Right in the middle of the NBA preseason, the Los Angeles Lakers continue to be the center of attention. Especially Russell Westbrook, since he was one of the main characters of the failed attempt to qualify for the NBA Playoffs, and later with some rumors about a trade.
Westbrook had been linked with several mockup trades, rumors about a bad feeling with LeBron James, even the Lakers owner Jeanie Buss 'unofficialy' stated Westbrook wasn't going to be part of the 2022-2023 NBA Season as a Lakers player. However, at the end, the Lakers' front office couldn't find any good options, and decided to keep him.
Now, the one-time MVP award winner, will have to deal once again with the Lakers' fans, the front office pressure, and maybe one or two heated encounters with one or more of his teammates. Even more, if things don't add up, and eventually the Lakers don't qualify to the NBA Playoffs.
NBA News: Russell Westbrook makes bold statement about his performance last season
As Los Angeles Lakers didn't qualify for the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Russell Westbrook's bad performance was one of the most notorious. Although, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, the third most on the roster, just behind LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, but he did it in 78 games. Whereas, on the assists department, Westbrook was the leading playmaker in the Lakers roster with 7 assists per game.
However, Westbrook didn't hesitate to state he doesn't believe there is something wrong with his shooting. "The quality of shots is important. Making sure I’m not taking the bad ones is something I try to emphasize, attacking the basket." he said according to Kyle Goon, Southern California News Group reporter.
Although, there is footage of Russell Westbrook working on his shooting during practice drills, but that's not enough evidence, at least for the Lakers fans. And, despite there's no such thing as a one-game conclusion, throughout the preseason, Westbrook has been consistently attacking the rim, but failing on the defensive end.