After the Lakers’ win over the Warriors on Saturday, there was plenty to celebrate about. For one, LeBron James had a season-high 56 points. Guys like Austin Reaves and Carmelo Anthony were phenomenal at the defensive end. But, what about Russell Westbrook?
Despite having five turnovers, Russ had a respectable stat line. He had 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in 32 minutes. As a bonus, he finished with a plus-minus of 13 (which matched his fellow teammate LeBron).
So, what’s all this talk about demoting Russell Westbrook to the bench?
How Did This All Start?
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, there has been a push among those in the Lakers organization to demote the 2017 MVP to the bench. This has placed pressure on head coach Frank Vogel to make a change.
However, he has resisted taking Russ off of the starting lineup despite struggles to find his role in Los Angeles.
The team’s frustrations have not helped Westbrook’s case, as they’ve lost 11 of their last 14 games before the win against Golden State. Even though he’s had his troubles, Russ’s stats have been respectable. He’s averaging about 18 points a game with 7.7 rebounds and 7 assists in 34 minutes.
So, Now What?
Every player has his struggles, and Russell Westbrook is no exception. He’s gone through a lot over the past few years. This is his fourth team in four years.
It’s been reported that the Lakers and Westbrook agree to move on after this season ends. Both parties have a mutual interest in finding a new home for the point guard.
The Purple and Gold aren’t dead yet. They’re currently the ninth seed in the West, which would put them in the play-in tournament with a chance to make the playoffs.
Pushing Westbrook to the bench isn’t going to fix this team’s struggles. From the team’s energy to effort levels, there are many things that need to be fixed.
With Anthony Davis out, the Lakers need someone to step up and be the second star next to LeBron. Whether fans like it or not, Russ is that guy. Malik Monk or Carmelo Anthony, despite stepping up at times, aren’t players that can step up and be that number two guy.
We saw what Westbrook can do when he has confidence. Instead of relying on jump shots, he drove into the paint on multiple occasions against the Warriors.
Even in the past, we’ve seen him have outstanding performances late in the year. For example, look at his stats for the last 11 games of the regular season last year.
He’s more than capable of playing alongside LeBron and putting up stat lines like he usually does. This team needs him to be the Westbrook of old and push them to the playoffs. Bringing him off the bench would damage his confidence.
If you’re Frank Vogel, he was right to be reluctant in taking Russ out of the starting lineup. Keeping his role consistent as the starting point guard could pay dividends and we could see Westbrook ball out like we’re used to.
Trust in Russ.
For more on the NBA, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Nathan on Twitter.
