Creating a blame pie for the horrid state of the Los Angeles Lakers
By Cal Durrett
Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook
Although it was a foregone conclusion that Westbrook would be included in this exercise, in his defense, everyone knew Westbrook’s flaws before the Lakers acquired him from the Washington Wizards. Unfortunately for him, he was scapegoated for all of the team’s struggles, not just what he could control. It’s true that last season was a mess, but he has said and done the right things to try and make his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers work.
For instance, he’s coming off the bench and playing much better than he was before while also not complaining about his demotion, something that most, including myself, wouldn’t have expected him to accept. Still, the Lakers are 2-9, and he shares some of that blame.
His game hasn’t aged all that well, and as his athleticism continues to decline, he doesn’t have enough shooting ability to perfectly slide into a traditional role. He can still be effective, but it takes a lot of maneuvering to maximize his strengths. To be clear, he hasn’t always made it easy with questionable decision-making, but he didn’t ask to be put in this situation either, and it’s not his fault that the team is devoid of shooting. Taking all of this into account, Westbrook gets 20% of the blame.