On Friday, it was reported that the Los Angeles Lakers would end the preseason with Russell Westbrook moving to the bench, and it is the best move the organization has made in months.
Simply put, the Lakers were a disaster in 2021-2022. The organization made the bold decision to add Russell Westbrook to a roster that had won an NBA championship two seasons prior. But it wasn’t long before it was clear he was a bad fit for the scheme of former head coach Frank Vogel. Injuries were a factor in the Lakers’ performance last year, but they still had more than enough to at least make the playoffs.
Instead, the team could not even reach the play-in tournament. It cost Vogel his job and led to speculation all summer of a possible Westbrook trade. Unfortunately for LA, Westbrook is nearly untradable and they had limited assets and cap space to make any significant roster changes. Now, new head coach Darvin Ham is left with much of last year’s roster and must find a way to make the superstar trio of Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and Lebron James work in 2022-2023.
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One idea that has been rumored for some time, and was officially confirmed on Friday by ESPN, would see the former league MVP start games on the bench and be featured as the team’s sixth man. The strategy will begin in the preseason finale and is the right decision for the team and the 9-time All-Star.
Let’s take a look at why moving Westbrook to the bench is probably the best thing LA has done all year.
Russell Westbrook, Lebron James, and Anthony Davis don’t work well together
On paper, the idea of James, Davis, and Westbrook on the court together seems terrifying. They are three high-level talents who have world-class points-scoring abilities. Unfortunately, whenever the trio was on the court they disappointed. In the lineups last season that featured all three, they were -15.7 and -1.2, respectively, per 100 possessions.
However, as bad as that is, in two of the quintets where it was just Davis and Westbrook, without James, the Lakers were a -24.1 and -18.3. While a lineup of Davis, Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, and Carmelo Anthony was a +13.0 (the best lineup with Westbrook), that still pails in comparison to how bad they can be when the former Oklahoma City Thunder star is on the floor with one or both of his All-Star teammates.
It is a bad mix, and while injuries may have affected the opportunity to build chemistry, the fact that Ham has not seen enough this fall to try and make it work shows nothing has changed since last season.
Being the sixth man lets Russ be Russ
As mentioned above, playing with Davis and James just doesn’t blend well with Westbrook at his best. Which is as a ball-dominant Tazmanian Devil that can break down any offense with his still impressive athleticism and speed. Coming off the bench gives him a better chance to avoid playing alongside his superstar teammates and have the offense all to himself.
As of now, the Lakers bench rotation will feature Dennis Schroder (when healthy), Austin Reaves, Thomas Bryant, and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Yes, not very intimidating. Westbrook being allowed to play to his strength immediately improves that group and puts an All-Star n the second unit.
The more rest for James and Davis the better, and if Westbrook can get back his smile and give the Lakers a strong second group then it is a win for everybody.
Los Angeles Lakers benching a former MVP sends a message
There is no better statement for a new head coach with multi-time All-Stars, MVPs, and champions on the roster than to be able to convince someone like Westbrook that going to the bench is the right move. It would have seemed impossible months ago but now it’s a reality. That is a fantastic sign of how he has gotten the mercurial star to buy into his plan.
- Russell Westbrook stats (2021-2022): 18.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, .298 3PT%
Plus, it says to the rest of the team that no one is above the goal of winning at all costs, and even one of the best NBA players of the last decade can be demoted. If Ham wanted to get the respect of his new team and the Lakers fan base then mission accomplished.