Dwight Howard explains why Russell Westbrook will be a stud for the Lakers

Even despite everything he’s accomplished throughout his NBA career, a lot of people still look down on Russell Westbrook. To some, the Los Angeles Lakers made a huge mistake by trading for him.

In reality, Westbrook is one of the most talented, athletic, and physically dominant players in the history of basketball. We normalized him getting triple-doubles every night and there’s absolutely nothing normal about that.

So, albeit we can acknowledge that the fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis is questionable, he’s used to sharing the court with other superstars. That’s why Dwight Howard came forward in his defense and explained why he’ll be a great addition to the team.

Lakers News: Dwight Howard Says Russell Westbrook Is Underappreciated

(Transcript via Silver Screen & Roll)

“I think it will work great. He’s (Westbrook) played with superstars before. He’s played with KD (Kevin Durant) and James (Harden), he’s played with Bradley Beal, he’s played with so many superstars, so I don’t think that will be a problem for him. I think he has been underappreciated. I think all of us, really, have been underappreciated.

But I know that we appreciate each other. We all appreciate what we each bring to the table for this team. So I think having a guy like Russ is going to get you 15, 16, 20 points a night. He’s going to get you 12 rebounds, he’s going to get you 10 assists, and he’s going to play 110% every single night. How can you not appreciate that? So I’m gonna tell you: ‘I appreciate you, Russ!’ And we ain’t even played a game on the same team yet. But I appreciate what you do, and I think everyone in L.A. is going to appreciate it when you’re holding up that trophy at the end of the season. Why not? There we go! Let’s get it y’all!”

Westbrook’s erratic decision-making and poor shooting have cost his teams several times throughout his career. But he’s also a born leader and the reason why his teams were in a position to contend in the first place.

So, maybe se should just stop trying to put him down and appreciate him while we still can. Hopefully, he’ll silence his critics and finally wins an NBA Championship. He’s done more than enough already.