Russell Westbrook is undoubtedly a superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers, along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The 34-year-old Lakers superstar has accomplished a lot in his long career. Westbrook has been a member of the 75th Anniversary of the NBA team, part of the All-Star nine times, and in the 2016-2017 season, he won the MVP Award. He won the Most Valued Player award in the All-Star game twice in a row (2015 and 2016). He was the top scorer in the 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 NBA seasons.
But unlike LeBron James, not everybody ages like fine wine. It seems like Russell Westbrook has lost that fine touch. Russell’s most significant contributions to the Lakers team in the current season come from his image. But the question remains: What will the front office of the Lakers team do about Russell? Will they trade him to the Bulls for LaVine, or Will they Keep him?
Russell Westbrook Can Stay In The Lakers Just Because Of His Image.
A few days ago, there were media speculations that Russell Westbrook would move to the Chicago Bulls. As, in exchange for Russell, the Lakers would buy Zach LaVine. It seemed like a done deal as the Lakers are arranging their roster on the basis of a preference for youth over experience. The speculation on the Westbrook trade started after the Lakers acquired the young Japanese Rui Hachimura.
It looked like the front office is trying to build the team with young promising talents for the future, and if it helps the team in the ongoing season, then there is nothing like it. However, the Lakers seem to push the trade idea to the backfoot. As it looks like they will maintain their “Big 3” strategy. So if the Big 3 plan needs to work out, then Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook will have to get back to their best form in terms of fitness and performance to fight beside James.
Reasons Why Fans Won’t Be Very Happy To See Westbrook Staying Put?
The golden days of Russell Westbrook are way past him as a player. But he is still selling a lot of jerseys with the power of his name. Fans would have been happier to see him go, and a promising youngster comes in his place. This move would have been more productive. In the last few performances of Westbrook have won mixed reviews. The main concerns about his presence on the roster are his inefficiency and unreliability in terms of outside shots and on the offensive end of the court.
Another incident that did not impress the fans was when LeBron James tried to motivate his team to score more and get as many victories as possible. Russell Westbrook replied, “Just have fun, bro.” Enjoying and having fun at work is essential. But what if it is a matter of do-or-die situation for a team like the Los Angeles Lakers to qualify for the playoffs? Then every single player must focus on winning more than anything else.
