What is going on
The Los Angeles Lakers are 1-4 in their five preseason games. Chemistry is nowhere to be seen. You have players missing wide open layups or just overall missing passes. A player who is supposed to be the veteran of the court. This player is angered at a referee call so much he ignored the team huddle. A team huddle that Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and Patrick Beverly participated in. That player is Russel Westbrook and he has been off the charts with unprofessionalism. When James is in a huddle and you are on his team you go to that huddle.
The Situation
The Lakers were going head to head in their fourth preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves this Thursday. The game was already frustrating for Westbrook. By his domineer you can tell, it showed on the floor and his stats. In twenty-five minutes of playing time he only scored five points. Due to this lack luster performance he fouled a Timberwolves player who was driving in for a layup and gave him a hence to shoot a free-throw.
Patrick Beverly realized that something was wrong with the team at the moment so he called for a team huddle. Therefore, making the team realize that this is a team game. Every Lakers layer on the floor did the huddle except for one. The one who didn’t participate was Westbrook. Davis looked at him in shock and tried talking to Westbrook and calm him down. Westbrook did not want to hear none of that.
What does this mean
Nobody wants a player on their team who cannot understand he is on a team. Westbrook has no right to be pouting for foul calls. His passing is terrible and his shot is atrocious. There is a reason why his nickname in the NBA is “Westbrick”. In addition, his playmaking is no better than James, and Westbrook is a point guard. How is a small forward making better passes and less turnovers than a point guard. Last season The Lakers were a joke of a time not even making the playoffs or play in.
Westbrooks Career
What do they expect. Westbrook has not had good chemistry with teammates since his Oklahoma city Thunder days. Back when he was with fear the beard James Harden and Kevin Durant. They were all beast on the court but then they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the finals it all went down hill. Durant left the team and joined the Warriors, the team that destroyed them in the finals. Although, he did have Harden, but the team he was on traded him as well. It was a very big mistake by team management because just a few years later Harden won the Most Valuable Player Award. Eventually the team made a big move in trading for Paul George from the Indiana Pacers. This was great until Damian Lilard came along and torched the Thunder in a close out game winner. It was a mess for the team chemistry, and later that year Westbrook requested a trade and was moved to the Houston Rockets where again he couldn’t match with the teams build. Mainly the shooting part and this is why it has never worked for Russel Westbrook. Hopefully he gets back on track with this season and finally gets his ring.
Written by Vincent Sauseda Jr.
Sources:
ESPN: NBA preseason game stats
msn: Timberwolves Defeat Lakers Again In Second Preseason Meeting
Los Angeles Times: Nothing goes right for Lakers, again, as they fall to Timberwolves
Top image courtesy of Miguel Discart Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset image courtesy of Glenn Simmons Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
