NBA – Russell Westbrook, how he weighs down the Los Angeles Lakers and how he must evolve

And especially far from being able to really claim the trophy with so many gaps and uncertainties. The Angelenos can highlight the injuries of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But they are not the only ones juggling each other’s plans. They might even almost consider themselves lucky to still be in the top-8 in the West. At the heart of the critics, a man, again, always: Russell Westbrook.

A profile that does not stick with the Lakers

The player has been dividing since joining the pros. But his detractors are more and more numerous. The more years go by, the more the former MVP becomes a caricature of himself. Especially since he is more exposed than ever playing for the James Lakers, the most publicized team on the market. “Westbrook is that pretty girl from a rival school that you’d like to treat like a queen. Then when she’s yours you realize why all the other guys left her“, remarks columnist Shannon Sharpe. Well, the metaphor is worth what it is worth but it illustrates in a way the situation of the veteran, transferred three times in three years.

Its qualities are undeniable. But just as much are its faults. Except that for him everything is fine. “I have the feeling that I am not doing too badly. The conversations are centered on how I play. But everyone expects me to run 25 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists, which is not normal. I have been doing this for the past few years but people have to understand that it is not a trivial matter. (…) I am above all that is said. “

His response to criticism shows that he does not listen to them. Or maybe he doesn’t understand them. Stats, points, rebounds, assists, have nothing to do here. They don’t always reflect a player’s impact on the pitch. And even less in his case. His triple-doubles are indeed traditionally synonymous with victories, but the problem runs deeper. Or, yes, let’s give figures. 4.7 stray balls per game. Only James Harden does worse. A negative differential of -3.6 points on 100 possessions. Russell Westbrook notably came to LA with a view to relieving LeBron James and leading the attack when the latter is resting. It missed.

The Lakers are catastrophic with the suicide bomber alone in charge – a differential that drops to -7.1 points on 100 possessions. His 4 of 20 on shots (11 misses near the circle) and his -23 against the Nets on Christmas Eve, illustrates the difficulties of the All-Star leader. Still other statistics. 31% at three-point. Chronic ineffectiveness as soon as he does not touch the ball. Less than 5% of possessions played by Westbrook originate from a cut to the basket. He’s not moving. He monopolizes. And he messes up concrete blocks, sometimes even above the plank.

What role for Russell Westbrook?

The Lakers are forced to play “small”, even with James as a pivot on Monday night because opposing defenses treat RW as a pivot anyway as soon as he doesn’t hold the ball. They ignore him completely when he’s away from the circle. The ideal would be precisely that he embraces this role of false interior. Like Gary Payton II at the Warriors or Bruce Brown at the Nets, two teams who really play the title. These two duty players are the same size as Westbrook and they too are not three-point snipers. On the other hand, they bring a lot to their team by focusing on all the little details: by putting up good screens to provoke advantageous duels, by rolling hard towards the circle, by going to offensive rebounds, by cutting towards the basket in the back defense to easily finish close, etc. It is obviously a somewhat thankless role.

But with his athleticism and finisher skills, Russ would shine so much in this costume… while still being able to do even more, including playing ball-in-hand pick-and-rolls. Because he’s still a better player than Payton or Brown. Except that by persisting in this way, he is ultimately less useful to his team.

He frequently gets lost in defense. It rushes, even in the hottest times. Of course it is not bad. But the performance is insufficient for his playing time and his level of responsibility. Not to mention his salary. So what can the Lakers do? A new transfer seems impossible, even if they have certainly considered it. His value is too low and his contract too high. 44 million this season, 47 next year! Here they are stuck. The problem is, as long as it doesn’t change, Los Angeles will remain this unpredictable team, yes, but also unstable. A bit like him. And he proves season after season that he does not intend to change, despite the passage of time. The group can still improve and gain momentum when Davis returns. But even with that, they don’t seem able to go to the end.