Russell Westbrook’s situation in the Los Angeles Lakers: what was his form, role and performance like in the preseason?

The situation of Russell Westbrook in Los Angeles Lakers It is a recurring theme and does not seem to see its end soon. The Californian franchise has moved on trying to resolve the presence of a figure that does not fit into its short and long term plans.

Faced with the situation of a potential transfer that is still not feasible, those of Darvin Ham They have drawn up the largest number of handlers so as not to be overly dependent on MVP 2017 as happened last year. Meanwhile, Westbrook continued to do her job, as she had warned during the media day, that means, fulfill in court, compete and without filing a complaint.

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The context in the Los Angeles team is not easy to resolve. With two talents capable of leading a squad to fight for the ring like LeBron James and Anthony Davis the possibilities are limitless, but those who accompany them do more craftsmanship than talent. Strange cocktail for a return to the noble area of ​​the West. All of this accompanied by the awkward agent that Westbrook is in a sense due to all the noise surrounding him off the pitch.

During out of season Ham assured that he hoped to make it Russ her sixth man, which has not yet happened in the preseason and which at this point seems complicated to complete. Beyond the symbolism of being a starter or substitute, the Lakers’ prep matches allowed some conclusions to be drawn about Russell Westbrook’s use, role and suitability.

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Always with another manager on the pitch

The first and most notable observation of Russell Westbrook’s early games in the renewed Lakers responds to the team composition for this course. The Angelenos have decided to add as many coaches as possible to the group.

In such a way that, beyond LeBron James, there are players capable of creating their own shot, of distributing and of being able to change in defense. A fact that, at the same time, allows Russ to switch to other functions that do not necessarily have to do with those of pure point guard.

This explains why Ham’s main lineup in this preseason was the compound lineup Beverly, Westbrook, Walker, James and Davis (14:22 minutes) which left a balance of +5. In the background, the time elapsed since MVP 2017 Dennis Schroder or Kendrick Nunn, an indication that when Russ is on the pitch he will always have another teammate of his size and function by his side.

Good union with Anthony Davis

Among the few positives Westbrook’s last year left was his connection in the middle of the field Antonio Daviswhich have been combined to 128 assists (100 as point guard), this is the second best figure of the Lakers PBP Statistics. This union is somewhat carried over into the preseason, which invites optimism in case AD manages to stay healthy.

Westbrook was able to connect with both the interior and ttransition (alley-opps), to low post (system execution) and in 2v2 situations (direct screen). The champion is very small and the context does not even invite us to draw firm conclusions, but if there is a player in the Lakers squad with whom he is still good, it is Davis.

Game without the ball, the big problem

Again, finding a way to make sense of a player whose essence is offensive production with a high usage rate isn’t easy. Darvin Ham is required to ensure that the ball does not spend too much time in Westbrook’s hands for the attack to be smooth. This means that the point guard must take an off-ball role for most of the possession, something the opposing defense can draw on given its lack of outside shots.

Unlike Frank Vogel, whose schemes are finished Russ in a corner or at the bottom line for the vast majority of the time, Ham seems to have chosen to get him out of the paint by putting him on his elbows. This very specific spacing should favor the virtues of the star by allowing it to receive and penetrate, squeezing its explosiveness. An example of this is that he has so far produced 1.25 points for holding in shares of take and drive.

The fact here is that most of the Lakers possessions that Westbrook doesn’t own “participate” they leave it on the weak side of the ball. This means that the opponent’s help towards the area is longer and conditions the offensive fluidity while favoring the potential balance of the back lines in defense.

vices of the past

As much as you want to change nothing happens overnight, except with a player in the style of Russell Westbrook. Over the past year clearing excesses and loose individual actions with the Lakers attack weighed heavily on the 2017 MVP’s performance. A situation that did not help his integration into the group at all or lift his personal tally.

In the short space that has been this preseason, Russ has left behind some uninspiring sequences that are a reflection of a player whose career peak has passed. He doesn’t enjoy the explosiveness of the past, which makes his defenders react quickly to his movements, and with no success to fall back on, the best solution is to stop trying.

In the games played he barely produced 0,6 points for possession in the rinses and 0,6 also in the transitions, two of the pillars of his game.

The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the NBA or its organizations.