After another loss, the Los Angeles Lakers are searching for answers, which could come in the form of sending Russell Westbrook to the bench.
After a 132-111 loss to the Clippers, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel all but confirmed that taking Westbrook out of the starting rotation has been something the coaching staff has at least considered to shake things up.
“We’ve talked about everything,” Vogel said when asked if the Lakers have discussed the idea.
Westbrook hasn’t been great, but he hasn’t been the only problem for the Lakers either. Against the Clippers the former MVP notched 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting, adding eight rebounds and three assists. He’s also been a little better about keeping his turnovers down of late, recording just two against the Clippers.
“My role and what I’m doing has changed every single night,” Westbrook told reporters after the game. “So I’m just trying to figure that out as I’m playing and to be able to benefit and help my team.
“But my expectations are still the same. I’m not a quitter. It’s not in my genes. I don’t quit, regardless of what the hell is going on. I’m going to fight to the end, and if it don’t work, that’s cool, too. I can live with the results. But I’m never going to give up or give in because of a little struggle that’s happening this time of the year.”
Breakup Between Westbrook, Lakers Appears Imminent
The Lakers went all-in trading for Westbrook in the offseason and the experiment simply hasn’t worked out. The Lakers have paid a steep price for that, with Westbrook making more than $44 million per season, limiting what they could do with the rest of the roster.
There is mutual interest from the Lakers and Westbrook to find him a new home next season, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
However, that won’t be easy, considering Westbrook is very likely to opt-in to a $47 million player-option for next season. And as the Lakers found out at the trade deadline, finding a dance partner for that kind of contract is no easy feat.
Lakers Continue to Search for Answers
The reality is that the Lakers are at dire risk of missing the postseason entirely after dropping their first four games out of the All-Star break. The Lakers are 27-35 and in ninth place in the Western Conference, leaving them just 20 games to make up any kind of space.
Most of that will have to be done without Anthony Davis in the lineup. The star big man is dealing with a mid-foot sprain and may not be back on the court for another month.
“No stone unturned in terms of trying to find solutions to get this right,” Vogel said. “But it hasn’t taken shape. There’s no quit in us. We will continue to persist. We’re trying to adjust and shift and find ways to win with Anthony out. We haven’t found that yet. But it’s not something that we can’t do. We just haven’t found it yet.”
The Lakers have a day off before facing the Warriors.
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Lakers Hint at Booting Russell Westbrook From Starting Lineup