The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the most disappointing NBA teams over the last year and star Russell Westbrook has drawn the most attention for the team’s downfall. With the 2022-’23 season off to another rough start, Westbrook’s career could be hanging in the balance.
Westbrook registered some of the worst numbers of his career last season, averaging fewer than 20 PPG for the first time in his career. During that underwhelming season, he shot just 44% from the field and 29% from downtown. While his stats weren’t awful, his on-court play has become a massive topic among fans and the media.
- Russell Westbrook stats (2021-’22): 18.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.1 APG, 3.8 TPG
During his first year with the Purple and Gold, Westbrook has often made headlines for his questionable plays down the court. It became the reason for fans and the media to blame most of their struggles on the nine-time All-NBA. While it’s unfair to put all the blame on Westbrook, that doesn’t mean that he’s not at fault.
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The first three games have been similar to his performances last year, if not even worse. In his second game of the year, he shot 0-11 from the field, including a 0-6 from the perimeter.
Just as concerning is his lack of awareness of his own problems. If he doesn’t have a moment of reflection soon, it might be fair to wonder how much longer he’ll be in the NBA.
On-court maturity can save Russell Westbrook’s NBA career
When Westbrook joined the NBA in 2008, he dazzled the crowd with his gravity-defying leaping ability. His fearlessness on the floor allowed him to stand out among the traditional guards that were reigning the league at the time. He quickly developed his skills and became a star. Since then, he’s maintained that same on-court tenacity and hasn’t changed his style.
The league has changed. Threes are more prevalent and perimeter defenders are historically valuable These aren’t the most impactful aspects of Westbrook’s game. While he’s managed to average 1.7 steals throughout his career, that doesn’t mean he’s a lockdown defender. He is wandering at times as a defender, causing him to leave his assignment.
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Westbrook is getting older and hasn’t adapted to the newer brand of the NBA. Over the summer, a few teams were interested in acquiring Westbrook, but only if Los Angeles attached future first-round picks.
Getting traded to the Lakers didn’t do him any favor. Back with the Washington Wizards, Westbrook still averaged an insane triple-double. The Olympic gold medalist averaged 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists, the most in his career. However, that wasn’t the case for Westbrook when he jumped ship to the Lakers.
The Lakers needed a third star to help Anthony Davis and LeBron James get back into basketball relevancy. Nevertheless, Westbrook isn’t that kind of star. We saw with the Oklahoma City Thunder that he’s an alpha star. As long as the system allows him to play his brand of basketball, he can slowly adapt and hide his flaws with his effort and elite talent.
So, I don’t think Westbrook won’t get a contract if he does hit free agency in 2023. However, he needs to prove to teams that he can adapt to the pace of the new NBA. Aside from scoring, Westbrook can still offer a ton for any team. The UCLA alum is a capable facilitator and can play a team-focused system. He might have a similar path to Carmelo Anthony, where he’ll spend a few months waiting for an offer. It isn’t too late for Westbrook to change his game. He has to admit that he needs to work on a few aspects of his game and focus on being a complete player.
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That way, he’ll still see the twilight years of his career in an NBA team and not wait for a contract. The way I see it, that’s the only strategy that will make Westbrook attract future suitors.