Russell Westbrook is being criticized for a poor shooting night Saturday against the Nets, but LeBron James came to the defense of his teammate after the Lakers suffered their fifth straight loss, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Westbrook turned in another triple-double, but he shot just 4-of-20 from the field, committed five fouls and three turnovers, and missed a shot at the rim in the closing seconds of the game.
“He gave us extra possessions, he gave us a lot of looks around the basket, which I know that he can’t stand (failing to convert) as well,” James said. “But as far as the effort piece, if a guy plays hard, if a guy leaves it all out on the floor, I got no problem with that. It’s a make-or-miss league.”
L.A. sent three rotation players and a draft pick to the Wizards over the summer to acquire Westbrook, who they hoped would form a dangerous Big Three with James and Anthony Davis. However, the results have been mixed at best as the Lakers are 16-18 and Westbrook is averaging just 19.6 points per game, shooting 45.1% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range and committing 4.6 turnovers per night. There have been rumors that the front office has already discussed trading him, but his contract, which includes a $47.1MM player option for next season, makes that difficult.
“A big part of it is he just wants it so bad,” acting head coach David Fizdale said. “I mean, you can just see it in him, everybody does. He wants it so bad. And I know that’s just hard for him when it doesn’t work out. And I know he cares like crazy.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- L.A. is in danger of becoming the first franchise not to maximize James’ considerable talents, contends Bill Oram of The Athletic. LeBron’ presence used to mean an almost automatic trip to the NBA Finals, but apart from the title run in 2020, the Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since signing him and may be headed for another appearance in the play-in round.
- The team got a boost from Malik Monk, who returned to the lineup Saturday after missing five games while in the health and safety protocols, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Monk learned he was in the protocols during the team’s recent road trip and wound up spending five days in Minnesota.
- Appearing in his first game since signing a hardship contract, Stanley Johnson was happy to be back on the court and playing for his hometown team, Turner adds. “I kinda just like let it happen,” Johnson said. “I was in quarantine a day ago, like 36 hours ago … and I have barely time to do anything and they throw me in the game and I play a lot of minutes. I’m just, one, blessed and grateful to even be here right now and just learn as much as I can to be as useful as I can for this team.”
I got so much crap for criticizing the Westbrook trade when it happened and even got crap like 2 months ago for criticizing it again.
& you deserve every bit of it, Russ is a great player having a good season, that LAL are losing ain’t on him!
WAS lost that trade hands down, a bunch or bench role players can’t ever compare to a star player, as simple as!
Nope lakers lost the trade big time ! Russ never gave lakers a big 3 never ! With ad out Russ does not give the lakers a big 2 , he doesn’t! Russ is no star anymore and he is no longer a all star candidate !
Just all facts nobody that nobody has any right or reason to debate!
Lakers are play in tournament bound
the moment that trade happened I said the Lakers would be a train wreck and have never ending injuries.. not because of who the players were… but how the roster was built.. this Lakers team is the ultimate square peg in a round hole.
The problem was they passed up DeRozan to do it. Clearly the wrong move
DeRozan was never going to sign for the 5 or so mil. max the Lakers had to offer and they couldn’t sign and trade for him or they would have been capped. Nevermind that the Spurs weren’t interested in the package that Wash. took.
It was said lakers could have gotten demar for kcp kuzma and their first this year ! But they fell in love with the idea of the disastrous Russ trade
As I recall, it was popular NOT liking that trade, so congrats geniuses on being trendy. Now say you knew the Wiz was on the rise without him.
Noel the alternative to RW was Hield, not Derozan. Besides the trade details, Popovich is not going to help LA.
That Laker-Nets game was record dull for a Christmas game… except for Patty Mills. Give this guy a team to run! 12 years in, and only one year did he start more than 8 games.
Don’t be so rough on the kid X….After all the “crap” he got on the internet a couple months ago he deserves his moment …Let him have his moment in the sun !
Lakers are keen on Jerami Grant.
Never been done before but could they trade Russ and THT for Grant and Blake Griffins owed money which counts against the salary.
So basically Russ and THT for Grant and a 30mil bill.
You’d probably then move Bron back to point, and have Ariza SF and Grant PF, then occasionally move Grant to SF and AD to PF in big line ups.
Otherwise could they trade THT for a first rounder then package that first plus their own first in 2027 with Russ and trade that for Lillard.
Russ and 2 first for Lillard.
Lillard Bron and AD would be so tough and Lillards shooting opening up the court would make a real difference.
You dream too small… Call Brooklyn and offer THT straight up for KD.
“AsIdE fRoM tHe TiTlE iN 2020…” That’s a big ‘aside’!
They got very lucky to win that title…. The Heat had a one armed Bam, and their top playoff scorer (Dragic) played in only 2 game on a broken foot….. the Heat still won 2 games of that series… at full health that’s probably the Heat’s ring. if they re played that series today with the same rosters.. the heat might sweep it lol.
Just like last year stars were out too so we disregard Milwaukee’s chip last year too lol. Best team standing Wins it all what planet are you on hahaha
who’s disregarding it? The healthy Heat would have beaten that Bucks team (which they did only months earlier).. instead they were swept by them.. you can only play the team in front of you in the moment.. no one can take that away… but it’s also 100% ok to admit something wouldn’t have happened under different circumstances.
The lakers won the first game by like 30 points when the heat stars got hurt , they won the last game by like 30 they won the 2nd game by like 17 points ! Lakers where better then a fully healthy heat by a lot !
Where lakers got lucky is the long break lebron and ad got and the way ad shot in the bubble
Yes… with a one armed bam, and their top scorer playing only 2 games with a broken foot.. the lakers dominated. When the heat weren’t rocked by those set backs.. they beat them twice… without Dragic, and Bam still playing with one arm… re writing this history won’t change the literal facts lol
FACT is Lakers won… Don’t talk about facts if you don’t respect them.
You don’t know what literal means either, and the sentiment is incoherent overall. The Heat were lucky, lacking title talent. Other than that… still a waste.
Lakers were the best team in basketball in 2019-20. Thinking otherwise is delusional.
I’m gonna repeat myself.. the Lakers (as a franchise) suck…. their front office does not know how to build a roster and would rather have prestige (IE a name) than fit. Lebron thrives next to stretch bigs and 3D guys… so who do they bring in? Dwight Howard, Westbrook and DeAndre Jordan. They should have had guys like Robin Lopez, Demar DeRozan, and others fill those spots.. but nope.. gotta have Carmelo not the guy averaging 25ppg in the G league ready to blow up in the NBA… gotta get Isaiah Thomas rather than someone who fits… gotta get that name….. Not even the Cavs were this stupid with Lebron.. and they weren’t great either. The Heat “got it” bringing in guys like Rashard Lewis, Shane Battier, and Ray Allen… the only one fitting that mold for the Lakers is Trevor Ariza.. and he’s played what.. 5 minutes this season? lol
Bro we may not be performing very well right now and the current roster is definitely not cohesive, but to say the Lakers franchise sucks is just plain stupid and makes anything else you have to say pointless.
They might actually suck with Jeanie buss the rambis tag team and rob pelinka! That ownership and management has to be at best tied with another or two for worst in all the nba !
Do you laker people seriously not comprehend the difference between the current state of something vs. its history? The Florida Panthers (the hockey team) has been a joke of a franchise for 25+ years…. this year they’re probably the best team in Hockey.. does that erase the last 25 years? Nope.. but it shows they are run much better now than they used to be… the Lakers are the literal opposite of that.. the Lakers were a great franchise in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and late 90’s / 00’s…. they aren’t now.
You’re going good on the fumbling Lakers but once you mentioned FLA P. as the best hockey team, you lost all credibility. Stick to B-ball.
The Lakers will do what it takes to win. It might not be this season or the next 5 seasons but we’ll figure it out. Considering we’ve won at least one championship in each of the last 5 decades, I’d say that pattern tells you that the franchise doesn’t suck. But go ahead and continue to argue the obvious point that we aren’t playing well with our current roster if it makes you feel better.
Time to take your meds Jeremey
Lakers Fans are Dreami not again. They sold their soul for AD and Russ. No way they come out of the west UTah, PHX and GSW are to strong and have chemistry. It may be a long time before the Lakers rise unless AD plays better than he ever has.
LeBron was on video saying the Warriors have not suffered any injuries this season. What about Wiseman and Thompson? last 3 games they had 4 players out for Covid. Today Green goes out for Covid. LeBron needs to admit they are old and tired.
just another point… if the Lakers trade THT for a bandaid over their broken limb…. it once again shows how poorly run the franchise is. He’s the literal only building block they have… and if they trade him.. it’s officially a roster full of mercenaries that don’t fit as a team together.
Good thing you’re not running the Lakers. THT still has all kinds of things missing from his game. It could be 4-5 years before he puts it all together, if ever. The potential is there though so He should go to a rebuilding team that has the time NOW to let him develop. THT just isn’t going to fit the current LBJ window but his contract has value so they should absolutely use it to acquire a 10-15mil guy that fills a weakness. He’s the only building block? Cmon. Monk is only 2 years older at 23 and already has shown to be the better all around player. Reaves also has strong potential.
End of the day, building blocks aren’t all that important for the Lakers right now. When Lebron hangs it up in a couple years, Russ is gone and AD back home in Chicago. The Lakers will have all the money in the world to buy as many building blocks as they want and then some.
Yea… good thing guys that hired Luke Walton and couldn’t win more than 20 games pre lebron are running it instead of someone competent… good for the rest of the NBA
You can really tell who watches THT and who doesn’t
They guy looks awful today, G league material
Only sensible Laker add-on this season was Stanley who is the glue guy that can stay in front of his man, only shoot when he’s wide open, and provide some athletism to the lineup (all the attributes that THT should bring but fail miserably). But then again you’ve that moron crawling out and recite Stanley’s stats with Raptors last season and be fascinated how anyone could like Stanley’s game.
adding a guard to a team loaded with 6-8 guards was sensible? The only moves I agree with were Carmelo (for bench scoring) and Ariza (the glue guy you hinted at while also being a stretch 4)…. everything else was moronic and should/would get most GM’s fired.
LOL … every Laker move this season has been idiotic. Your Ariza as the glue guy has literally been stuck to the floor. He’s been done for 3 yrs now. Only 6-8 guard with any lateral movement has been Stanley. Anyways, we all get to enjoy the slow moving death march for the rest of this and many many seasons.
AD is biggest issue on LA. He is their best player. And is always out. He doesn’t care like Russ and Bron. It’s like he won one so he’s already done that. No Mamba mentality in soft AD. Imo Russ should be moved to SG and start Rondo. The guy they can really use now is Nunn. For all the drama. Lakers are still the 7th seed and just 2 gms out of 5th seed. They definitely got issues. But it’s not too late for them. Not saying they are going to win it. But they can be a dangerous playoff team.
to be fair.. when AD is 100% there’s probably no one better than him in the NBA… he can move like a guard and post up with any big…. and he can shoot….. the problem is his health… which is not his fault.
His health is not his fault. Oh ok
Post who. He only posts guys who are smaller than him. That’s the whole issue with him. He doesn’t want to play C. Not even in small ball. And being the best player includes playing D. Not really a 2way player.
Russ just doesn’t fit on this team. He had a triple double but also cost us the game in my opinion. Rondo should’ve been on the court and I like what Stanley Johnson brings to the team. I hate to say it but Russ just hasn’t adapted to this roster and we could use something else on the floor to take his minutes.
Russ doesnt fit ANYWHERE! He should have never left OKL. They conned him into thinking that they were doing him a favor trading him to a contender. Now, he’s just another journeyman.
This team sold out to win a championship one year when they shipped everyone out for AD. Everyone knew the window would be short.
The Lakers had to take the Russ trade. They were going no where with the bums they traded kuzma, kcp, and the big guy the traded who I can’t even remember his name. These guys were scrubs. I also don’t think the thought was Westbrook would be a superstar. And just last year he did take the wizards to the playoffs. Bradley Beal couldn’t of done that alone and never has since John wall left.
Everyone knew the window would be short when acquiring a 28 year old superstar? Aside from him not being healthy I’d say a window in AD’s prime is still wide open and will be for a while
Still say best way to use Westbrook at this point. Is let him play the 2. He can D the opposing SG. And still get his 20 from the wing. Lakers need Nunn. A PG who can pass and run the offense.
I say 6th man and start Rondo THT Lebron AD and Dwight.
Let’s all just calm down. Season is not even half over, long way to go…