The narrative around Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers might be changing.
It is too soon to tell but it looks like having Westbrook come off the bench has been working well for Westbrook and the rest of the Lakers.
He has performed better for the two games he hasn’t started in and he helped the team secure their very first win the other night.
Many people, from head coach Darvin Ham to the fans at Crypto.com Arena, are giving love to Westbrook.
Anthony Davis has nothing but praise for Russell Westbrook for embracing his new role. 👏 pic.twitter.com/O7O5xiRH7y
— theScore (@theScore) November 2, 2022
So is Anthony Davis, one of Westbrook’s most important allies on the team.
Speaking of Westbrook’s ability and willingness to become a bench player, Davis praised him:
“To be a player of his caliber and asked to come off the bench, that’s truly a guy who’s doing whatever the team asks to get the win.”
It is a bit surprising to see Westbrook become a bench player after so many years of starting in every game.
But it looks like Ham has made the right choice and this might be the sort of adjustment that was needed.
Westbrook’s Willingness
Some people thought they’d never see the day when Westbrook would come off the bench.
He didn’t seem super happy about the idea during the preseason and it led many to think he’d rather sit out entirely than not start.
But something has changed inside Westbrook because he’s stepped up to the task and he seems happy to do so.
You can expect to see Westbrook come off the bench much more often.
And you can also expect to hear the fans cheering him on way more if he keeps playing as he has the last two games.
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