Pricey new Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook expressed confidence in his fit alongside LeBron James, one of the most ball-dominant teammates with whom the very ball-dominant Westbrook has ever played. The decorated 6’3″ vet also made it clear that Los Angeles is heading into the 2021/22 season with title expectations.
“LeBron out of anybody else, he knows what it takes to win a championship,” Westbrook said during the team’s Media Day on Tuesday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “And that’s the ultimate goal. So anything along the way … we cannot get distracted, cannot get deterred from our ultimate goal.”
The Lakers will be Westbrook’s fourth team in four years, following stints with the Thunder in 2018/19, the Rockets in 2019/20, and the Wizards in 2020/21. Last year, Westbrook was not named to the All-Star team during a relatively healthy season for the first time since 2009/10. His backcourt mate Bradley Beal was the lone Wizards player to earn that honor in 2021.
Though he averaged 22.2 PPG, a league-leading 11.7 APG, and 11.5 RPG (his fourth triple-double in five seasons), Westbrook was relatively inefficient as a shooter during his Wizards tenure. Westbrook posted a shooting line of .439/.315/.656. The Lakers are hoping that the 2017 MVP, 32, can help expedite their offense and relieve 36-year-old LeBron James of his playmaking burden, especially during the regular season.
“He ups our pace right away,” James raved about his new teammate. “He’s always in the top five as far as pace. Whatever team is what he with, so being able to get out and being able to get out on the break and be able to try to get some early buckets before the defense is set. That creates that. But also he’s just a flat-out playmaker. I think what a lot of people don’t talk about in his game is how unbelievable of a passer he is. Everyone sees the rebounds, everyone sees the scoring and things of that nature, but his passing, his ability to make guys around him better, that does not get talked about a lot.”
There’s more out of Los Angeles:
- New Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn has joined many of his L.A. teammates on the decorated roster of Klutch Sports clients, McMenamin reports (via Twitter). Nunn, who faced off against the Lakers in the 2020 Finals as a rookie on the Heat, signed a two-year, $10MM deal with Los Angeles this summer. After going undrafted out of Oakland in 2018, the 6’2″ point guard carved out a role for himself on a veteran-laden Miami squad in the 2019/20 season, and was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2020. Nunn averaged 15.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG during his two seasons with the Heat. The 26-year-old boasts an impressive career shooting line of .458/.364/.881.
- Lakers All-Star big man Anthony Davis acknowledged during the team’s Media Day that he has had conversations with head coach Frank Vogel about finally becoming the club’s starting center, per Mark Medina of USA Today (Twitter video link). Los Angeles rebuilt its frontcourt rotation around Davis during the offseason, adding veteran former All-Star centers DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard on minimum deals. “That was discussed and I expect to play center,” Davis said. “Obviously there’s times where Dwight or DJ might get the start at center depending on games, but for the most part, I think the plan is to go with me playing center.” In the past, Davis has preferred to start at the power forward position. He has shared the floor alongside a variety of veteran centers while with the Lakers, though Los Angeles found its most success in the 2020 playoffs with Davis at the center position.
- Further details have emerged concerning the new contract of Lakers guard Austin Reaves, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter). Smith reports that the deal is a two-year contract at the league minimum. Reaves has a partial guarantee of $100K for the 2021/22 season, and his full first-year salary will become guaranteed on January 10, 2022. The second year of the agreement is fully non-guaranteed. The 6’5″ rookie, 23, went undrafted out of Oklahoma this summer.
They’re one JR Smith away from being the indisputable favorites to go 82-0 and win the NBA Championship!
While you are playing fantasy dream claim the Lakers will beat every team by 50 points and Jordan will say LeBron is 10 times better than he ever was.
IMO
Lakers starters are
Nunn and Ariza
Big 3
Tucker is bench
Lack of 3 point shooters
I don’t know if they’re planning to start AD at center during the regular season, but if they do he won’t like it. And most people seem to think that Ellington will be starting, not Kendrick Nunn. They need him out there at SG with so few capable shooters available to them, like you said.
Sounds like AD is more open to playing center this season so we’ll see how it goes. I still like Dwight starting against certain lineups, but having AD more willing to play the 5 is a good sign.
Russ on the fast break as we all know is when he’s at his best. He’s almost impossible to stop.
A lot has been said about the poor spacing but I really don’t think it’s going to be that much of an issue.
Defensively they will be very solid, they will attack fast, smart and accurately. Ofcourse they will have their moments just like any team but I really can’t see this team being stopped
Three superstars against three superstars in the Finals.
“Whenever team is what he with”. People don’t talk about how great a passer LeBron is? Westbrook sounds like a complete idiot. Everyone knows how great a passer LeBron is. Every sports talk show I’ve ever listened to. His ratings in 2K. Anyone who plays fantasy basketball. We all know. Maybe his dumbass didn’t know until he started preparing to play with him lol. I can’t stand this dude, or his game. I really hope they have bad chemistry and this blows up in his face.
Being as your frame of reference is 2k… not sure you have to much wiggle room to be calling people complete idiots. I am glad though that when asked a question you have never once in your life flubbed words or talked yourself into a circle. You need to find a better outlet for all that pent up anger.
Too much* sorry wouldn’t want you thinking I’m an illiterate moron
Hmm … so you don’t disagree he sounded illiterate or as you say “flubbed his words”. You also didn’t argue against me saying we all know how good a passer LeBron is. But you take exception to me referencing 2K for bringing awareness to players skill sets? I’ll disagree there. Fiery of all, the players themselves pay attention to those ratings and care about them. The football players with madden too. Most of the players play those games. Now to my original point, most of us would know LeBron can pass without playing a video game, just saying that it’s a huge huge platform where those skills are totally acknowledged.
I have a right to be angry at baby diva players like Westbrook slaying the English language, and saying stupid things like we don’t know LeBron is a passer. As far as being a diva, when you conduct your own trade to join a super team a chase a cheap ring … yeah you’re a baby in my opinion. Why wouldn’t this be the proper forum to vent anger regarding NBA issues?
Actually he does have a point. Using 2K as a reference is just silly and it kills the rest of your take.
yeah Westbrook is a clown
Monk, Ellington, Nunn are going to have to at least take turns playing key roles, especially in the playoffs, and help to space the floor if this team is truly going to go the distance.
They’ll have Matthews, AD, Lebron, Melo, Ariza, and even sometimes Russ that can occasionally get hot from distance, but theure going to need a few snipers when the lane gets clogged come playoff time.
I actually can see Monk and Nunn being able to carve out themselves some really solid roles on this team, and I think both will do well for themselves, resulting in bigger deals their next time in free agency..
Matthews is a free agent.
Shooting is overrated!
LAL won their last ring as one of the worst shooting teams in the league as a matter of fact!
Many more important things in hoops than long distance shooting, you just need to score, right?
Idk, ask Ben Simmons
Exactly Ben is a superstar & can’t shoot, right there you just proofed my point, many thanks, dude!
Ben Simmons hasn’t gone past the second round in his entire career and is going through one of the most publicized break ups with his team in history lol.
I don’t know if Russ occasionally gets hot from distance? Rarely is the word.
During his career from 3-point distance he’s has shot 30.5%, that’s bad.
Davis at center against smaller dudes could work but not against Embiid or Lopez types they are too big and he will be at risk of injury. He is already prone to that anyway.
If the Lakers want AD to stay healthy this season, starting him at center won’t accomplish that goal. Put either Howard or Jordan out there for the majority of minutes at the five to free up AD so he can play more PF.
Otherwise the physical punishment he takes inside will take its toll on him.
I hope AD seriously doubled up on his conditioning in the off season,thats the key in avoiding a major injury.
Opening day roster
PG Westbrook, Nunn, Rondo, Reaves*, Ayayi**
SG Horton-Tucker, Monk, Ellington, McClung*
SF Melo, Bazemore, Ariza
PF Bron
C AD, Dwight, DeAndre Jordan
They Have one open roster spot
* is partial guarantee
** is two way contract
Imagine Big P Ben Simmons with a Westbrick mentality? Probably would be an MVP candidate. Instead he’s in an empty gym trying to keep the bad thoughts out.
What kind of mvp was unwanted by 3 teams in the last 2 yrs? He’s more like a journeyman with stats…
Well he is a former MVP. A bunch have changed teams several times like Westbrick. Shaq, LeBron, Durant, Barkley, Harden, Rose, Nash, KG, AI.
@Michol
The guy is a 9 time all star and has averaged a triple double 4 of the pst 5 seasons. Look at the teams he has left. Do you need a breakdown? OKC was starting their rebuild. Houston completely fell apart. WAS wasn’t as good as they thought they’d be.. yet Russ played a huge part helping Beal drag them into the playoffs.
Russ will be Russ. No he can’t shoot 3’s really but he can ball.
It’s all on Lebron. I don’t see how this works, but I don’t want to bet against lebron either. Other than the Russell era Celtics and MJ no one has had as much success getting to the finals so consistently
I say its all on Westbrook. Its LeBron’s team and he is the leader of his team. He says what he expects from those around him. Westbrook needs to lower his ego and be a team player. If he wants to be the super star Lakers will fail.