no one expected Russel WestbrookThe first season with the Lakers also went badly. He struggled to fit in with the other players on the Los Angeles team and never found his groove as the Lakers as a whole also failed. Despite featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and a cast of veterans, they failed to qualify for the playoffs, raising serious concerns about the team’s future. Westbrook was benched in key moments last season, traded at the trade deadline, and his future with the team was still very much in doubt as free agency approached.
The news that Westbrook has opted to exercise his player option for the next season surfaced on Tuesday. On Tuesday’s episode of ” The herd, ” Commentator Joy Taylor explained how the Lakers spent all their money on Westbrook and are now out of options. The Lakers had to decide whether or not to exercise Westbrook’s $47.1 million player option before they even considered trading him. Now that Westbrook is nearing the end of his maximum contract extension with Los Angeles, he will have a second chance to establish his worth under new head coach Darwin Ham.
Does Russell Westbrook deserve to opt for the player option worth 47 million?
We hoped that Russel Westbrook would join LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the third star after being acquired by the Lakers the previous summer. However, the band never really clicked, and Westbrook’s performance plummeted. The Lakers struggled to go 33-49, finishing 11th in the West and missing the playoffs despite having a strong team. Westbrook is coming off his worst season of his professional career. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.4 percent during the season. Despite posting an abysmal 29.8% field goal percentage and 66.7% free throw percentage, he was mostly blamed for the Lakers’ misfortunes.
Needless to say, Westbrook was heavily criticized for his play in his first season in Los Angeles. Throughout the season, he objected to being called « Westbrick » by fans and national TV pundits like Skip Bayless. It’s obvious that Westbrook isn’t allowing all that hate to affect him. Entering his second season with the Lakers, he is still optimistic. He and LeBron just need to figure out how to work together on the court and if they can’t, the 33-year-old point guard will put the Lakers at a crossroads.
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The Los Angeles Lakers point guard, who has had a tough season and struggled with criticism, posted a video of himself singing Beyonce’s new song, “Break My Soul” on Tuesday morning. Shortly after, news that the guard will be exercising his Lakers return option broke via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He will earn $47.1 million this year.
On ” The herd “, Joy Taylor discussed Westbrook’s potential 47 million contract. She said: “They’re going to have to take out a fourth mortgage on their house to do anything,” dit Taylor. “They have no one to blame but themselves. It was no great mystery what Russell Westbrook was. She hinted that the Lakers are going to struggle competitively and financially after making this deal.
In November, Westbrook turns 34. His points average has gone from a league and career-high 31.6 points per game in 2016-17 to 18.5 points per game this year. The Lakers are hoping a new coach and a long summer could help the team turn things around. Since the franchise is limited in terms of potential salary margin, the Lakers will have to be strategic with their moves this summer. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook as key players, the Lakers should be able to compete with any team.
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