Why Russell Westbrook Failed With The Lakers
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- čas přidán 8. 02. 2022
- When you look at Russell Westbrook’s career its hard not to be impressed.
So when the Los Angeles Lakers made a blockbuster trade to get Brodie everyone in the world instantly put the team into championship contention.
But we are more than 50 games into the season the The Los Angeles Lakers are playing like trash.
I dug into his numbers, team statistics, advanced player metrics and game footage to find out what's wrong with Russell Westbrook
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I almost laughed when he said that everyone thought Westbrook to LA was a good move. We saw this coming MILES away
Right? I was like who? This was a disaster in-the-making the entire time
Even better is how the Lakers would play come playoff time. They won't have to worry because they will be watching it on TV from home.
It would’ve worked had they signed younger guys.
@@prodbymomin Who are the players who signed with other teams for the league minimum that would have made a difference?
Monk, Melo, Bradley and Dwight have all played reasonably.
@@michaelahurt their is no spacing we knew Westbrook would struggle he needs an open lane to be dominant.
If you look at all the dunk highlights of Russ when he was with OKC and with Lakers, you’ll see that his head at or slightly above the rim in OKC but way below the rim with Lakers. He can’t jump as high anymore. His game was dependent on his athleticism. Although he is still very athletic, he is no longer elite…
yea, seeing him get stuffed at the rim by the rim itself was pretty eye opening, like damn this can’t be how russ going out
He dunked on Rudy Gobert this year I just think he only struggling because he on the lakers he needs to be on a bad team
Agreed. He has always had a low basketball IQ as opposed to his amazing athleticism. This is not a good combination for a 33 yo 6"3 guard.
Age
That’s from chasing triple doubles !!! for two seasons 😂😂😂😂
I would contrast Russell Westbrook's LACK of a basketball IQ, to Vince Carter.
They both were dynamic in their early days; but, as Vince got older, he remodeled and retooled his game, to still be effective, well into his twentieth season.
Yep! Midrage sniper, and elite slasher turned into a good 3pt catch and shoot option
THIS WESTBRICK BLOOPERS IS HILARIOUS!!
czcams.com/video/BGMSlPs53Yw/video.html
I’d love to see how long Lebron could play if he’s humble enough to go out like Vince, as a solid player who gets minutes even when he’s not super athletic anymore. Dude’s still got lots of tread on his tires as an athlete now, so how long can he play if he is willing to take a bench role in his final seasons? Imagining Lebron as a 6th man of the year candidate is kinda crazy but he could totally do it I think.
Same thing has happened to Melo, less post ups and drives, more catch and shoot M3LO
Vince always had a jumper though. Used to cook Kobe, T Mac and Iverson in the mid range. He could never not shoot
I’m so confused as to how Russell regressed in terms of shooting. Am I the only person who remembers when he had silky midrange jumpshot, especially from the elbow? I also remember he was a solid ft shooter? Feels like a fever dream
Yeah one of his signature plays was running full speed on a break and pulling up suddenly from the top of the key and draining it consistently. Those days are long gone now tho
After KD left, Russ became a player that thought he needed to do everything, which took a toil on him, when his a pure score first point guard his one the best, needs to leave the Lakers and join a team that really wants to win instead of helping old Lebron try to overtake MJ as the goat instead of doing what’s best for the team
Was absolutely magnificent at that line… free throw and the pull up I have no idea how that left him
Playing on a team with Bron will mess you up...Bosh, Love, now Westbrook
@@thatinternetdude1392 No bro ever since KD left he’s been extremely terrible did you not watch the video he’s a damn stat padder stealing rebounds from teammates and not guarding people properly in hopes of a miss to get a rebound it’s like y’all really haven’t watched WestBrick’s career this is not new he’s been playing like this for YEARS!!!!!!
The biggest issue for me with Russ is that hes been this way so long he has no desire to change, he feels his game is perfect the way it is but you can tell his body is starting to fall apart of him and he's trying to supplement those drives to the rim he used to do with ease for 20 foot jumpers off the glass that he doesn't have the touch to make on a consistent basis
For me its not his desire to change. Its just that, he got so used to how he played that trying to play slow and steady is becoming difficult because its hard to get used to a new pace.
Im experiencing this first hand, i used to go hard to the basket back when i was athletic, but now i lost some and im trying to get used to playing slow and off iq. Its really a huge adjustment. Drose ddnt master this 1 year alone. It was years till he get used to a new slow paced game
I agree with you. He's kept the hard-core slashing mentality and has not enhanced his game. Remember young MJ and Young Kobe, they use to slash a lot too, but of course when they got older their Basketball IQ got better with fundamentals and they learned how to pace the game with making others better. Russell needs to do the same if he is going to try and get a Ship. I guess I see why KD left OKC. I like Russell but I hope he doesn't let pride ruin his game and career.
@@ewa1275 very good point man, it's definetly tough for Russ considering in the grand scheme of things he doesn't have nearly as much time as most to refine those parts of his game he really tries to rely on these days maybe a few years from now he'll be a solid pg off the bench kind of like rondo where he can come in facilitate the offense without needing to do too much scoring
@@raptureready1982 yeah kd was definetly ahead of the curve I'm sure he saw it wouldn't work long term and the longer they went without winning the smaller the window I like Russ too and I want to root for him but he's gotta do his part people are talking about him getting moved in the off-season maybe it'll be best for him LA seems like too much pressure for him atleast at this time but we'll see, idk if there's a deal that makes sense for Russ considering his contract but I wish the best for him
@@ewa1275 it’s great seeing people having actual knowledge of the game speaking truth & having understanding of Russell Westbrook current situation, as a laker fan, I hate the way he’s playing but as y’all say, he’s gon have to adjust tremendously cause he’s not his young self anymore, vertical decreased, speed decrease, jump shot….ehhh been the same 😂😂😂.. I do wish the best for the No doubt future hall of famer
U made the best breakdown of russ is struggles .
Second
Russ’s not Russ is😂🤣😂🤣
@@detroitshinobi4995 thank you I cringed when I read that.
@@detroitshinobi4995 you’re both wrong it’s Russ’ struggles. You don’t need to put an S after the apostrophe of the name ends with an S.
@@LoftyXsWaGX34 both usages with or without 's are correct
The greatest flaw in the RW saga in addition to everything you so methodically pointed out, is that he is clueless and in total denial to what's going on in terms of his declining game. Not only does he not see how detrimental he is to the Lakers and his teammates; however he's not doing anything necessary to remedy his game. Especially when you are playing with the current GOAT of the NBA. One more thing, no matter how off your shot is, there's absolutely no excuse for a 44 million dollar man not to rotate defensively, and being extremely complacent in transition.
Jumping over that screen for a block while dude was still dribbling is probably the dumbest thing I've ever seen at any level of basketball HS and up.
Russ has no situational awareness and will continue to make mistakes in the worst spots and will move on to the next game like nothing happened.
The part he got wrong in the video is that Russ has been this way his entire career. He’s always been a poor shooter and poor decision maker. It’s the reason why KD, Paul George, Harden and now LeBron all no longer want to play with his. He’s a good dude but his game just doesn’t mesh well with winning.
The worst is when he intentionally allows his man to blow by him just so he might be able to get a block or rebound attempt
current GOAT? Greatest Offseason Acquiring Team mate....hahahahaha....
@@edmontoncouple1562 who has a better career that lebron right now? Thats still playing??
Spot on brother I don't blame russ i blame who recruit russ because you have 14 years of evidence on how he plays its impossible that lakers don't have scouting reports. The diffence between regular season and playoffs you need cerebral player look at rondo not great by the numbers but their impact don't show on the stats sheet. Rondo is not a great shooter not athletic but he is a big piece to lakers 2020 championship runs
U MEAN LEOVERRATED JUST BRICKED 3 THREES , 2 WIDE OPEN LAYUPS (DIMES BY RUSS TO HIM) AND 2 CLUTCH FREE THROWS VS WARRIORS ALL THAT IN FINAL 2 MINUTES. U BLINED PATOLOGICAL LIAR.
SHALL WE CALL JJ BAREA TO HUMILAITED LEBRONZE AGAIN ???
@@PIP...33 man it you gonna trash talk lebron then don't do it on his shooting capacity because everyone knows that's just bs. It's always hard to play with pressure that's why he's always being criticized but when he's fg percentage is great for his size and position while being decent or great in every area except defense because he doesn't want it like he's old then where you only can blame him is his actions for critical moments even though he could be clutch or at least decent sometimes. You just hate him and it's okay but it doesn't make you right that way.
@@imsohandsome SO U R PATHOLOGICAL LIAR. WHY U HATE WESTBROOK ??
IN MY 90S ERA PPL WILL BEAT LEOVETRRATED FOR LOAD MANAGE.
SO U LIKE FRAGILE DIVES.
ITS OK U R WOMAN. U R SOFT.
SHOW PLAYOFF ON WEST BY LEBRONZE ???
WHY HE TRADED ALL YOUTH TO SEE PLAYOFF IF HE IS GREAT ???
ITS OK U R PATHOLOGICAL LIAR.
HATE GUY WHO WORK EVERY DAY.
BRAVO WOMEN BEHAVIOR. U SOFT WOMAN
@@PIP...33 westbrick fans in denial on how trash he always been
@@lalnunsangavarte YEAH PATHOLOGUICAL LIAR. CAUSE RUSS NEVER GOT OUTPLAYED BY BENCH DWARF IN PLAYOFF LIKE LEOVERRATED.
JJ BAREA >>> LEBRONZE
Dejounte Murray is averaging 19.8 pts 8.4 rebounds and 9.3 assists this season fyi
Simple: Westbrook never developed a jump shot because he relied on athleticism.
THIS WESTBRICK BLOOPERS IS HILARIOUS!!
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@@blackroyaltymgmt5195 you are hilarious
That's facts. You can tell all the stars who relied on athleticism by how their jump shooting looks after year 13, if they make 13
And because his athleticism is getting worse. He averaged double digit assists because he attacked the rim like it fucked his girl, which would leave his teammates open. Now because he’s not as fast, he doesn’t have as much gravity
If you ever watched him, he had great mid range
He cannot transfer the same psychology mind he has in OKC to LA. He is used to the rhythm and the tempo and momentum in OKC and KD always alleviate the pressure for him when he can pass around to KD and KD always make the score and when KD left, everyone in OKC let RW take the rebound and unlock the fastbreak and that's the reason he got triple double season. He lost that kind of tempo and momentum and the surrounding teammates that let him grab rebounds and unlock the fastbreak in LA so he lost the feel and groove in basketball......Basically in OKC he is in the mode just to attack because the team support him whereas in LA he has to facilitate and be more patient and strategic and not just purely attack and that's not the playing style RW is used to for past 10 years and therefore RW lost his handle of the ball feel and lost the game momentum and rhythm.........pure and simple
DURANT WAS HUMILIATED BY TPNY ALLEN AND IGUODALA
WESTBROOK HAVE MORE CLUTCH DAGGERS IN CAREER THAN DURANT. U PATHOLOGICAL LIAR. CHECK STATS
Whut..bro.. This nigga tripping
@@PIP...33 I did what you said and checked stats and turns out Westbrick is playing right at his career stat averages even a little les TOs this year. Turns out his really sucked his whole career. No wonder KD PG Harden and others could never go all the way with him on their back.
@@rcbarnson6488 YEAH THATS WHY HARDEN LEFT DURANT TO JOIN EMBIID, AND DRAYMOND YELL AT DURANT WE DONT NEED U , U R ''B'' U JOIN US TO SAVE YOUR CAREER.
U BLIND PATHOLOGICAL LIAR.
NO WONDER DURANT HAS NO RINGS IN CAREER
MAYBE IF HE DONT AIR BALL CLUTCH SHOOTS VS 6'3 JRUE HOLIDAY
U BLIND PATHOLOGICAL LIAR
@@rcbarnson6488 ur crazy without Russ kd got a couple playoff runs wit gs wit kyrie he never was close to the success he had wit russ
Russell Westbrook in February:
14 made baskets
14 turnovers
He is shooting 28/15/55% in that
Add terrible defense to that, leaving people open to chase boards.
whats that 5 games? What was his stats 5 games before that lol
@@RenzaissanceTV Russels stats mean zero when he scores 17 and lets his man get 20, people look at numbers way to much as to how it truly impacts a game.
@@deni8814 So his stats only mean something when yall want it to, or when its as bad as the numbers the original post posted, okay I see how you tryna manipulate the narrative lol
@@RenzaissanceTV i am not go watch the game, his man is open most of the time or semi open because he sags off to be closer to the rim for boards, another he doesnt have a reliable jumpshot to space the floor so he is just there, if Russel isnt dominating the ball he is just there.
I feel when Russ hears “play better” what comes to his mind is do everything I’ve already been doing but 100x harder
Sounds accurate. Really seems like he doesn't know the difference.
Westbrook has always been this player, it just took playing for a big market for the whole world to see. I’ve been on russ ass for 5 years now and now everyone pouring on.
This is literally his first worst season in the nba any other season he’s averaged 20 or more you sound dumb
this is the problem when an athletic player was young and relies so much on athleticism vs relying on skills. Westbrook passes great when he has great legs, attack and kick, but passing off of skill and iq is different story. That is something what drose did later in his career. RW is still a great talent, I just hope ppl would losen up on bashing this man, he is one of the most respected players in the league.
I used to play athletic myself, I know how it feels when for so long playing bouncy you will need to rely on bball iq eventually.
“We’ll see how they perform come playoff time” Big Oof
Love this Video, you hit all points. With the depth the Lakers have is sad to see this experience going the way it’s going. Russ need to get his Head right and stop feeling sorry for himself. He need to step up and see where he is making so he can get better and build back the trust of the locker room. This is we’re a man step up and boys fold. He is well paid, and this is disappointed to see his is acting and playing this way. My favorite phase is “Man up”
There’s a side where triple doubles are used to help your team all over the court, and then there’s Russell’s side where it’s just stat padding. I’ve seen him play in OKC. He stole rebounds and tried to force passes almost every time down the court. He’s just not a good team player.
He's athletic, but not a professional.
Last I checked, the NBA is a team sport. Russ doesn't care.
Just wrong it is statistically proven his team has a higher chance at winning the game
@@stevebru3020 That’s not the point I was making at all dummy 🤦🏻♂️
@@stevebru3020 individual stats don't mean anything. It's how well a team plays together. Russ sucks, come to grips with it.
@@thunderpooch more than Russ sucking, the lack of a big man is killing them alot. Like AD getting hurt again has got be a curse or something. Either way Russ+Melo is a championship repelllent combo, so they do everything in their power to stay as far away from a ring.
His stats are inflated beyond belief. He says “if it’s so easy why isn’t everyone doing it” . Well, the answer to that question is very simple. Other players aren’t selfish enough to do what he does. He doesn’t guard his man properly just so it will put him in position for a rebound. He lets the man he is guarding blow by him so he can try to get a block or rebound. Things like that. He also has a horrific fg% so I’m not at all impressed with his scoring. And I’m not impressed with his passing because of the turnovers and the quality of the assists he does get.
You have to have talent to do it but it's generally not even advisable to try. His high turnovers, assist hunting, poor shooting fg and abandoning defense for rebounds and having his teammates box out and leave him the rebound aren't helping at all but not everyone could do it
Inflated? Selfish? He did what he had to do to win. He lets his man blow by him cause he can’t stay in front anymore. His knees are clearly messed up.
Exactly, been saying for the longest that his triple doubles aren’t impressive. MJ, Magic, Lebron, CP3, and Harden just to name a few would avg a triple double too if they had the ball in their hands 95% of the time and played for stats
@@jjax3661 Lebron does have the ball 95 percent as well. Y’all tripping, man. When he averaged triple double, he was the only one who could make plays for his team. Y’all don’t understand basketball and it shows.
@@prodbymomin Westbrook his MVP season still to this day had the highest usage in NBA history. He was only 8th in passes per game despite being 3rd in assists. There’s video evidence all over YT of him forcing assists. He’s overrated, stay in denial if you want tho
Whoa....that was amazing commentary, thx.
Westbrook's decline as he ages is one of the most predictable things in the NBA. At his best, he was a great floor raiser for a team but because he's always been so hard headed and set in playing his own style, he basically sets a hard ceiling for how good his teams could be. He doesn't play in a way that works well with other great players. As he's lost some athleticism, it's really amplified his shortcomings as a player.
All that being said, you're right that it's not all Westbrook's fault. This is one of the most poorly constructed rosters in the league. Lebron can still play well enough to get them some wins. (Lebron probably pushed for the makeup of this team)
Ppl say this but OKC is one of the only teams to take a healthy warriors to 7 games… him and Durant nearly won a chip
This is a fantastic breakdown. Please keep up the good work.
Thanks man! Means alot!
Good one, tnx. Keep up. Subscribed ☝️
This is an amazing breakdown! I subscribed to your channel off this video alone. Keep up the good work! 👍
He is failing because in OKC the team facilitated him so he did not have to think, just attack. With Lakers, he is expected to facilitate as well as be Westbrook when needed. But he only knows how to do one of those two modes. Hence why he looks lost in every game this season.
I’m not gonna lie. The main struggles he’s had have BEEN there and I’m not excusing it. But for a dude that averaged a triple double 4 times and former MVP……I’m just gonna say that this was a horrible season and this was his humbling moment. I’m willing to bet he’ll be ALOT better next season.
And on a different team
He'll be slightly better if he's allowed to play hero ball. That means going to a team that has no shot at being in the playoffs and he's the defacto #1 option.
Great video, congratz
This is all kind of known by watching and following the NBA. I NEVER fell for Westbrooks hype, I dont think most fans did either. Players just liked his attitude towards the game because most players are there for the money.
It is amazing that analytics and stats show all of this in numbers though, good job!
U MEAN LEOVERRATED JUST BRICKED 3 THREES , 2 WIDE OPEN LAYUPS (DIMES BY RUSS TO HIM) AND 2 CLUTCH FREE THROWS VS WARRIORS ALL THAT IN FINAL 2 MINUTES. U BLINED PATOLOGICAL LIAR.
SHALL WE CALL JJ BAREA TO HUMILAITED LEBRONZE AGAIN ???
When he hit the ref in the head with the ball 1:45 I was done 🤣 🤣🤣
He's always been inefficient. He's just more inefficient. He puts up empty stats and needs a high usage rating to get them.
There is no such thing as empty stats. That’s something people made up to discredit someone’s contribution.
Great video
Thanks!
This was a pretty solid breakdown. You earned a sub.
Thanks man!
@@HenryHoops 👊
@@HenryHoops U MEAN LEOVERRATED JUST BRICKED 3 THREES , 2 WIDE OPEN LAYUPS (DIMES BY RUSS TO HIM) AND 2 CLUTCH FREE THROWS VS WARRIORS ALL THAT IN FINAL 2 MINUTES. U BLINED PATOLOGICAL LIAR.
SHALL WE CALL JJ BAREA TO HUMILAITED LEBRONZE AGAIN ???
You were way too kind in this video. That's okay it was a thorough breakdown. I'm not an advanced metrics guy but I'll say this, it's obvious Westbrook's approach to the game is wrong. He needed a coach to tell him what to do if not force him to play a certain way. It's too late for that now. He's not the "scapegoat" for the Lakers but I do feel he's the majority of the problem. I'll end with this who is the better point gaurd and overall player
Russell Westbrook or
Cade Cunningham?
Who would you rather have?
Russ over Cade for sure.
The current Lakers remind me of the 2011-16 Detroit Tigers. A " create a team video game " roster that looks fabulous on paper... but they're just not a good TEAM. They clearly lack the intangibles it takes to win night in and night out.
Agreed, one of those nba2k rosters. Although I have been saying from day 1 of the trade this wasn't going to work
Good Video
Your edits got me dying lol "Cleaning up Russel's trash" LOL
If you're guarding russel, you know he'll drive it to the basket. Steph, kyrie and cp can shoot and attack without dunking as if dunking counts 10 pts. Plus they got better handles
I remember when this trade happened and I was nottt happyy. I like Westbrook as an individual player, but nott as a team player. I neverrr wanted him on my Lakers, especially at this age. I love how hard he plays, but he's so out of control. And for the simple fact he can't hit jumpers often. 2 players that I can see have talent, but I would never want on my team; Westbrook and Ben Simmons. I remember hearing Lakers might get Simmons too, and that shit had me pissed. Damian Lillard embarrassed the fuck out of Westbrook, and I'm glad he did that year. Westbrook could hardly even do shit, he'd score once and started rockin the baby, yellin, doin all this extra stuff ... and Lillard was just quietly shitting on them the whole series. Then when Lillard hit the game winner, I was like thank goodness. Send this mothafucka homee! And when Dame waved goodbye, it was like the greatest shit talk without even speaking. Even Paul George basically used Westbrook's disrespect, to become a shit talker too, that whole year. PG was chill on the Pacers, and he even seems more chill and at peace on the Clippers too. But Paul George on OKC just had a whole different aggressive attitude. Not saying Westbrook caused all of it, but I think he did cause some of it. It's like they were trying to intimidate people into being scared of them. 🥴 Like Westbrook chill, you can hardly hit a jumper to save your life right now. Dame & McCollum ain't scared of you.
You could pick any decent role player, and they woulda played so good on the Lakers, just simply catch and shoot players. But even just a good player that is not a main superstar in the league. Swap Westbrook for someone like CJ McCollum, or Kemba Walker. I feel like either one of them could help the Lakers drastically. Especially Kemba Walker where for a good while, it seemed like the Knicks didn't even want him.
I'm curious now how different things would be if Lakers had DeRozan rather than Russ. I think Lakers world have been better off. Lakers and Russ were never going to be a good fit
Analysis by statistics is beautiful. You should be in ESPN segment doing these analysis Congrats.
Perfectly put
Westbrook is similar to Iverson. Everything revolves around his athleticism. Now that he is older and closer to those around him he can't do what he did before. Because he was so athletic he didn't develop the proper skills (such as shooting) to mature as a player.
Westbrook's playstyle, like Iverson also requires teams to be built around him as he is too ball dominant and requires space to operate.
Except Iverson was much better shooter and better player all around.
@@shahinkhm3110 how? Shooting is almost identical. FG WB: 43.7% while AI:42.5%. 3FG WB: 30% while AI: 31%. FT both are 78%. AI is better all around? when WB can dominate on ever facet of the game. Not much of a westbrook fan but you re comparing Sixer AI (Prime AI) vs. Laker WB. Lets see AI's play during his time with memphis or detroit
Older and injuries during the last few years. He had a legit mid range a few years ago.
Wow this was the most entertaining break down ever
Part of it is Russ being impatient on offense but also it’s the lack of spacing cause if you pay attention to the line and game video there’s so many players in the paint
If they get rid of Jordan, keep Howard as the back up and put AD at center then that will help Russ or even let DJ go and maybe sign Milsap who plays D and can space the floor
Well, if Milsap is bought out
hebis a big reason why they are in the paint..he can't shoot so teams barely even guard him
Why try to make it work for Westbrook specifically. There are good players at each position and they should upset all of that instead of simply benching him a few games and let the chemistry build up between the rest of the players. But too late now
I would say that russ just completely forgot his fundamentals... Idt being a laker has anything to do with it... He's been consistently failing at making plays and finishing off easy buckets which is frustrating... In my opinion which Idc if anyone agrees to, I think it's all about his pace... We all know russ is a super explosive player and likes to use pace to run of the defender but for some weird reason he has put his pace beyond full throttle... The second he gets the ball he just dashes and fucks up the play... Fastbreaks are cool but not if you aren't gonna convert... Its very frustrating... Even when shaq was sitting Courtside he told Westbrook to slow down and see the play not just dash like a rabid dog and mess up the play... I hope he gets better
Nice bideo
Youre right but this dunk on Gobert was so nasty! :D i love it!
Well you understand the situation. Now what can lakers do? Show to Russ CP3 and Rondo playing style, apply Shaq's advise to slow down, Russ leads second unit from the bench. But others should step up...
Haha that's for the laugh man. U just can't show an athlete how to play better or how ti play a better style. That stuff takes years to develop. The game of basketball is much faster than it looks for us avg folks so even pros struggle at pro level
@@zerocal76 Russ can adjust but it requires working with qualified people. I remember at my level playing like him, I was so fast, but sometimes worked against me missing lay up, pass etc, I wasn not good at 3, but I had the mid range. I believe Russ can improve the mid range a lot, he should reduce the 3 attempts focus on driving jumping with 2 hands, driving fast sometimes or slower calculating a potential pass a la CP3 or Rondo, avoid one hand lay up or pass too risky, pass the first defense line and pull up a mid range jumper, read the game, easy to say it's a book it's not impossible but requires introspection honesty and work ethic otherwise he could end his NBA career 2 years from now 😄 I like him but he has to adjust his game
Its really simple he lost his athleticism and never worked on his shooting.
Nailed it. Best Westbrook video I have seen
As many issues as center on Russ… there is the question of the elephant that ISNT in the room
All the good role players that are missing…. And the aging vets who are playing instead
The Wizards continued improvement this year could also be attributed to player’s continued development and improved team chemistry.
Well when you get all the Lakers players who played defense and give back Westbrook, yeah the defense better improve
Funny because they are trash now and nobody is mentioning it
The NBA has never had a shortage of athletic head cases; in that respect Westbrick is no exception. It is kinda funny that Lebron has played with so many of them (Ricky Davis, Delonte West, J.R. Smith and Russell Westbrick).
As a rockets fan I’ve known Westbrook wasn’t a true superstar 5 games in with us. We had to deconstruct our entire lineup (extreme small ball) to have any chance
And as a Rocket’s fan what the hell was Lebron thinking lol. Didn’t he recall our playoff series. Did he forget how bad he personally made Westbrook look in that series. The guy was laughing at him talking crap down 40 lol
@@jsdzx Exactly! That’s why the trade surprised me as well
Yet harden was runners up in MVP voting, won the scoring title with 35ppg and Russ giving 27/7/7 each night, all the rockets needed was to keep Capela for the playoffs and use pj tucker at his true position instead of being center, having both of them there would let Russ challenge the paint easier and Harden would rake up threes without the need to give him outside shots
@@namos3369 , they traded capela cause the spacing was so poor with he and Russ on the court. Russ took off after going small but the small ball plan was never gonna hold up long term.
@@jsdzx he was still playing alright with capela but did get better without him and you clearly forgot about him getting Covid and injuring his quad in the bubble on the rockets man could barely walk and the lakers were gonna win that series anyway
You have to take into account that the team is different, due to the fact these are trades it’s hard to actually give a real evaluation on impact
Not really. the dude has been in the league for over a decade. He's making 44 million a year. It shouldn't take 82 games for him to "Adjust".
Idk bro you left out some pretty key things injuries and Covid played a big part of his play with the rockets and wizards but other than that good vid
2:16 very misleading stat if you think about it. Only 3 of the 10 players listed are not from this era. There were good players back then too, but the problem is these stats are SO EASY to get now. I have a feeling that when basketball finally cleans up it’s act and understands that hoop heads get just as excited for defense as they do for offense, this era will be like a steroid era for baseball, where every stat needs an asterisk next to it or something. I don’t even flinch with all these records being broken anymore as they mean nothing in this era, as EVERYONE is just feasting right now.
Russ averaged a triple double in this era but I’m not sure he could even average 15 minutes in any other era. He’s athletic sure, but so was Robert Pack. To say he’s Robert Pack is a little harsh, but as we can all see now, he’s not a good basketball player. At least Pack could take care of the basketball
Do you think the 70s and 80s deserve as asterisk as well? Or are you just comparing the modern era to 95-2015 era basketball? If you go to basketball reference you can look at very detailed team stats yesr by year and it’s very telling.
I think a lot of people forget that until the last 5 years or so, the league was barley scoring 100 ppg per team. People forget about the 2000-2010 era and how defensive it was. People forget about the impact of removing the illegal defense rule. Look at some of the box scores from the playoffs even as recent as 2014 or so. Whoever made it to 80 wins. Do you know what changed everything? The 3 ball. That’s why teams are finally scoring as much as they did during the 80s again. 20/21 the NBA FG percent is only 17th all time. It’s below ALL of the 80s and early 90s as well as some other well older years. So it’s NOT that it’s that much easier to make a basket now. But get this: the league is the most EFFICIENT it has ever been. An effective FG percentage of 54 percent! Why is this? The 3 ball!!! Finally the league realized that if they can get their team to shoot above 33 percent on 3s that is just as good as shooting 50 percent on 2s. So they get eveyone to work on their 3 ball and now we have all teams almost shooting at least 35 percent from 3 or so. And taking 30-40. THAT is why the league is so efficient now and scoring as much as it was back in the 80s 70s and early 90s. They might not be taking as many shots or shooting as high of a FG percent, but they are shooting MUCH more 3 point shots!
Do you know another reason for why the 3 ball revolution happened? Because defense just got SO good! Teams were able to run these man to man schemes with ZONE principles. Strong side overall on ALL of teams best players. Packed the paint. It made it SO hard to get to the hoop. 10 times harder than it was when there was hand checking Allowed BUT illegal defense meant players got to go 1 on 1. Illegal defense allowed to guaranteed spacing. Got to stick to your man even if he can’t shoot. So when they got rid of that? It didn’t matter if they eliminated hand checking, teams were able to have players so shifted to whoever had the ball that it became So hard to score individually in isos!
SO guess what happened? The only way to counteract this was getting much more skilled, especially in 2 areas: shooting 3s for anyone who is on the court surrounding a star player AND all star players being able to make more difficult cross court passes to hit open shooters on time in the shooting pocket of the defense sags!
We have also seen in this era a new wrinkle, the implementation of the lob catching big man. It’s all to counteract teams overloading on star players.
One last thing…you know how eveyone says the league is so soft with fouls now? Guess what? 21/22 NBA teams average the least amount of FTs ever in NBA history, despite better perimeter shooting allowing for more spacing and drives to the hoop.
You can read about it if you want to, but there were league mandates from the powers that be and comp committees to reward players for contact at the basket LESS and LESS. They wanted to incentivize more exciting badkwbrall. Fast breaks and 3s. Not iso ball to get to the hoop slowly and draw a foul with soft contact. The NBA HaTES free throws. They don’t want to slow the game down, so they simply call less fouls now. That doesn’t mean players get fouled any less if you watch the film, but they let a lot more simple fouls go then before. Body contact on shots at the rim is let go all of the time even if it’s technically a foul by rule. Go watch some 70s and 80s and 90s highlights. While some teams took advantage of no flagrant foul rule and would reallt hit people hard at the rim, there were ALSO WAY MORE soft foul calls in the paint.
Ehhh
No matter what, this man is the king of turnovers by himself 🤦🏾♂️
Lebron is the king of turnovers all time and Russ doesn’t even lead the league
This is amazing even as a Huge russ fan I can't dispute and say my guy here is in the wrong this is a great breakdown
I remember in the Utah-OKC series when Ricky Rubio got into Westbrooks head and then showed him how to get a proper triple double
I agree on blaming whoever constructed the roster. Giving up people like Rondo and Caruso for Westbrook is idiotic even for casual fans.
And you clearly don't know who the lakers gave up to get westbrick. Calling thel idiotic casual fans. They did not gave up rondo and caruso for westbrick. Search it up first before you comment.
@@jaylynsacrez4450 Ever heard of cap space? What i meant is Westbrook’s 44m can be used for people LIKE Rondo and Caruso.
What I remember was that the laker gm were going to get shooter which they actually needed cant remember the name of the player. Legm and davis wanted Westbrook to play with the laker. Such an bad decision
the second reason for lakers to fail this season is Russ himself, the first is he contract
Part of it is that players fish for better teams. They don't even bother to make their former teams better. They jump ship and think they have a better chance elsewhere. Some players stay loyal to their team and make things better.
good job
PG was hurt both seasons with Russ .. and with the wizard Russ was hurt from the bubble and was hurt half the season and Beal got hurt at the end of the year too
Is he hurt now? Because he is playing like he has brain damage.
@@kaalen24 😭😭😭😭
*sometimes you just lose your talent, but then regain it right back, don't worry he'll catch on, if hes' smart, it all happens mentally*
Nailed it
he used to have this really on and off deadly-ish mid range jumper that made him so hard to guard, and he kinda just stopped doing that
Why people thought a team with Westbrook would win a championship in the first place is beyond me
I applaud you for making hands down one of the most unbiased breakdowns of Westbrook’s game I have seen. I have never liked Westbrook and with how the media always seems to love him and hype him up, it is refreshing to see I am not alone in this belief
I understand you don’t like him but where have you seen the media like him or hype him up lol the media shits on him like crazy
@@kinggoose2744 There has been heavy criticism this year, with there being certain detractors throughout the years that haven't bought into Russ' numbers.
Last season though, aside from his struggling, media had been gushing over him from the moment he got traded for John Wall.
Track name at 12 mins? Good beat
I instinctually closed the window when I saw Russell airball a free throw at 7:00 😆 I've seen enough
His strength is to attack the paint and score in the paint. He’s not a outside scorer
Now everyone can attack the rim effiently now a days, his inside game no longer stands out it’s actually below average
bruh he literally bricks layups and dunks
@@JordanisOverrated2 U MEAN LEOVERRATED JUST BRICKED 3 THREES , 2 WIDE OPEN LAYUPS (DIMES BY RUSS TO HIM) AND 2 CLUTCH FREE THROWS VS WARRIORS ALL THAT IN FINAL 2 MINUTES. U BLINED PATOLOGICAL LIAR.
SHALL WE CALL JJ BAREA TO HUMILAITED LEBRONZE AGAIN ???
Stop watching games in 2015, it’s 2022 now
@@eddyba6038 nah he gotta know his lane and focus on what he’s good at
No playoff time for the lakers
honestly, with him being 6moty and benched by darvin ham, the pressure is off of him and hes going with the flow more which makes it alot better. hes doing awesome plays and defence now
Pelinka needs you on his staff to do this for each player for this off season. Seriously.
The way Lakers play their sets is one of the reasons why Westbrook’s struggling.
I believe Westbrook fits better on a run and gun or pace pushing teams than a half court set. I love the video. Nice content!!!
Westbrook will play great on a team like GSW. Lebron teams are normally great at fast breaks but it’s a half court offense. And Westbrook is limited by the slow moving offense.
You both have brain damage. It's not any team's fault. It's Westbrook's fault. He would literally ruin GSW's chemistry. This guy needs a few years in the G league and humble himself and stop acting like an all star.
He is a decent third option when he's not turning the ball over six times a game, and that's all he is.
@@mowgli6345 🤔
@@mowgli6345 well last time I checked shooters were supposed to be in the corners to stretch the floor, however that’s where they throw Russ the ball to with 3 seconds on the shot clock. Is that Westbrooks fault too?
@@braydenbruner4024 You blame the organization when this has literally been his problem with every single team he's ever been on. The Wizards literally performed better with him off the floor. Maybe that should tell you something.
actually most of us said he wasn't a good fit... idk how everyone put them into title contention
I really hope this season is a wake up call for Russ to change his play style to fit today's game.
0:50 I don’t remember that at all. I remember even Laker fans hated the trade. About 99% of fans said it wouldn’t work
Dude is broken
Why don't you talk about westbrook needing knee surgery in both the 17-18 and 18-19 playoffs, along with a partially torn quad with the rockets?
He could also use some brain surgeries.
@@-caesar3751 u a comedian or sum?
@@-caesar3751 🤣🤣
They don’t want to talk about the injuries or him catching Covid either lol they have to make sure they make Westbrook look bad for more views 🤣 it’s a popular thing to hate on Westbrook those are the people who listen to the media only
That clip Russ throwing inadvertently to the ref got me nuts. LOL
I think constant starting lineup changes are throwing them off as well. There's just no rhythm or solid minutes. 28+ starting lineups is way too much change. This ain't a video game, they need a solid rotation to gel. Just a fans opinion of course. Im sure its much deeper, but from every game I've watched almost all the players look confused on what to do next.
I hate how people talk about okc like they had bums while cp3 was there…shai doesnt exist? Gallo? Dennis? Adams? Even dort is solid
Exactly he even said it in the video without realizing it. Said they got better role players same with the wizards.
@@marcogomez9046 thank god there are some people with brains.
Thanks you
He should have stayed with the wizards..russ did so well with them, I hope wizards can get him back in the off season to play with Beal, kuz, and porzingus
Baltimore SportsCenter: City Championship Game: Edmondson vs Lake Clifton ----> czcams.com/video/AxoHK9Mdya0/video.html
5:33 Play-off times he says. 🤣🤣. Play-off times.
I still can’t believe the LAKERS , the most prestigious basketball organization with one of the smartest NBA players of all time couldn’t see this wouldn’t work . I’m a construction worker and knew this was a bad idea .
This is why OKC blew that 3-1 lead against Golden State because Russ and KD started to shoot more in the last 3 games of that series instead of letting the big men Adams and Kanter do the heavy lifting.
Both Russ and KD were stat padding.
After seeing Russ sink the thunder in the finals because he wouldn’t defer to KD when it mattered, I knew then that he would never be able to be a part of a team that could win a championship.
I'm an OKC fan and a russ fan but I knew it was time to move on after we got demolished by Portland. My biggest issue with russ his last couple of years in okc was him taking 3s he had no business of shooting. Along with that he was looking for rebounds instead getting out in transition.
Hey what’s the beat that starts at 12 mins?
I’m just still waiting to see how the Lakers perform in the playoffs
Still waiting sadly. Lol
Surely LeBron has played with/against Westbrook enough in all star games and in the NBA to have a sense of how this would have all played out with Westbrook on his team. The trade for him just looks desperate in hindsight. LeBron is gonna go free agent and sign with whoever drafts Bronny and leave the Lakers holding the bag for all of these moves for aging superstars.
Flashback to lebron james laughing at westbrook in the bubble
LeBron’s need to add Russ was like a nuclear arms race response to the Nets adding Harden. There was no real logic to it just the arrogance to think that he could make it work against all logic. He saw his easy road to another title threatened and his ego allowed him to think that this move of desperation would show him to be great for molding Russ into the player that would fit. If it failed Russ would be the easy scapegoat. This is where we are now.
bro did u forget that houston experimented with that pj tucker lineup?
@5:33 “it will be extremely interesting to see the lakers when it comes playoffs time” 🤣🤣🤣 yup, they are watching the playoffs at home.
Wait wth, your contributing OKC's good offensive rebound numbers due to russ missing layups/shots? Lmfao, if you watched that whole season, russ was also part of the reason for those boards, like grabbing them lol, and having Kanter and Adams you're gonna get offensive boards no matter if its russ missing or any other thunder player, thats a bad take man, Hate to see people who jokingly just say shit to bash a player, and not think what kind of domino affect and impact it can have on fans/media perceptions on players
He chases boards everyone sees that... Look at his numbers 42% from the field.. Cant hit a ft.. Doesn't play defense... Everyone sees it but u
Benchbrick is trash now.. Ruined my team
@@TheTonytone77 fam nobody cares
@@TheTonytone77 what does that have to do with anything😂😭😭😭
KD took this man deep into the playoffs nearly every year. A testimony to the greatness of KD.
Also a testament to younger age
Don’t forget Russ won mvp😂
Shannon had clown music playing on russ bloopers 😆 🤣
My question is what conference is better record wise