The Los Angeles Lakers may have made a big mistake when they traded for Russell Westbrook. While it seemed like a good idea at the time, the fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis was evidently poor.
Westbrook got a lot of heat for how he underperformed in his first season in purple and gold. Nonetheless, it's not like any on the team besides LeBron had a good season, and the team seemingly lost all trust in now-fired coach Frank Vogel.
That, plus Westbrook's mega contract, fueled countless trade rumors and most people expected him to be dealt by now. However, Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported that the Lakers are actually thrilled with Russ' offseason improvement.
NBA News: Russell Westbrook Has Been Impressive In Training Camp
"During scrimmages, Westbrook has been doing many of the little things that the Lakers have asked of him," read the report. "He’s been an active on-ball screener. He’s relentlessly pushing the pace in Ham’s uptempo system, looking for his teammates first and his own shot second. He’s been engaged defensively, hounding ballhandlers while adjusting to Ham’s new pick-and-roll coverage."
"Westbrook slightly refined his shooting form this summer, and sources say his catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage has been improved in workouts and scrimmages," the report added.
Even though he's entering the twilight of his career, we're still talking about a former MVP and Scoring Champion. So, if Westbrook embraces a different role and do what's best for the team, they still have a big shot at contention.
Westbrook is one of the most athletic players in NBA history, and a healthy Anthony Davis could also push the Lakers to a whole new level again. That's a lot of 'ifs,' but maybe Westbrook will get his shot at redemption in Hollywood.
