Getty Images Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers
Russell Westbrook has been finding his groove off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers and set another historic mark during the team’s 129-110 win against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
Westbrook notched 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists during the victory, which snapped a four-game skid for the Lakers. It was his third triple-double off the bench this season, which tied Detlef Schrempf for the most off-the-bench triple-doubles in NBA history.
It took some massaging by the Lakers’ staff to get Westbrook to settle into his bench role. After the game, Westbrook was asked if he’s comfortable coming off the bench and danced around the question a bit.
“I’m a hooper. I can do anything, anytime, anywhere,” Westbrook said. “Whatever’s asked of me is what I’ll do and I’ll continue doing that until further notice.”
Coach Darvin Ham has been an avid supporter of Westbrook publicly and again commended the former MVP for putting his pride aside for the better of the team.
“An NBA lineup has to have balance,” Ham told reporters. “It’s not so much: Can he start? Or are his starting days over? It’s not about that. It’s about him being able to bring a counter punch, a new extra wave off the bench. … I know it’s been hard at times, but kudos to him for doing everything that was asked of him in that role.”
LeBron James Calls Westbrook’s Contributions ‘Key’
It hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies when it comes to Westbrook, who has had his ups and downs this season. But with Anthony Davis out, his tenacity and ability to grab rebounds have been something LeBron James has found extremely helpful.
“Russ has always done that in his career – he’s always rebounded outside of his size and length. It was very key for us to get stops, clean the glass and not allow offensive rebounds,” James said after the win. “I know when I’m out on the floor with him I just need to run. When he gets the rebound, and he gets on the break, I have to run with him. He sees pretty much everything that’s going on on the floor, so just run and make yourself available.”
James hasn’t been too bad himself. His streak of consecutive 30-point games ended against the Magic but he still managed 28 points on 50% shooting, adding seven rebounds and five assists.
Lakers Still Mulling Making Trade Amid Struggles
Heading into the season, it didn’t look like Westbrook was long for the Lakers. His struggles in Year 1 and clashing style with James and Davis had the Lakers looking at other options via trade for the $47 million guard.
However, Westbrook’s strong showing off the bench has changed the thought process for the Lakers, along with the team’s timidness to include first-round picks in a possible move.
The Lakers still are a few players away from being considered a remote contender and have limited assets to do so. Now with Davis out and a timeline for a return uncertain, the Lakers’ front office is very carefully weighing potential moves.
“Reinforcements via trade would obviously help, and the Lakers are still evaluating their options on a dormant trade market,” Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported. “At the same time, it becomes increasingly challenging to justify trading a first-round pick if the group continues to struggle. The front office doesn’t want to compound its previous mistakes with more win-now moves.”
The Lakers will have a chance to string together consecutive wins on Wednesday against the Miami Heat.