It’s safe to say that the Lakers haven’t started this new season as expected. Currently, the team sits at 2-3, despite the summer addition of All-NBA point guard Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook’s performances also took a nosedive, as he’s averaging just 17.8 PPG. The last time he averaged under 20 was during his rookie season back in 2008.
While a stat drop isn’t surprising given the Lakers’ big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Westbrook, he’s also suffering in the shooting department as he’s currently shooting 17.4% from three. In addition, he has a 47.4% conversion rate from the line.
As a result, former NBA coach Jim Boylen shared his thoughts on Westbrook’s play, even suggesting that he comes off the bench for the Lakers.
“What about maybe coming off the bench and playing against a backup, making other guys better? He�s a willing passer, he tries to make people better, he plays full bore, which we respect. He�s tough as nails, but his decisions need to improve.”
Jim Boylen
Understandably, fans weren’t happy with Boylen’s controversial take. However, given the Lakers’ poor start to the season, he does have some reasoning behind it.
The frustration only grew on October 27th as the team blew a 26-point lead to lose to the Thunder. Before the game, OKC was 0-4.
Westbrook expressed his frustration postgame after being ejected late on for hounding Thunder forward Darius Bazley. The conflict arose after Bazley threw down an emphatic dunk with the Thunder up five already with essentially no time left on the clock.
The bit of showboating didn’t sit right with Westbrook, who understandably wasn’t in the best of moods postgame.
“When s**t like that happens, I don�t let it slide. In the game of basketball, there�s certain things you just don�t do. Like in baseball, you don�t flip the bat. There�s certain things you don�t do in sports when the game�s already over. And I didn�t like it. Simple as that.”
Russell Westbrook
While the season is only five games in, Frank Vogel has some concerns to address. Finding the proper rotations, play style, and simply building chemistry all take time. If the Lakers continue the sub-par play, Vogel may very well find himself in the hot seat this season.
