One of the more surreal storylines heading into the 2022-23 NBA season has to be Russell Westbrook now sharing a team with Patrick Beverley.
The two have a rocky history, and everything they've done since sharing threads has become scrutinized. Them dapping each other up on team photo day, the way they talk about each other as teammates and most recently Westbrook seemingly avoiding a team huddle called by Beverley.
The video shows Beverley calling his Laker teammates together for a defensive huddle, before he begins beckoning to someone offscreen. Eventually, Westbrook slides into the frame.
Patrick Beverley trying to be a defensive leader, but Russell Westbrook wasn't feeling it 👀
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 13, 2022
(via @JacobRude)pic.twitter.com/FSi8YTO64f
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Another view of the video, however, provides some clarity regarding what happened.
The reality is Westbrook simply missed Beverley's summons, and he was talking to an official and the Laker bench regarding defensive position.
"As far as the other video, I was actually talking to the coaches and they cut that video in half as well," Westbrook said, per ESPN. "I was talking to the coaches about a missed coverage. So, I don't pay no mind to it, man.
"Honestly, I'm just trying to compete and do my job. Everything, videos, get nitpicked. You can cut any video and make anything you want out of it. It's not up to me to be able to judge that. I know I'm a genuine team player. I've never had a problem being with my teammates, so I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing."
Westbrook will be under a microscope for the rest of his tenure with the Lakers, there's no question about that. With LeBron James reasonably in the twilight years of his career, Anthony Davis looking to stay healthy and the addition of Beverley, Westbrook will simply have to be better this year than he was last season to avoid the ire of Los Angeles fans looking to make another run.
