The Russell Westbrook experience in Los Angeles has been … far from what was expected.
When the Lakers traded for the former MVP on the night of the 2021 NBA Draft, Los Angeles immediately became the favorite to win the title among Western Conference teams, only trailing the Brooklyn Nets who rivaled its Big 3 of Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
The Lakers and Nets were assumed to be on a collision course to the 2022 NBA Finals but with just over 20 games remaining in the season, that couldn't be further from reality.
The reality is that the Lakers have not been a good team and Westbrook has had one of the worst seasons of his remarkable NBA career.
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It doesn't help that James and Davis have both been in and out of the lineup — James has missed 17 games and Davis has missed 24 games (and counting) — but Westbrook was supposed to act as a security blanket in those absences and that hasn't been the case.
No matter how you frame it, Westbrook has underachieved.
- 18.1 points per game: His lowest mark since his second year in the league
- 7.3 assists per game: The fifth-lowest of his career and only the second time in the last seven seasons that he wasn't in double figures
- 7.7 rebounds per game are his lowest in seven seasons
- 1.1 steals per game is the lowest mark of his career
- His 240 turnovers lead the entire NBA
And if you're more into advanced stats, his on/off numbers don't paint a much prettier picture, as the Lakers have been worse both offensively and defensively with Westbrook on the floor.
He has been benched in the fourth quarter numerous times by head coach Frank Vogel, he has been booed relentlessly by Lakers fans and his contract was basically immovable at the trade deadline, leaving him handcuffed to this experiment that hasn't gone to plan.
And just a month back, even amidst all of that chaos, Westbrook echoed a sentiment that expressed confidence in his team to step up when it matters most.
“When you get to the playoffs, it’s 0-0. That’s just how I feel," Westbrook said to the media. “You get in the playoffs, it’s 0-0 and the best team wins at that particular time of the year. If you’re playing better than the 8 seed or 1 seed, 2 seed, whatever that may be, it don’t really matter.”
The problem there is, you have to make the playoffs first.
Sitting in ninth-place at 27-35, the Lakers are closer to missing the playoffs altogether (the Trail Blazers and Pelicans are within two games) than they are earning a top-six seed to avoid the Play-In Tournament (9.0 games back).
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If Westbrook can't find his "secret stuff" and get his talents back, missing the postseason is a real possibility.
What's interesting is the nine-time All-Star found himself in a similar situation coming out of the midseason break last year with the Wizards, too.
Westbrook got out to a slower-than-usual start in his first season in Washington, missing out on an All-Star selection for the first time in six years. The Wizards went into the All-Star break 2.5 games back from a spot in the Play-In Tournament and desperately needed Westbrook to step his game up to make a push.
Westbrook did exactly that, turning back the clocks to look like the explosive and dominant player who won MVP back in 2017.
| Before All-Star | After All-Star | |
| 27 | Games | 38 |
| 20.3 | PPG | 23.6 |
| 9.8 | APG | 13.1 |
| 9.7 | RPG | 12.8 |
| 42.8 | FG% | 44.7 |
| 29.4 | 3P% | 32.7 |
| 58.3 | FT% | 70.3 |
The Wizards went a solid 20-18 in those 38 games — a record that was good enough for them to sneak into the Play-In Tournament as a No. 8 seed.
From there, they pulled off a win with their backs against the wall to qualify for the actual playoffs, even if they were eliminated by the 76ers in the first round.
The point is: Westbrook shook off the doubters, blocked out all the noise and elevated his game to the level we have known from him for the past decade.
Can he replicate that for the Lakers over the final 20 games of this season?
Granted, there are fewer games after the All-Star break this year than last, so he has less time to get back on track.
Also, nothing in his first three games after the break suggests he has another turnaround in him.
The Lakers are 0-4 since the break and Westbrook is averaging 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 37.7 percent from the field and hasn't made a 3-pointer, going 0 of 11.
But if Los Angeles is going to avoid missing the playoffs and, at an even longer shot, make any sort of a run, Westbrook will have to flip the switch as soon as possible.
Let's see if he can answer the call.
