Why did the Lakers even get Russell Westbrook?

[Street Hunger]

LeBron James has always been his team's real PG.

Russell Westbrook has never been a true PG, and he doesn't hit three-pointers.

His addition on the Lakers never made clear sense, did it?

[SATAN]

LeBron James has always been his team's real PG.



He's 37 years old. He needs to rest sometimes. Even the biggest Westbrook hater couldn't foresee this level of incompetence from him. I can't remember what other PG options would have been available but theoretically Russ should have been able to make it work (like he said he would). It's pretty unbelievable looking at how it has played out.

[John_Connor]

LeGM


https://i.postimg.cc/v8qCzYCg/Screen-Shot-2022-02-06-at-12-23-16-AM.png

[RRR3]

LeBron and AD wanted him and Pelinka was too stupid to say no to them. While undoubtedly a bad decision by Bron and AD, they're not the GM so Pelinka should be getting the blame for listening to them. Like Jerry west said if you let players pick the roster they will pick their friends.

[bison]

Trolls aside, the idea was that the lakers needed a third superstar to make up from the loss production whenever Bron or AD are injured. The move was made after a injury riddled 20-21 season and Westbrook is a super healthy 82 game stats producing guy.

[Spurs m8]

LeWarRoom

Keep talking bout ma squad

Keep dat same energy

Cringe

[RRR3]

Trolls aside, the idea was that the lakers needed a third superstar to make up from the loss production whenever Bron or AD are injured. The move was made after a injury riddled 20-21 season and Westbrook is a super healthy 82 game stats producing guy.
Westbrook hasn't been a superstar since 2017. He wasn't even an all-star last year.

[Axe]

They must've thought him getting triple doubles during games as common sight would help the team to become dominant somehow. The thing is, his potential in making turnovers per game hurts them.

[SouBeachTalents]

Trolls aside, the idea was that the lakers needed a third superstar to make up from the loss production whenever Bron or AD are injured. The move was made after a injury riddled 20-21 season and Westbrook is a super healthy 82 game stats producing guy.
But even if that plan had worked out exactly the way the Lakers had drew it up, what the hell was their strategy come playoff time? Westbrook was always going to be an atrocious fit next to LeBron, so even if Westbrook stepped in for LeBron/AD during the regular season, he was always going to be a major risk to be a liability for them by the playoffs.

[TheGoatest]

Because it was basically a choice between Westbrook and a player not good enough to start for the Sacramento Kings.
And since the Lakers are about winning championships now, they went for the high-risk, high-reward option, which obviously didn't pay off.

But it was worth a shot. Especially because they already got everything Buddy Hield would've given them in Malik Monk. And then some. And had they gotten Hield, who knows if they would've gotten the steal of the offseason in Monk.

[John8204]

It was an ego and availability thing, Russ couldn't win with Harden and Durant so if he won with Lebron that would be another notch in his cap.

[bison]

Monk should have passed to Russ to hit that GW at regulation.

[bladefd]

Because it was basically a choice between Westbrook and a player not good enough to start for the Sacramento Kings.
And since the Lakers are about winning championships now, they went for the high-risk, high-reward option, which obviously didn't pay off.

But it was worth a shot. Especially because they already got everything Buddy Hield would've given them in Malik Monk. And then some. And had they gotten Hield, who knows if they would've gotten the steal of the offseason in Monk.

Lakers have nobody to replace kcp or Caruso though, especially on the defensive end.

[n00bie]

The whole Lakers team was just made up of washed up stars looking for a ring.

[Johnny32]

the lakers have desperately needed a second playmaker for when lebron sits for a couple years now. pretty obvious why.

[TheGoatest]

the lakers have desperately needed a second playmaker for when lebron sits for a couple years now. pretty obvious why.

This, if anything, should be current Westbrick's role, on the Lakers. Replacing LeBron, who should be starting at point, off the bench. He should not be in the starting lineup, which should look like this:

LeBron
AD
Monk
Stanley Johnson

and I'm not sure who the fifth player should be, but I'm sure that it shouldn't be current Westbrick.

[bladefd]

This, if anything, should be current Westbrick's role, on the Lakers. Replacing LeBron, who should be starting at point, off the bench. He should not be in the starting lineup, which should look like this:

LeBron
AD
Monk
Stanley Johnson

and I'm not sure who the fifth player should be, but I'm sure that it shouldn't be current Westbrick.

There are not enough minutes for LeBron and Westbrook to not play together. LeBron plays 35mpg in regular season and 40 in playoffs. You can only stagger them so much before minutes intersect somewhere.

[BigKobeFan]

LeWarRoom

[LLL3]

Pelinka let a guy with an 85 IQ play GM