Things contain no longer long gone to idea for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Injuries, unhappy roster construction and disappointing play from some key gamers contain combined to bound away them in seventh location within the Western Convention at 21-21. From preseason title hopefuls to “can they steer clear of the play-in occasion” within the span of about a months.
What’s even worse is that due to the their roster and wage cap snarl, the Lakers impact no longer contain worthy flexibility to fabricate adjustments as they peep to dig themselves out of this gap and find reduction into the combine within the West. They aged most of their bright change objects within the Russell Westbrook deal this offseason and sent most of their future tradeable draft picks to the Contemporary Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis in 2019.
Making moves on the margins — similar to buying and selling Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers to launch up a roster put — are undoubtedly their easiest alternatives. That is, except they in actual fact are seeking to blow things up by buying and selling Westbrook. And in response to Sam Amick of The Athletic, they had been quietly discussing this form of likelihood earlier this season. But even though this form of deal is no longer going, in grand allotment due to the Westbrook’s broad wage ($44 million this 300 and sixty five days, $47 next 300 and sixty five days) and borderline disastrous play at instances, it has turn out to be a monumental ample epic that Westbrook addressed the rumors.
In an interview with Amick, Westbrook brushed apart any issues, pronouncing he’s dealt with change rumors prior to and they would possibly per chance presumably well no longer contain any impact on how he approaches the game.
“I on no epic fear,” he fired reduction. “Attain the job. Be expert. Yearly, my name is in change (rumors). It on no epic, on no epic, on no epic seeps into how I arrive what I enact. Or no longer it’s roughly what I changed into once pointing out reduction there (someday of the press convention). I gaze this game so different (in terms of) how one can put it to use so as to electrify things.
“No topic if (a transformation) did happen or if it did now not happen, nothing’s going to vary my mentality or my motive. I believe be pleased I contain a motive that is bigger than basketball and I continuously decide that as my forefront irrespective of what occurs inner of pro sports.”
Westbrook’s first season with the Lakers has no longer long gone smartly total, and it has been namely painful in contemporary weeks. For the reason that calendar flipped to 2022, Westbrook is averaging right 12.4 aspects and 6 assists per game, whereas taking pictures 29.3 percent from the discipline and nil percent from 3-point land (0-for-12). The Sacramento Kings even lately trolled him as their “cool as ice” participant of the game — a dinky bit they had been advised now to now not continue.
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As problems mount for Westbrook and the Lakers, the gibes are easiest going to find louder — from followers and opponents alike, if the Memphis Grizzlies‘ contemporary trash-talking is any indication. And barring a gross turn of occasions prior to the cleave-off date, Westbrook goes to be with the workforce for the prolonged haul. If the Lakers undoubtedly are seeking to resolve this thing out, or no longer it would favor to happen from within.
