that there has been even the mildest chatter about the Lakers showing interest in trading Westbrook made me wonder how that might sit with him.

Even with all the bigger-than-basketball benefits that came with this latest relocation, and after this choice to push his way back home in August meant he would play for his fourth team in the last four seasons, might that kind of tumult steal one’s joy?

“I never worry,” he fired back. “Do the job. Be professional. Every year, my name is in trade (rumors). It never, never, never seeps into how I approach what I do. It’s kind of what I was mentioning back there (during the press conference). I see this game so different (in terms of) how to use it to be able to impact things.

“Regardless of if (a trade) did happen or if it didn’t happen, nothing’s going to change my mentality or my purpose. I feel like I have a purpose that’s bigger than basketball and I always keep that as my forefront regardless of what happens inside of pro sports.”

 

Well I blame Westbrook for the disappointing Thunder, Rockets, Wizards, and now, Lakers

Can't wait to see what other team he disappoints next if LAL can find another sucker upon whom to dump Russ

I also find it the epitome of irony that you're framing this conversation as:
Lebron's empty stat-chasing vs Westbrook's subtle winning contributions

LeBron - 2nd GOAT and best player of this century
4 rings in, what, 10 Finals?
He's literally played for the championship in half of his 20 seasons
He's been the best player on the court basically every second of every game he's ever played for 2 decades
Mr Finals

Westbrook - Captain trip-dub himself, the ultimate empty stat chaser
Inarguably the absolute worst volume shooter in NBA history, and a pathetic defensive player his entire career
1 Finals loss (to LeBron) in 15 years, and even then only the 3rd best player on that team (KD & Harden)
Mr 8th seed

 

I don't have a problem with Westbrook's mentality in regards to family, after all, that's part of what brings joy into this life. The only thing that bugs me is that his ego is so damn big that he never wants to confront head on the issues that have plagued him his whole career, and now with his athleticism slowly fading, he no longer can easily cover up the lack of skill in certain areas.

He appears to me to be a smart individual and I don't understand why he can't accept his own shortcomings and attempt to fix his game to gracefully bow out from the game. His shot has always, always, always been broken, why not fix that part of your game knowing damn well you are going to play with Lebron James?

It does make me partially question his work ethic (even though we know he is a hard worker), but in essence, it seems that he is going to go down the Allen Iverson route where he can't accept the only type of game he knows how to play and refuses to make adjustments. It's a damn shame, because he is a damn talented individual, but prefers his own personal glory over winning. I don't care how much he pretends to put team first, because he sure as hell does not sacrifice his game, otherwise, he would be a much better shooter and would not be making stupid decisions in the clutch.

 

I'm a third party, so I'm only assuming, but I think @JumpMan is saying LeBron should get some criticism, rather than Westbrook getting all the criticism.

Why is everyone bringing up LeBron's past accomplishments? By doing so, you can argue that LeBron is just coasting on what he's done before, and that's why he's not getting criticism - something that's not fair, when evaluating a player this season. By listing all his past accomplishments, you paint an even bleaker picture. The team that has the "2nd GOAT" shouldn't be struggling, even if you are down your 2nd best player and your 3rd best player is actually garbage.

As good as LeBron is, and as pretty as his stats look, a player averaging 29/7/6 should have his team fighting for HCA, not fighting for a spot in the play-in.

Should that be the case for any player averaging 29/7/6? No, because players are built different. LeBron is one-of-a-kind, and should be held to a different standard. That's why Westbrook is getting so much hate. Dude's been MVP and is on the top 75 players list. If it was like, Talen Horton-Tucker getting Westbrook's paycheck and being as bad as Westbrook, there would not be quite this much chatter.

 

You also have to take into account a 37 year old Lebron isn't mitigating the loss of his 2nd best player AD for half the games and having to make up for westbrick's abysmal play. This in the western conference also. Lebron is obviously one of the best but at this stage, he just isn't able to overcome that much of a gap. To make up for the loss of AD and a negative

 

Substitute LeBron for Russ and 29/7/6 for 18/10/10 ...
And you have perfectly summarized Westbrook's entire disappointing, over-hyped career

My point is that any season not competing for a ring is an anomaly in LBJ's career, whereas Westbrook's is the exact opposite

As for referencing the past ...
Like my Petroleum Engineering mentor told me ...
"Historical past is the best predictor of future performance"
If you're looking for Pay, start where it's already been discovered
Wildcatting in Kansas will make you the Dry-Hole king, not successful

Expecting Harden to suddenly reverse his Elimination James rep by ignoring history is how Vegas gets paid

 

LeBron isn't that player anymore. I am not arguing to blame all-time LeBron for anything the Lakers are doing today. That LeBron doesn't exist anymore. If he did, the Lakers wouldn't be losing so much.

Nor am I arguing to absolve Westbrook. I just don't think that LeBron is having an epic season or that LeBron is doing all he can to help the Lakers win. Because of that, I think he is deserving of some blame for the Lakers's season even if it's for giving his blessing to the Westbrook trade.