There is no doubt that Russell Westbrook has looked better for the Los Angeles Lakers during the few preseason games he’s played in.
That being said, he’s not head-and-shoulders above his output from last year and certainly still has a lot more room to grow.
He still needs to get better with his shot selection, for example.
Darvin echoing same sentiment from all of last season on why Russ is struggling to find his footing on offense: “We need more time. Things don’t happen overnight.”
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 13, 2022
We don’t know if Westbrook will do that or if he will get better when the regular season starts but it’s clear that his head coach, Darvin Ham, knows that there is work to be done.
Speaking of Westbrook, Ham opened up about the desired progress that could be coming.
“We need more time. Things don’t happen overnight,” Ham said following a preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Fans did not like the sound of this statement from Ham because it sounds an awful lot like what they’ve been hearing about Westbrook for more than a season now.
Will It Happen For Westbrook?
Ever since Westbrook joined the Lakers, the front office and coaching staff have been pleading with fans to give him more time.
But even the most devoted Lakers followers are getting tired of waiting and hoping that Westbrook will become the player he once was.
You can’t look too much into preseason games and, as mentioned, he has definitely taken a step forward.
He just needs to take a few more if he wishes to get back in the good graces of fans.
People want to hear more than “give him time.”
Instead, they want a definitive plan that will be put into action to make Westbrook better, or they want him to stop starting games.
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