Should the Lakers bring Russell Westbrook off the bench?

[Street Hunger]

What should Russell Westbrook's role on the Lakers be this season?

[coin24]

Traded preferably or benched indefinitely

[3ba11]

starting point guard

oh wait... lebron isn't good to fit with Westbrook like Durant did (expert jumpshooter).

I guess the only option is to reduce westbrook to a role player like all of lebron's teammates to accomodate Lebron's simpleton skillset of ball-domination

Lebron's frontcourt ball-domination ties a coach's hands into playing a garbage "heliocentric" offense that lacks the teammate development, fits or brand of ball to win organically... hence the coup to get AD (collusion.. talent-based winning because he can't develop a good brand of ball or chemistry)

[Lakers Legend#32]

At this point, pay him off to go away.

[Xiao Yao You]

Should have been coming off the bench last year. He could be a great 6th man with his energy

[ShawkFactory]

Should have been coming off the bench last year. He could be a great 6th man with his energy

In theory yes. But I don’t think he wants to be a role player

[Xiao Yao You]

In theory yes. But I don’t think he wants to be a role player

no but that will be his reality going forward so he's going to have to come to terms with it. He won't be getting paid 40 million again next year

[Pitbull]

Allen Iverson 2.0. He will refuse, and be out of the NBA sooner than you think.

[Lakers Legend#32]

How 'bout hiding him on the bench?

[Round Mound]

Yes. He basically plays the same way Lebron plays. I knew it wouldn't work. The Lakers need to sorround themselves with 3-point specialists and good perimeter defenders.

[imdaman99]

Trade him but you know they need him around to scapegoat.

Fk the Laker fans. Wish Kobe was around to shit on those fat walruses.

[Pitbull]

Yes. He basically plays the same way Lebron plays. I knew it wouldn't work. The Lakers need to sorround themselves with 3-point specialists and good perimeter defenders.

Him and Lebron are way different players. Lebron plays winning ball, Westbrook is Iverson ( Not Lebron).

[kawhileonard2]

He should be the go to scorer.

[ImKobe]

Trade him but you know they need him around to scapegoat.

Fk the Laker fans. Wish Kobe was around to shit on those fat walruses.

They are probably better off keeping him until the deadline so they don't have to give up all their future picks. I could see the Indy trade still being on the table for Russ + one future unprotected 1st instead of having to give up multiple 1sts to make that trade happen right now.

Russ looked decent post-ASB as his TOs went down and his scoring efficiency went up (19/7/6 46.5%FG/52.65%TS 3.0 TOV) but the Lakers still struggled to win games as the defense wasn't any good. Hopefully a healthy AD + Bev + Nunn give them enough of a boost on that end of the court this season. Russ would do just fine as a 6th man playing 20-25 mpg and not being out there in crunch time and I think we'll see more of that this season.

[Pitbull]

They are probably better off keeping him until the deadline so they don't have to give up all their future picks. I could see the Indy trade still being on the table for Russ + one future unprotected 1st instead of having to give up multiple 1sts to make that trade happen right now.

Russ looked decent post-ASB as his TOs went down and his scoring efficiency went up (19/7/6 46.5%FG/52.65%TS 3.0 TOV) but the Lakers still struggled to win games as the defense wasn't any good. Hopefully a healthy AD + Bev + Nunn give them enough of a boost on that end of the court this season. Russ would do just fine as a 6th man playing 20-25 mpg and not being out there in crunch time and I think we'll see more of that this season.

I think they will wait for Nets to crash to get Kyrie. If not, they want to keep Westbrook as expiring to have space for Kyrie in summer 2023.