The Lakers were encouraged by Russell Westbrook‘s performance off the bench Friday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It’s a role that new head coach Darvin Ham talked to Westbrook about during the offseason, and he decided to make the move after the team’s sluggish start.
Westbrook turned in his best game of the season, delivering 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. However, his shooting woes continued as he hit just 6-of-17 from the field and 5-of-10 from the foul line and he turned the ball over five times.
“From Day 1, I mentioned I’m the guy that’s willing to do whatever for the team,” said Westbrook, who hadn’t been used as a reserve since his rookie season. “I’ll sacrifice whatever it is that needs to be sacrificed — parts of my game that I’ve done for years to accommodate whatever it is that the coach needs me to do, and I’ll continue to do that.”
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- Anthony Davis sat out his first game of the season Friday due to lower back tightness, McMenamin adds. While it doesn’t sound like a serious injury, there are always concerns with any physical ailment involving Davis, who has played just 40 and 36 games the past two seasons. “He has to do what’s best for his body,” LeBron James said. “He has to do what’s best for his body and his mind. If his mind is gone, then everything else will fall to the wayside. So he has to trust himself. Yes, he wants to play every game. Yes, he wants to be out there for our team. But he’s had a lot of bumps and bruises over the last few years, so he has to trust himself, trust his staff and not put his body in harm’s way.”
- After L.A. dropped to 0-5, Ham joked with reporters about the team’s lack of offense, per Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Asked if Lonnie Walker can become the “third scorer” in the starting lineup, Ham responded, “I mean, we welcome any and all scorers, whether they’re third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh. If you can score, we’ll work you out tomorrow.”
- The Lakers ended Friday’s game with James at center, trying to create a mismatch with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, Goon notes. James indicated that he doesn’t expect to see much time in the middle, explaining that Ham is experimenting with different combinations. “We’re just trying to find what works right now, to be honest,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who is on the floor. We’re just trying to find what works, who can give us the best chance to win a ballgame.”
ESPN Perkins is talking about sacrifice
Westbrook and Harden become defensive focus point?
Contract year sacrifice for Westbrook and Harden can help the teams
If the teams win nothing, you sacrifice by playing top tier defense. Your team miss the playoffs, you stats is
9
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I believe you’re saying they shouldn’t sacrifice personal stats for the team because they’re in contract years?
Here’s the thing though: Westbrick just isn’t good. Teams see that. If some team didn’t a trade would’ve already been done. At best he’s getting a veteran’s minimum deal to sell tickets on a bad team next season. There is a very real chance he’s out of the league.
To continue your point, Russ sacrificing personal stats for the team may actually *help* his contract chances next year. No one will want him if he’s just the same stat-padding, poor-shooting malcontent he’s been the last two years. If he suddenly started playing team ball and more efficiently, maybe he gets a better contract next year, just like Melo.
Westbrook has been butt kissed for over a decade and now he’s going to put the game before himself? When a ” legend” jokes about the coach thinking of having him come off the bench, take the under on wins per season.
How can you even tell what he is saying?? lol
The bench especially looked way better with someone controlling the offense there. They have to stick with this. When Schroeder gets back or if he ever gets back, he should start and Walker should move to the bench. Davis, Bron, Brown, Schroeder, Beverly. Bryant, Gabriel, Walker, Reaves, Russ. It’s a terrible roster but that’s the best you can do with it
“We were really encouraged by his performance.”
And his “best performance of the season” is a resounding almost 2:1 turnover to assist ratio along while missing roughly two-thirds of his baskets and only hitting half of his ten free throws..
Way to go Lakers, you almost got it figured out….
How on Earth have they not made the Hield and Turner deal yet!?! Honestly, they night as well take Theis too, couldn’t hurt, Bryant ain’t walking through that door anytime soon…
I hate to say it, but right now the Lakers are the definition of a [you know what] show, and they have no one to blame but themselves…
Poor Darvin Ham didn’t stand a chance…And instead of making Vogel look like the scapegoat, they’ve somehow successfully made him look like one of the best coaches in the NBA..
Lakers with a perfect 0-5 start. They already look like a lottery team. Pathetic.
7 steps to Laker greatness. #1 Fire Perlinka and replace with Ryan West or Magic #2 Replace Ham with Udoka LukeWalton and Rondo on the coaching staff. #3 Trade with Orlando for Bol Bol to play center. #4 Trade A.D., Nunn and Walker to the Nets for Kylie,Simmons and Curry #5 Go back to running the triangle. #6 Sign Shareef O’Neal and Start Scottie Pippen Jr and Cole Swider..
Honestly I kind of thought LAL would have a regression to the mean a bit this year, at least to start
But they look terrible. So far AD is having no “redemption” year and Russ is actually worse statistically than he was last year
Maybe most concerning is that LeBron, while still getting his numbers and picking his spots, actually looks human out there. He was regularly deferring to Austin Reaves and Kendrick Nunn against Minnesota while camping out behind the 3.
I’m not sure there’s “one more run” with this group regardless of configuration. The best move may be to let Russ expire and start asking Bron and AD where they’d like to be traded to next summer
Stop blaming Westbrook for everything. Incompetent management is the problem.
Its time for the Buss family to sell the controlling interest in the Lakers.