Russell Westbrook runs down the court
Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, right, gestures after scoring as Portland Trail Blazers forward Norman Powell runs behind during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Is the Big 3 Dynasty Over in LA?

NBA star Russell Westbrook was benched in overtime against the Knicks on February 5.

Westbrook benched for 2nd time

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel decided to bench the one-time MVP in overtime versus the Knicks. The first time he was benched in his career was earlier this season against the Indiana Pacers. In his MVP season in 2016-2017, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This season, he is averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists through 54 games so far.

Stats since first benching

Since the first benching, it looked like Westbrook was starting to get back to his old self. However, his performance versus the Knicks might say otherwise.

Throughout his career, Westbrook averaged 24.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game against the Knicks. However, in his 29 minutes on the court, he only racked up five points, four rebounds, six assists and was responsible for four turnovers. The Lakers acquired Westbrook through a trade with the Washington Wizards this offseason; putting him on his fourth team in three years. Every player has a slump every now and then, but after a while, we have to ask ourselves; is this something deeper?

It would be an understatement to say that Lakers fans are beyond frustrated with Westbrook and his performance. Several fans began to boo Westbrook after a miss late in the second quarter.

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1490151503641911297

Although Westbrook’s performance has not been ideal, the Lakers’ poor season is not solely his fault. The other two superstars on the team, Anthony Davis and Lebron James have been battling injury throughout the season. Of their 54 games this year, James has only played in 37, and Davis has only played in 33 games. Due to the abundance of injury, the team has not been able to develop the chemistry as a unit to hit the court and be successful. The three have only played seven games together this year and have a record of 4-3 when they are all on the court.

What’s Next?

As a sports fan, all you want is for your team to be successful. The Lakers sit at 24-28 on the season and are the ninth seed in their conference. It is clear that something isn’t right, the Lakers just have to figure out what the problem is and change it.

The Lakers’ roster has a lot of talent and potential with vets like Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony and young stars like Malik Monk. However, with James and Davis being frequently in and out of the lineup, Westbrook just has to step up. Their next game is against the reigning NBA champions–the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers will look to defeat the Bucks in LA and hopefully sort out some of the mental and physical errors on the court and further assess what needs to be done to improve.

Can Russell Westbrook pull himself out of this slump and return to his once MVP self?

About Jay Jackson

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