LeBron James opens up on Russell Westbrook's shooting slump

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled to keep up with the expectations they had before the start of the NBA season. LeBron James continues to play out of his mind but he’s getting little-to-no help from his supporting cast.

James has even had to play at the five to try and mitigate Anthony Davis’ absence, nearly averaging a triple-double and doing a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated into wins.

Needless to say, fans are pointing the finger at Russell Westbrook, as the former MVP hasn’t made a three-pointer since late December and is shooting a horrid 17% from the floor over the past couple of weeks.

Russell Westbrook, LeBron James Aren’t Concerned About Westbrook’s Shooting Slump

Nonetheless, neither Westbrook nor LeBron seem too concerned about the first’s terrible shooting slump. If anything, they just think he has to continue doing his thing and his shot will start falling:

“Just keep working. … He’s getting some really good looks, but they’re just not going down for him,” James said. “The word slump is not something I lean on. … I’ll figure it out and that’s that,” Westbrook added.

Westbrook Doesn’t Care About Criticism

Westbrook has never been bothered by criticism or the few flaws in his game. He’s made it clear that he’s never going to change, even if that means never winning a ring or establishing at another team:

“My game is not predicated on shots or if I turn the ball over,”Westbrook told the media a couple of weeks ago.“Like, If I miss some shots, that’s part of the game. I’m allowed to miss shots. I can do that. Like any other player, I can do that. I can turn the ball over, too I can do that. That’s all a part of the game.”

Lakers Thought Of Moving On From Westbrook

The Westbrook experiment has left a lot to be desired, and Sam Amick of The Athletic even reported that the Lakers entertained the thought of trading him early in the season, although to no avail:

“Sources say the Lakers showed some covert interest in discussing a possible Westbrook trade with rival executives earlier this season,” Amick reported. “A deal appears extremely unlikely before the Feb. 15 trade deadline, if only because his deal that was once seen by so many as untradeable is such a massive obstacle. But inside the Lakers, itseems, there is some recognition that this hasn’t gone as (James and Davis had) planned.”

That’s what you get when you pursue Russell Westbrook. He’s an incredibly talented player but he’s been reluctant to make adjustments throughout his entire career.